With a beak like a parrot, venom strong enough to dissolve flesh, and eight writhing tentacles, the octopus is among the most mystifying and alien of creatures.
On today’s show, a naturalist reaches across half a billion years of evolution to find the soul of an octopus. Then, how far can the benefits of music therapy reach? One woman brings us the answer.
Listen to the full show.
Finding the Soul of an Octopus
In a new book, the naturalist and author Sy Montgomery explores whether she can reach across the divide that split the octopus and humans lineage more than half a billion years ago to discover whether octopuses have feelings, consciousness, or maybe even a soul. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
Learn more about the octopus at this link: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Octopuses
Music for Animals
There's a wealth of studies out there on the benefits of music on our mental and physical well-being. But do the benefits of music therapy extend beyond to other creatures, beyond humans? Can music help animals? One woman is trying to find out, and Britt Wray brings us her story.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
