Comparative cognition is a relatively new scientific field which addresses the mechanics of the brain from a cross-species perspective, asking how memory and intelligence function in different animals. In Out of Our Minds, Kate Webbink goes on a science road trip, travelling from Montana to New York – with stops at major universities in between – to ask scientists about the challenges they face, the limitations of the field, and what exactly they’re trying to achieve. An entertaining and humorous look at comparative cognition and scientific endeavour in general, the film delves into the mysteries of the brain, and the insights and uncertainties of the scientists who study it.
A comparative cognition road trip across the US in search of a map of the mind
Director: Kate Webbink

videoCognition and intelligence
How a ‘periodic table’ of animal intelligence could help to root out human bias
5 minutes

videoCognition and intelligence
Leaping from firing neurons to human behaviour is tempting, but it’s a perilous gap
3 minutes

videoSleep and dreams
How might the dreamworlds of other animals differ from our own?
8 minutes

videoNeuroscience
What is your dog really thinking? MRI brain scans might soon provide the answer
7 minutes

videoNeuroscience
What will we do when neuroimaging allows us to reconstruct dreams and memories?
4 minutes

videoBiology
To understand the limits of human senses, look to the wild world of animal cognition
45 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
Are zoos and natural history museums born of a desire to understand, or to control?
57 minutes

videoPhilosophy of mind
Embodied cognition seems intuitive, but philosophy can push it to some strange places
14 minutes

videoHuman evolution
Can a tiny slice of mouse brain help us understand the complex human mind?
3 minutes