Episode

#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
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2:14:50
Published: Wed Jun 01 2022
Description

Brought to you by LMNT electrolyte supplement, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations. Isabel Behncke (@IsabelBehncke) is a field primatologist and applied evolutionary ethologist who studies social behavior in animals (including humans) to understand our urgent challenges with each other and the planet.Isabel grew up at the foothills of the Andes mountains in Chile, where she developed a life-long love for nature and wildness as well as culture and the arts. An explorer-scientist, she is the first South American to follow great apes in the wild in Africa. She walked more than 3,000 km (~1864 miles) in the jungles of Congo for her field research observing the social lives of wild bonobo apes, who, together with chimpanzees, are our closest living relatives. Isabel documented how bonobos play freely in nature and has extended this research to study how human apes play—at Burning Man, other festivals, and in everyday life. Isabel has observed how play is at the root of creativity, social bonding, and healthy development, findings that have relevance in education, innovation, complex risk assessments, and freedom.Isabel holds a BSc in Zoology and an MSc in Nature Conservation, both from University College London, an MPhil in Human Evolution from Cambridge University, and a PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology from Oxford University. She has won several distinctions for her public communication and knowledge integration, which range in formats from TED, WIRED, the UN, BBC, and Nat Geo to rural schools in Patagonia and traveling buses of schoolchildren in Congo. She is a senior fellow of the Gruter Institute, a TED fellow, and currently advises the Chilean government, working on long-term strategies in science, technology, innovation, and knowledge for Chile’s president. She can be found in Chile and New York City.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase. This special offer is available here: DrinkLMNT.com/Tim. *This episode is also brought to you by Headspace! Headspace is your daily dose of mindfulness in the form of guided meditations in an easy-to-use app. Whatever the situation, Headspace can help you feel better. Overwhelmed? Headspace has a 3-minute SOS meditation for you. Need some help falling asleep? Headspace has wind-down sessions their members swear by. And for parents, Headspace even has morning meditations you can do with your kids. Headspace’s approach to mindfulness can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost focus, and increase your overall sense of well-being.Go to Headspace.com/Tim for a FREE one-month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation.*This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*[08:11] Baco and Jiro[13:05] What is an applied evolutionary ethologist?[15:43] Lorenz vs. Skinner[18:23] The brilliance of consilience[19:11] Humboldt vs. Darwin and the origins of evolutionary thinking[29:42] Recent revolutionary thoughts about evolution[36:16] Complexity and niche construction[41:33] What’s more fun: a barrel of chimpanzees or a barrel of bonobos?[49:19] Chimpanzee geography[59:29] Magnificent bonobos[1:02:11] Female mammal problems and solutions[1:09:17] Sexual dimorphism[1:12:18] Avoiding naturalistic fallacies[1:13:52] How accurate is it to call the Congo the Heart of Darkness?[1:18:24] Why are the Japanese so interested in animal behavior?[1:21:23] Potato-washing monkeys[1:23:28] Why do breakthroughs seem to come in clusters?[1:28:29] Animals at play: the adaptive joker hypothesis[1:38:59] The overlap between flow states and play[1:41:39] What the natural world can teach humans about optimizing play[1:43:43] The everlasting tango between energy and time[1:47:19] Post-pandemic play[1:50:09] How much do we understand about the way animals communicate?[2:03:05] The drunken monkey hypothesis[2:04:07] Parting thoughts*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Headspace is one of the few meditation apps that offers clinically validated research on mindfulness and meditation.
00:00 - 04:53 (04:53)
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Meditation
Summary

Headspace is one of the few meditation apps that offers clinically validated research on mindfulness and meditation. The app also offers a range of features such as an SOS meditation and wind down sessions that help users feel better and less overwhelmed.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Isabelle, a field primatologist and applied evolutionary ethologist, has observed the social lives of wild bonobo apes and their propensity to play.
04:53 - 09:33 (04:40)
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Play
Summary

Isabelle, a field primatologist and applied evolutionary ethologist, has observed the social lives of wild bonobo apes and their propensity to play. She has extended this research to show how humans also use play in everyday life, including at events like Burning Man, and highlights its importance for creativity, social bonding, and healthy development.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the importance of studying animal behavior in their natural habitat and how it provides insight into their evolution and behavior today.
09:32 - 15:09 (05:36)
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Animal Behavior
Summary

This episode discusses the importance of studying animal behavior in their natural habitat and how it provides insight into their evolution and behavior today. The guest also explains the origins of Western ethology and the importance of observing animal behavior in their natural habitat.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This transcript explores the vastly different approaches taken by Skinner and Lorenz towards science with Skinner attempting to do science with controlled experiments, whereas Lorenz took a more holistic approach with animal observation.
15:09 - 20:31 (05:22)
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Science
Summary

This transcript explores the vastly different approaches taken by Skinner and Lorenz towards science with Skinner attempting to do science with controlled experiments, whereas Lorenz took a more holistic approach with animal observation.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The tradition of thinking initiated by Darwin and von Humboldt gave us the most important ideas on evolution and nature that we have today, building on the Lunar Society's once-a-month full moon meetings, which often involved drinking and food sharing.
20:31 - 26:53 (06:21)
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Evolution
Summary

The tradition of thinking initiated by Darwin and von Humboldt gave us the most important ideas on evolution and nature that we have today, building on the Lunar Society's once-a-month full moon meetings, which often involved drinking and food sharing.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The field of complex systems, including ecosystems, owes a lot to the work of Humboldt who invented the concept of ecology and how things are interrelated.
26:53 - 30:34 (03:41)
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Complex Systems
Summary

The field of complex systems, including ecosystems, owes a lot to the work of Humboldt who invented the concept of ecology and how things are interrelated. Darwin was also inspired by Humboldt's work when he was invited to go on the Beagle.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Exploring the combination of complexity and evolutionary thinking, discussing newer theories related to evolution and how they challenge original conceptions.
30:34 - 38:05 (07:30)
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Evolutionary Thinking
Summary

Exploring the combination of complexity and evolutionary thinking, discussing newer theories related to evolution and how they challenge original conceptions. Includes a mention of an advertisement for Athletic Greens.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Organisms are not just passive beings that adapt to their environment, they are active modifiers of it, creating feedback loops that shape their lives and habitats.
38:05 - 43:20 (05:15)
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Organisms, Environment
Summary

Organisms are not just passive beings that adapt to their environment, they are active modifiers of it, creating feedback loops that shape their lives and habitats. This applies to all organisms, from earthworms to humans, as they shape and are shaped by their environments.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzees led her to discover that they too use and create technology.
43:20 - 51:05 (07:44)
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Jane Goodall, chimpanzees
Summary

Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzees led her to discover that they too use and create technology. She also observed that chimpanzees had a more aggressive behavior and engaged in hunts and raids.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the guest provides an overview of the decades-long wars and conflicts happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the Congo River is located.
51:05 - 55:51 (04:46)
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Congo River
Summary

In this podcast, the guest provides an overview of the decades-long wars and conflicts happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the Congo River is located. He also describes the size and location of the country and the river.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Experts in animal behavior and biology, Richard Wrangham and Mark Moffat, talk about the empowered role of female Bonobo apes in decision-making, as well as the origins of war and aggression in animals and humans.
55:52 - 1:02:09 (06:17)
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Animal Behavior
Summary

Experts in animal behavior and biology, Richard Wrangham and Mark Moffat, talk about the empowered role of female Bonobo apes in decision-making, as well as the origins of war and aggression in animals and humans.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast explores the social revolution of bonobos and how female mammals were able to hang out together, thanks to their relatively wealthy environment with a lot of fruit, which provided high calories to support their expensive calorific requirements as females.
1:02:09 - 1:07:54 (05:44)
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Bonobos
Summary

This podcast explores the social revolution of bonobos and how female mammals were able to hang out together, thanks to their relatively wealthy environment with a lot of fruit, which provided high calories to support their expensive calorific requirements as females.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The size difference between male and female chimpanzees is more significant than that of bonobos.
1:07:54 - 1:12:09 (04:14)
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Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Sexual dimorphism
Summary

The size difference between male and female chimpanzees is more significant than that of bonobos. Sexual dimorphism can be observed in many animal species, such as deer and silverback gorillas, where males are bigger than females, and it is thought to relate to sexual selection by females.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The jungles of Congo present various dangers such as tropical diseases, falling trees and snakes that could attack anytime.
1:12:09 - 1:18:21 (06:12)
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Congo
Summary

The jungles of Congo present various dangers such as tropical diseases, falling trees and snakes that could attack anytime. Surviving in the equatorial line requires one to carry the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine and face the risks of traveling in the forest.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The Japanese language, specifically the word "Imo," may have predisposed Japanese researchers to think more about the link between humans and other primates, while animal behavior studies in the West originated from biology and the observation of horse behavior.
1:18:21 - 1:23:10 (04:49)
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Animal Behavior Studies
Summary

The Japanese language, specifically the word "Imo," may have predisposed Japanese researchers to think more about the link between humans and other primates, while animal behavior studies in the West originated from biology and the observation of horse behavior.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Play is not just about building developmental scaffolding or achieving specific goals, but it is also a biological instinct for excitement, intensity-seeking and creativity.
1:23:10 - 2:09:31 (46:20)
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Psychology
Summary

Play is not just about building developmental scaffolding or achieving specific goals, but it is also a biological instinct for excitement, intensity-seeking and creativity. This episode discusses the overlap between play, flow states, and the perception of time.

Episode
#598: Primatologist Isabel Behncke on Play, Sexual Selection, and Lessons from Following Bonobos for 3,000 Kilometers in the Jungles of Congo
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show