Carl Safina, an ecologist and conservationist who holds the Endowed Research Chair for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, appeared as a guest on The Oprah Podcast to discuss whether dogs truly love humans.
Safina is known for his books Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel and Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. On the podcast, he joined Oprah Winfrey and neuroscientist Gregory Berns. Berns presented findings from MRI research that suggest dogs are capable of genuine affection toward their owners. The episode also included accounts of dogs performing life-saving acts for their owners.
Safina has written several other books including Song for the Blue Ocean, The View From Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World, A Sea in Flames; and The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout. He hosted the PBS series Saving the Ocean, which is available at PBS.org, and contributes to outlets such as CNN.com, National Geographic, The New York Times, Audubon magazine, and The Huffington Post.
Audubon magazine listed Safina among its “100 Notable Conservationists of the 20th Century.” His work has received multiple honors including the Lannan Literary Award, Orion Book Award, National Academies’ Science Communication Award; John Burroughs Medal; James Beard Medal; George Rabb Medal; Pew Fellowship; Guggenheim Fellowship; and a MacArthur Fellowship.
"I think animals are just as conscious as we are," Safina said during the podcast discussion.