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The Animal Turn: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Claudia Hirtenfelder
Animals are increasingly at the forefront of research questions – Not as shadows to human stories, or as beings we want to understand biologically, or for purely our benefit – but as beings who have histories, stories, and geographies of their own. Each season is set around themes with each episode unpacking a particular animal turn concept and its significance therein. Join Claudia Hirtenfelder as she delves into some of the most important ideas emerging out of this recent turn in scholarship, thinking, and being.
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- 2 days ago1h 20m
Bonus: Haunting with Kathryn Gillespie
Claudia talks with Kathryn Gillespie about “haunting” as a way to notice how harm and care shape everyday human–animal relationships. They discuss everything, from feeding urban crows to grieving orcas and lab beagles learning what grass feels like. They consider the role of attentiveness in relations with animals and ask what becomes visible when we stop treating violence as background noise. Date Recorded: 1 April 2026 Kathryn Gillespie, PhD, is a writer, researcher, and educator dedicated ...
- 1 weeks ago1h 19m
Bonus: Deception with John Sanbonmatsu
John Sanbonmatsu joins Claudia on the show to discuss ‘deception,’ a concept in the title of his recently published book “The Omnivore’s Deception.” We explore how deception operates in understandings of meat and human relations with animals, including how industries actively deceive the public but also how individuals engage in practices of bad faith and self-deception. Date Recorded: 25 February 2026 John Sanbonmatsu is Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Ma...
- May 25, 20261h 31m
Bonus: Animals and the Right to Politics with Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka
Claudia talks to political philosophers Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka about their latest book Animals and the Right to Politics. They discuss the differences between societal and placed based politics, unpacking why both are necessary to enable animals’ political engagement. Date Recorded: 30 January 2026 Featured: Animals and The Right to Politics by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka Animal agora: Animal citizens and the democratic challenge by Sue DonaldsonEnvironmental Eth...
- May 18, 20261h 21m
Bonus: Psychoanalysis and the Meat-Commodity with Teddy Duncan Jr.
In this episode Claudia talks Teddy Duncan Jr. who departs from the Marxian consideration of the meat-commodity to think about how psychoanalysis, especially Lacanian psychoanalysis, might be useful in understanding human relations with meat. They discuss the interconnections of language, disavowal, symbolism, jouissance, and ‘the Real’ in this discussion. Date Recorded: 12 November 2025 Teddy Duncan Jr is a professor at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. Teddy’s academic writing on ...
- May 11, 20261h 28m
Bonus: Creature Needs with Lucy Spelman, Susan Tacent, and Christopher Kondrich
A scientific abstract can tell you a species is declining. A story can make you feel what that loss means and why it should change how you live. In this episode Claudia talks to Lucy Spelman, Susan Tacent, and Christopher Kondrich, the co-editors behind Creature Needs, a striking book that juxtaposes conservation science with poems, essays, and fiction written in response. They discuss the book, writing as a means of connection, and the politics of conservation. Date Recorded: 29 June ...
- Dec 29, 20251h 10m
S8EB: Monstrous Others with Rachel Dean-Ruzicka
We explore how Stranger Things signals a new monstrous moment, moving from unknowable creatures to human-made villains, and what that shift says about power, identity, and culture. Along the way, we ask how animals get coded as monsters and when their agency is reclaimed or removed in film and TV. Date Recorded: 22 April 2025 Featured: Tolerance Discourse and Young Adult Holocaust Literatureby Rachel Dean-Ruzicka Paranormal Maturation: Uncanny Teenagers and Canny Killers b...
- Dec 29, 20251h 28m
S8E10: Grad Review with Gina Song Lopez and Taylor Jobling
Gina Song Lopez, researching vegan movements in Taiwan and China through the lens of local culture and social media, and Taylor Jobling, a law lecturer unpacking how Australia’s legislation categorises animals, come on to the show to discuss the main themes and tensions to emerge in Season 8, Animals and Media Date Recorded: 8 December 2025 Featured: What Comes After Entanglement by Eva GiraudThe Birth of Korean Cool by Euny HongThe Omnivore’s Deception by John Sanbonmats...
- Dec 22, 20251h 34m
S8E9: News with Shatabdi Chakrabarti, Jessica Scott-Reid, and Jan Dutkiewicz
In this episode we bring together a photojournalist from India, a Canadian columnist, and a political scientist/reporter to discuss animals and the news. We discuss different types of news as well as some of the challenges that come with creating news content that focuses on animals. Date Recorded: 4 June 2025 Featured: How to Spot Misinformation and Bias About Climate and Food in the News by Jessica Scott-ReidMeatsplaining by Jason HannanFeed the People by Ja...
About The Animal Turn
Animals are increasingly at the forefront of research questions – Not as shadows to human stories, or as beings we want to understand biologically, or for purely our benefit – but as beings who have histories, stories, and geographies of their own. Each season is set around themes with each episode unpacking a particular animal turn concept and its significance therein. Join Claudia Hirtenfelder as she delves into some of the most important ideas emerging out of this recent turn in scholarship, thinking, and being.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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The Animal Turn covers topics including Science, Nature, Philosophy, Culture, Society & Culture, Social Sciences. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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