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Artwork for Knowing Animals

Knowing Animals

Josh Milburn
Animal Rights
Critical Animal Studies
Climate Crisis
Gaza
Animal Studies
War Crimes
Ecocide
Animal Welfare
Animal Ethics
Human-Animal Relations
Anthropocentrism
Sociology
Human Rights Violations
Plant-Based Transition
Capitalocene
Red Kites
Military Action
Animal Suffering
Children's Moral Judgments
Animal Consciousness

Knowing Animals is a regular 20 minutes podcast about all things related to animals and ethics; animals and the law; animals and politics; and animal advocacy. It features interviews with academic and animal advocates. It is available free so enjoy!

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes311Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureEducation

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Artwork for Knowing Animals

Latest Episodes

Today's guest is Dr Nicolai Skiveren. Nicolai is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of English at Aarhus University in Denmark, where he is working on a project called The Afterlives of Stories: Exploring the Long-term Impact of Environmental Na... more

Dr Jan Dutkiewicz is an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Department of Social Science and Cultural Studies at the Pratt Institute in New York. Much of his research focuses on the political economy of food; in addition to publishing res... more

This episode's guest is Professor Marcy Norton of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of History. She's a historian of the early modern Atlantic interested in questions about how Europeans shaped the Americas and how Native American peoples s... more

On the 250th episode of Knowing Animals, the guest is Jin Qian, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. She researches China's environmental governance and its global implications, with a focus on the intersection of... more

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Recent Guests

Nicolai Skiveren
Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of English at Aarhus University, Denmark
Aarhus University
Episode: Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Jan Dutkiewicz
Assistant Professor of Political Science, Pratt Institute; author of Feed the People
Pratt Institute; Feed the People
Episode: Episode 252: Industrial food systems with Jan Dutkiewicz
Marcy Norton
Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania; author of The Tame and the Wild
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Episode 251: Tame and wild with Marcy Norton
Jin Qian
PhD candidate researching China's environmental governance, wildlife in food systems, and animal advocacy; host of Slightly Tofu
Wageningen University and Research; Slightly Tofu
Episode: Episode 250: China's forest frogs with Jin Qian
Nathan Poirier
Interdisciplinary critical animal studies scholar
Lansing Community College, Michigan
Episode: Episode 249: Veganarchafeminism with Nathan Poirier
Eze Paez
Returning guest; tenure-track professor in jurisprudence and bioethics at Pompeu Fabra University
Pompeu Fabra University
Episode: Episode 248: Sentientist political liberalism with Eze Paez and Pablo Magaña
Pablo Magaña
New guest; Irish Research Council postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin
Episode: Episode 248: Sentientist political liberalism with Eze Paez and Pablo Magaña
Claire Parkinson
Professor of culture, communication and screen studies at Edge Hill University; co-director of the University Centre for Human Animal Studies
Edge Hill University
Episode: Episode 247: Animal activism on film with Claire Parkinson
Zara-Louise Stubbs
PhD student at the University of York
University of York
Episode: Episode 246: The Uncanny Gastronomic with Zara-Louise Stubbs

Host

Josh Milburn
Host of Knowing Animals

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 181 ratings
  • Inspiring

    I really enjoy the intellectual analysis in these podcasts. I have just listened to the cheese paradox episode with Devon Doherty. Devon was so articulate about the issue and really made the topic zing. Excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Class b
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • opened up a whole new world

    I am a lifelong vegetarian/vegan, and a non-academic—or “layperson” if you will—who only recently discovered the world of animal studies scholarship, thanks in part to this podcast. (I knew there had to be more than just vegan pop culture! It’s a desert out there for the inquisitive, critical thinker who is disillusioned with the same old rhetoric and vegan capitalistic consumerism…) I’m not much of a podcast listener, but whenever I happen to play this one, I am fastidiously note-taking, cross-... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    camellia schinner
    United States3 years ago
  • Best podcast on animal studies

    Highly recommended

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dinsil
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Wonderful Podcast

    I have listened to this podcast for many years. It is consistently fantastic. I have learned so much about Animal Studies from many scholars. The hosts, originally Siobhan O’Sullivan, and now Josh Milburn, are thoughtful, super smart, attentive interviewers. I so appreciate both of them. Their styles are different, but they both follow a tried-and-true format that packs a lot of content into a fairly short podcast.

    Currently, this is my favorite podcast in the realm of consideration of non-hum... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mychael McNeeley
    United States5 years ago
  • Excellent podcast, covers a wide range of topics and is very illuminating

    Podcast Addict
    5
    TianyiQ
    5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality production and consistently strong guest lineups are commonly mentioned positives.
Some feedback notes audio quality improvements over time, with overwhelming praise for content and host preparation.
Listeners appreciate the rigorous questioning and depth of guests while keeping episodes approachable.
The show offers clear, engaging, and accessible discussions on complex animal studies topics.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Q: What is the most important thing academics can do for animals?
Education—engaging with students and sharing ethical perspectives and research to inspire informed, compassionate action beyond just personal choices.
Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Q: If you had to name one animal studies scholar who's had a big impact on you, who would it be?
Professor Philip Armstrong has had a significant influence, particularly through the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Human Animal Studies and his mentorship during my early days in New Zealand.
Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Q: Can you recall the first piece of pro-animal scholarship you ever wrote?
Unmilked was my first substantial pro-animal article, and earlier I co-authored a piece analyzing Seaspiracy that explored conspiracy storytelling in vegan documentaries.
Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Q: Can you recall the first piece of pro-animal scholarship you ever read?
Randy Malamud's Animals on Film or Derek Bousé's Wildlife Films were early influences during my MA days, shaping how I thought about documentary representations of animals.
Episode 253: Animal rights films with Nicolai Skiveren
Q: Now, Nicolai, we ask every guest on Knowing Animals five quick questions. Are you ready for your five quick questions?
Yes, I am ready.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Knowing Animals

What is Knowing Animals about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on animal ethics, rights, welfare, and governance through expert interviews and thoughtful debate. Episodes frequently explore how humans relate to nonhuman animals across history, law, culture, and policy, with rigorous analyses from scholars and activists. Notable strengths include a consistently concise 20-minute format, a focus on interdisciplinarity, and a habit of inviting diverse voices—from philosophy and anthropology to activism and policy—to illuminate complex animal studies topics. Listeners can expect clear explanations, thoughtful questioning, and accessible takes on academic debates and real-world impact in animal protection and governance.

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How many listeners does Knowing Animals get?

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How many subscribers and views does Knowing Animals have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Knowing Animals?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Knowing Animals:

1. The Animal Turn
2. The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh
3. Sentientism
4. Think Like a Vegan
5. New Books in Animal Studies

How many episodes of Knowing Animals are there?

Knowing Animals launched 11 years ago and published 311 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Knowing Animals?

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What guests have appeared on Knowing Animals?

Recent guests on Knowing Animals include:

1. Nicolai Skiveren
2. Jan Dutkiewicz
3. Marcy Norton
4. Jin Qian
5. Nathan Poirier
6. Eze Paez
7. Pablo Magaña
8. Claire Parkinson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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