Nature & Nurture #56: Dr. Christian Nawroth - Farm Animal Cognition & Animal Welfare

Dr. Christian Nawroth is an applied ethologist and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Behavioral Physiology in the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology.  

In this episode, we discuss Christian's research on farm animals, including goats and pigs, and what this research tells us about their intelligence, social cognition, memory, and decision making. We also talk more broadly about the aims of such farm animal research, and contrast basic science research with the goal of better understanding animals to improve their welfare, with animal research conducted with the goal of improving efficiency in food production. Lastly, we discuss the ethics of animal welfare, and future lines of research that might allow us to better understand animal consciousness, including virtual reality approaches.   

Learn more about Christian's work at: https://christiannawroth.wordpress.com/