Audio is streamed from the publisher.
Show notes
Intelligence is a many splendored thing, especially when it comes to comparisons between species. Chimpanzees are better than humans at some numerical tasks, but less good at understanding what numbers actually mean. One window on the ways that species differ is how they play amongst themselves. I talk with anthropologist and cognitive scientist Erica Cartmill about modes of play and other social behaviors among various species, and what they reveal about the ways we all think. Upgrade your denim game with Rag & Bone! Get 20% off sitewide with code **MINDSCAPE** at [www.rag-bone.com]( https://www.rag-bone.com/">www.rag-bone.com. #ragandbonepod Get twenty percent off your first purchase at [Fast">https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/">Fast]( https://hensonshaving.com/MINDSCAPE">hensonshaving.com/MINDSCAPE and or use code MINDSCAPE at checkout. Blog post with transcript: [https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026/03/09/346-erica-cartmill-on-how-human-and-animal-minds-think-and-play/"]( [https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026/03/09/346-erica-cartmill-on-how-human-and-animal-minds-think-and-play/](https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026/03/09/346-erica-cartmill-on-how-human-and-animal-minds-think-and-play/ ) _Support Mindscape on [https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll"]( Patreon._ Erica Cartmill received her Ph.D. in psychology and neuroscience from the University of St. Andrews. She is Professor of Cognitive Science, Anthropology, Animal Behavior, Psychology, and Informatics at Indiana University, Bloomington and an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. She is the co-chair of the EVOLANG conferences and the co-director of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute. She is co-director of the [Possible">https://www.possibleminds.org/">Possible]( https://www.observinganimals.org/">Observing]( https://www.comparelab.org/team">Web]( https://anthropology.indiana.edu/about/faculty/cartmill-erica.html">]( https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4JiaMaUAAAAJ&hl=en">Google](<a href=) Scholar publications