I just had the pleasure of attending an incredible meeting called "Playing into the future - surviving and thriving". The major theme of this international gathering concerned the importance of play ...

I've studied various aspects of play behavior in a wide variety of nonhuman animals (animals) for decades, focusing mostly on members of the "dog family" (canids), while some of my students have ...

I’ve been saying it for years: the only things Animal Crossing is missing are rocket boots and superpowers. Okay, I’ve not been saying that - but now that I’ve seen it’s a thing, I’m quietly obsessed.

Music has the power to uplift mood, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being, not just in humans but in animals too. For some species, it can even strengthen the bonds with their keepers or ...

We project a great deal onto animals. They are elevated into ideals of love and fidelity (dogs, horses), and often they are reduced to objects and tools (cattle, pigs, horses again). Much of ...

We tend to think of play as a human thing, something kids do for fun, or adults return to when they finally get a break. However, animals play too, and not just pets. From crows sliding down snowy ...

Animals as simple as bees and as complex as you and me and have fun too! Animals as simple as bees and as complex as you and me… like to have fun. But what’s the point of fun? Do all animals have fun?

David Toomey is a board member of Science for the Public, a nonprofit involved with communicating science to wider audiences. At Cambridge University Library, along with all the books, maps and ...