The Curiosity Conversation

Join Matt and Eilidh as they speak with Dr Peter Mackay, School of English, to discuss the cultural importance of a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland.

What can history tell us about the ways communities develop in relation to place? Find out more in this exciting episode.

Today, Matt and Eilidh ask Dr Manon Schweinfurth from the School of Psychology and Neuroscience some of your questions from the What Makes Us Human? exhibition. How much of our DNA is shared with potatoes? And are cats smarter than dogs? All answered in this exciting episode.

In this Episode, Eilidh and Matt speak to Dr Cat Hobaiter, Reader in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, about whether

Learn more about the exhibition: https://what-makes-us-human.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

In this episode of the Curiosity Conversation, Eilidh and Matt speak to Dr Ellen Garland, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Biology.

'You tell me that it's evolution, well you know we all want to change the world' - so said the Beatles. But do whales have cultural revolutions? And if so, does this mean that humans aren't as unique as we might like to think?

In this episode of The Curiosity Conversation, Eilidh and Matt speak to Dr Alice König, Senior Lecturer in the School of Classics.

Find out about the stories museums can tell about war and peace through different artistic mediums, and follow Anna and Diana's story through to the creation of the exhibition 'Somewhere to Stay'.

Explore 'Visualising Forced Migration' here: https://forcedmigration.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2022/11/03/jk/

Today, Matt and Eilidh speak to Dr Manon Schweinfurth, who is working with the Museums on their upcoming exhibition, What Makes Us Human? which opens on 28 May 2023.

The exhibition examines whether humans are really as unique as we like to think - and if we're not, what impact does this have on our relationship with the rest of the animal kingdom? This episode gets to the heart of this question - what is it about rats and reciprocity that prove we're not as unique as previously thought?

Visit Manon's lab website here - About - manon-schweinfurths Webseite! (jimdofree.com)

In this episode, Dr Euridice Honorio will speak with Eilidh and Matt about making sustainable choices and having an impact, especially around peatland areas.

Find out about the relationship Peruvian communities have with their environment, the government, and other external organisations, as well as the work researchers do to support sustainable practices.

Visit the Tropical Wetland Consortium Website here.

Or can find out more about For Peatlands' Sake here.

In this episode of The Curiosity Conversation, Eilidh and Matt speak to Dr Christopher Schulz, Lecturer in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. 

Find out about myths and legends of Peruvian peatlands and their importance to the culture of the Urarina indigenous people. 

You can find out more at - For Peatlands' Sake – Vital for the planet, intertwined with communities, explore the unexpected world of peatlands (st-andrews.ac.uk)

In this episode of The Curiosity Conversation, Eilidh and Matt speak to Sophie Gerrard, a Scottish documentary photographer whose work focuses on environmental and social themes. Sophie is a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University, as well as a member of the board of trustees for Impressions Gallery in Bradford, and a co-founder member of Document Scotland. 

Some of sophies work is currently on display in the Museums of the University of St Andrews current exhibition 'For Peatlands' Sake'. 

Find out about about Peatlands, and the Arts and science in conservation, as the conversation touches on the importance of peatlands for both the environment and climate emergency, and communities and livelihoods. 

You can find out more at - For Peatlands' Sake – Vital for the planet, intertwined with communities, explore the unexpected world of peatlands (st-andrews.ac.uk)

In this episode of The Curiosity Conversation, Eilidh and Matt speak to Dr Katy Roucoux, Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. Dr Roucoux specialises in long-term ecology and palaeoclimatology, and is working with the Museums of the University of St Andrews on the exhibition 'For Peatlands' Sake'.

Find out why peatlands are one of our most valuable resources, as the conversation touches on the importance of peatlands for both the environment and climate emergency, and communities and livelihoods.

You can find out more at - For Peatlands' Sake – Vital for the planet, intertwined with communities, explore the unexpected world of peatlands (st-andrews.ac.uk)