Animal Instinct

This week on Animal Instinct, Celia is joined in studio by Frank Grasso. Frank is a Professor of Psychology at Brooklyn College the City University of New York. He directs the BioMimetic and Cognitive Robotics research laboratory there the aim of which is to understand how brains control and coordinate behavior in animals. His research with octopuses follows the lab philosophy that to understand brain function one must be able study the organism, build a brain model that captures the behavior and validate that model by comparing robot performance against animal performance on the same task. Octopuses represent an great challenge to this approach because they are so alien and so complex in brain and body.

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This week on Animal Instinct, host Celia is joined by marine biologist and underwater videographer Josh Stewart. Josh has studied and filmed mantas around the world and has spent several years studying coral recruitment on historic shipwrecks in the Dominican Republic. It was during one of these projects that he saw his first manta ray, and was instantly taken by the beauty and grace of these amazing animals.

Josh has filmed for National Geographic and Animal Planet, as well as producing a number of independent documentaries and video shorts, one of which earned him the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure Award in 2010. He is currently a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is being supported by a National Science Foundation Fellowship for his research on manta rays.

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Can spiders hear? Do they see color? What are their webs made of? Tune in and learn about the world of spiders as host Celia talks to researcher and spider specialist Dr. Todd Blackledge, Leuchtag Endowed Professor of Biology at The University of Akron. Dr. Blackledge has spent his life studying spiders and their webs to understand how spider silks evolved into a toolkit of diverse fibers that includes some of nature’s toughest and stretchiest materials.

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This week on Animal Instinct, host Celia Kutcher is joined in studio by Dr. Taylor Truitt founder of The Vet Set. Dr. Truitt brings veterinary care to homes, offices, or hotels to avoid the stress her patients might experience during a trip to the vet's office. The Vet Set also offers "Fear Free" hospital visits, where pets can receive surgery, dental care, x-rays, ultrasound and critical care.

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This week on Animal Instinct, host Celia Kutcher is joined by Sharon Nunez, president and co-founder of Animal Equality. Sharon talks about the release of iAnimal, an immersive virtual reality experience into the lives of farmed animals. iAnimal uses cutting-edge virtual reality technology to give viewers an immersive look at the life cycle of factory farmed animals from birth to death. This latest project features footage filmed by 13 investigators in six countries.

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This week on Animal Instinct, host Celia is joined by Lisa Luckenbach from WiggleLess, a company specialized in back braces for dogs. Lisa explains how to find the best back brace for your pet to protect it after surgery, injury or disease. Inspired by her own struggles with back pain, Lisa decided to start a business to ensure the well-being of our furry friends.

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On the season premiere of Animal Instinct, host Celia Kutcher is joined by Denise Herman, the founder and head trainer for Empire of the Dog. She is a Valedictorian Graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers – widely considered the "Harvard of dog schools." After graduation, she was hired as a staff trainer at the San Francisco SPCA and opened Empire of the Dog in 2000. Tune in to hear them discuss why dog trainers are so important, even if you think you already know a lot about dogs!

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On the season finale of Animal Instinct, host Celia Kutcher is joined in the studio by Zeke Freeman of Bee Raw Honey.

Working as an advisor to Beehive Bee Products, Inc., Freeman repackaged the company's honeys in clear, retro-inspired glass jars, earning recognition in Metropolitan Home’s Top 100. In 2005, Freeman acquired majority ownership of Beehive Bee Products, in partnership with Sam Yocum, a photographer and designer. Freeman and Yocum re-launched the company under its current name: Bee Raw Honey.

Today, Freeman solely manages the company, and he has expanded Bee Raw’s distribution, making its single varietal honeys and honey flights available nationwide. He also actively promotes the importance of American family-owned apiaries and works to educate the public about beekeeping and its vital role in agriculture.

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Today on Animal Instinct, actress, model, and animal lover Missy Hargraves calls in to tell us about her efforts rescuing creatures when catastrophe strikes. Hargraves' past work has included documenting the claustrophobic conditions suffered by dolphins in Japan's Taiji Whale Museum. The museum is in close proximity to the infamous cove denounced in the hit documentary The Cove.

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Today on Animal Instinct, we talk to the talented Olivia Barash. In a past life, Barash played the female lead role of “Leila” in cult classic Repo Man. Continuing her career in Hollywood, she's gotten to work with the likes of Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Depp.

But let's talk about animals! In the last year, Olivia has been hard at work on BarkvilleTV with her new production company, Original Pixel Cowboys. A YouTube channel, Barkville TV stars dogs rather than humans, and seeks to help them get adopted!

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