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Many of us who have animals in our lives know that they experience emotion, we know because we\\u2019ve seen it. We\\u2019ve witnessed our dogs express joy when we walk through the door, watched them display jealousy toward another animal, or we\\u2019ve seen them mourn the loss of a companion. When someone asks, \\u201chow do we know?\\u201d usually, most of us say something along the lines of, \\u201cwe just know... it\\u2019s obvious.\\u201d But, that\\u2019s not how it works in science.\\xa0

Science needs proof and for too many years proof wasn\\u2019t an option, as a large majority of the scientific community avoided any research or any studying of the inner lives of animals, classifying the entire idea that they even have inner lives as anthropomorphic. Fortunately, for many species, science has started to come around. Research and studies are expanding every year and scientific circles have become increasingly accepting and supportive of the idea that many species do indeed have emotions.

Barbara King is a biological anthropologist who has studied the complex emotions throughout the animal kingdom \\u2013 from orcas to elephants to ducks to dogs, with a focus on grief and love. Her work is centered on how the science of animal thinking and feeling can help us better understand and advocate for the rights of animals. The more that humans know about animal\\u2019s intelligence and emotional lives, the harder it becomes to harm them.\\xa0

Barbara is an emerita professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary and the author of several books, including How Animals Grieve and Personalities on the Plate. Her books are loaded with impassioned stories of animal\\u2019s emotional lives and inner worlds, all backed with the scientific rigor that builds the case toward changing the way in which the world treats animals.\\xa0

She also gave an\\xa0incredible TED talk this year, which has already been seen by a million and a half people.\\xa0