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One of the oldest human ideas is that we are somehow different from animals, somehow superior to them. That\u2019s a mistake, argues the environmental philosopher Melanie Challenger. \u201cMany of the things we most value \u2014 our relationships, the romantic sensations of attraction and love, pregnancy and childbirth, the pleasures of springtime, of eating a meal \u2014 are physical, largely unconscious and demonstrably animal,\u201d she writes in her book \u201cHow to Be Animal: A New History of What It Means to Be Human.\u201d The consequences of resisting our fellowship with other species, she argues, have been devastating to them and to the planet.\n\nChallenger\u2019s arguments are fascinating in their own right, but they also have a particular resonance at this moment of tremendous technological advancement. Humans have long defined ourselves by our cognitive intelligence, yet the machines we\u2019re building are rapidly surpassing our minds. What does it mean to be human in a world where we are no longer superior by the standards we\u2019ve created? Have we set ourselves up for a specieswide existential crisis? And how can embracing our status as animals help us navigate this bizarre future?\n\nBook Recommendations:\n\nLove\u2019s Work by Gillian Rose\n\nSummertime by Danielle Celermajer\n\nLighthead by Terrance Hayes\n\nListen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at\xa0nytimes.com/audioapp\n\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\n\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\n\nThis episode was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Mixing by Jeff Geld. The show\u2019s production team also includes Emefa Agawu, Rog\xe9 Karma and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. And special thanks to Sonia Herrero and Kristina Samulewski.