How smart are animals? Humans may not be smart enough to know. That’s conclusion of primatologist Frans de Waal. He says humans tend to observe animal behavior with their own exceptionalism in mind. He bridges the dividing line between humans and animals in his new book "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" We revisit our interview with de Waal about his research into the breadth of animal intelligence. 

Then, the rhythmic songs of birds and frogs have inspired modern music compositions. Producer Sean Powers joined some birdwatchers to learn about the variety of chirps, tweets and calls among Georgia’s bird populations. Plus, we revisit our conversation with North Carolina State University professor Jonathan Kramer about whether it’s accurate to describe these sounds from animals as songs. 

And, are dogs getting smarter? It’s tough to say, but technology is helping us communicate with them better. We revisit our conversation with Georgia Tech’s Melody Jackson and Emory University’s Gregory Berns about the evolution of dog intelligence and the devices that may help our dogs talk to us in the future. 

Tags: OST Full Show  Atlanta  Georgia