Podcasts Education Self-Improvement Conversations with Tyler Richard Prum on Birds, Beauty, and Finding Your Own Way

Richard Prum on Birds, Beauty, and Finding Your Own Way

Published: June 30, 2021, noon

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Richard Prum really cares about birds. Growing up in rural Vermont, he didn\\u2019t know anyone else interested in birding his own age. The experience taught him to rely on his own sense of curiosity and importance when deciding what questions and interests are worth studying. As a result, he has pursued many different paths of research in avian biology\\u200a\\u2014\\u200asuch as behavioral evolution, where feathers come from, sexual selection and mate choice\\u200a\\u2014\\u200amany of which have led to deep implications in the field. In 2017, Tyler agreed with several prominent outlets that Prum\\u2019s book The Evolution of Beauty was one of the best books of the year, writing that it \\u201coffers an excellent and clearly written treatment of the particulars of avian evolution, signaling theory, and aesthetics, bringing together some disparate areas very effectively.\\u201d

Richard joined Tyler to discuss the infidelity of Australian birds, the debate on the origins of avian flight, how the lack of a penis explains why birds are so beautiful, why albatrosses can afford to take so many years to develop before mating, the game theory of ornithology, how flowers advertise themselves like a can of Coke, how modern technology is revolutionizing bird watching, why he\\u2019s pro-bird feeders yet anti- outdoor cats, how scarcity predicts territoriality in birds, his favorite bird artist, how Oilbirds got their name, how falcons and cormorants hunt and fish with humans, whether birds exhibit a G factor, why birds have regional accents, whether puffins will perish, why he\\u2019s not excited about the idea of trying to bring back passenger pigeons, the \\u201cdumb question\\u201d that marks a talented perspective ornithologist, and more.

Read a\\xa0full transcript\\xa0enhanced with helpful links, or watch the\\xa0full video.

Recorded May 20th, 2021

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Thumbnail photo credit: Russell Kaye

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