Barbara J. King
Barbara J. King is a contributor to the NPR blog 13.7: Cosmos & Culture. She is a Chancellor Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary. With a long-standing research interest in primate behavior and human evolution, King has studied baboon foraging in Kenya and gorilla and bonobo communication at captive facilities in the United States.
Recently, she has taken up writing about animal emotion and cognition more broadly, including in bison, farm animals, elephants and domestic pets, as well as primates.
King's most recent book is How Animals Grieve (University of Chicago Press, 2013). Her article "When Animals Mourn" in the July 2013 Scientific American has been chosen for inclusion in the 2014 anthology The Best American Science and Nature Writing. King reviews non-fiction for the Times Literary Supplement (London) and is at work on a new book about the choices we make in eating other animals. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work in 2002.
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Tiny filler words in human rapid-fire conversation hold the key to understanding how language is unique, according to a new book. But anthropologist Barbara J. King raises some questions.
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Is it necessary coddling or just good science to give college students breaks to check their phones? Anthropologist Barbara J. King takes a look.
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Technology allows mapping of wildlife movements with new precision — and a fresh approach to conservation — as evidenced by Where the Animals Go, released Tuesday in the U.S., says Barbara J. King.
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When it comes to finding and preparing food, we're a continually inventive species. Anthropologist Barbara J. King asks: What are the food trends of the future?
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A storm of this magnitude affects many animals. Uplifting videos show people rescuing all kinds of animals from Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.
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Reducing dogs' and cats' stress levels at the vet is getting a big push in a new movement within veterinary medicine, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.
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There can be wisdom in uniting around ethical eating, rather than fighting about how many animal products we consume, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.
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Polyamory is sometimes called consensual non-monogamy, but anthropologist Barbara J. King found out it's more complicated than that.
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In her new book, anthropologist and NPR commentator Barbara J. King takes a look at how "food animals" think and feel — and what that means for us.
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Are you one of the thousands watching online for expectant mother April the giraffe to give birth? Anthropologist Barbara J. King considers the ethics of livestreamed animal behavior.