The Nicholberry Dispatch
What are you doing on Monday? And seriously, don't miss this video...
BOOK NEWS
We are just two days away from Bark! Fest and I really hope you will join us — it’s an online book festival for animal lovers and it’s free! I am so impressed with Zazie Todd and what she’s put together, as this series of 11 events with 23 authors features some of the brightest and kindest people in the animal world (for example, watch this little tutorial on epistemological nihilism from my co-panelist, I Am Bunny author Alexis Devine). You’ll have a chance to win books and ask the authors questions.
One thing I’m really looking forward to are the readings, as Zazie has asked each of us to read a 5 minute excerpt from our books. I’m crowd-sourcing my selection, so please comment here and let me know what you think I should read from Puppy Brain.
SOMETHING TO ASTONISH YOU
Extensive Connections of the Canine Olfactory Pathway
I have posted a lot about the canine sense of smell and the architecture of the canine nose, and of course referenced it extensively in Puppy Brain. We are all wowed by facts like a dog can smell in parts per trillion. But I’ve never seen it depicted like this. It’s the best visual rendering I’ve seen.
Beyond that, it contains new data that is truly staggering. As explained in a 2022 article in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study on which the video is based used a special MRI technique to evaluate the white matter connections associated with the olfactory system in dogs. It was the first documentation of a direct connection between the olfactory bulb (smell) and occipital lobe (vision) in any species. Wait until you see it…
SOMETHING TO LEARN
Storytelling with the Creators of South Park
You can only imagine how excited these NYU students were when this set of surprise instructors entered. This is really short, but really powerful. If you’re telling a story, you’ll want to understand the difference between “and then” and “therefore”!
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall
SOMETHING TO LOVE
Can't wait for this event on Monday! So many exciting books and authors! There are so many sections you could read, but I loved the section in Chapter 15 "First, Train the Humans" - Preparing Mentally: Not a Human. "We must remember that they are not human. We must give them permission to be a different species and not only allow them to behave accordingly, but modify OUR behavior accordingly".
I can't wait!!!!