Animal Inventiveness Research Project
@animalinvention.bsky.social
Our research explores how & why non-human animals invent new behaviours by studying their play.
The project is led by Mathilde Tahar & Alecia Carter.
We are funded by the Leverhulme Trust and hosted by UCL.
https://www.animalinventiveness.com
The project is led by Mathilde Tahar & Alecia Carter.
We are funded by the Leverhulme Trust and hosted by UCL.
https://www.animalinventiveness.com
Pinned
This is the Bsky account of the Animal Inventiveness project led by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social & Alecia Carter ! The project is funded by @leverhulme.bsky.social and hosted by UCL.
We will share here our news&events, publications, and any useful materials !
We will share here our news&events, publications, and any useful materials !
Organised by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social and Alecia Carter with the support of @asab.org ! (In the framework of our @leverhulme.ac.uk research project ✨)
Second (and last) day of our @asab.org interdisciplinary workshop on Animal Agency is today ! If you want to join us online or in person, follow the link => www.animalinventiveness.com/post/interna...
International Interdisciplinary ASAB Workshop: AGENCY BETWEEN BIOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY
We are delighted to invite you to our workshop, which marks the culmination of our seminar series on Agency between Biology and Philosophy.The workshop will take place on 22-23 September 2026 • in per...
www.animalinventiveness.com
September 23, 2026 at 5:40 AM
Organised by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social and Alecia Carter with the support of @asab.org ! (In the framework of our @leverhulme.ac.uk research project ✨)
New book by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social !
Mon essai sur la place du temps en biologie et sur la complexité de la durée du vivant est sorti !
Ça parle de Bergson mais aussi des pollinisateurs et d’écologie, de théories bancales et des histoires complexes qui tissent les cultures animales.
Il est en librairies, en bonne compagnie.
Ça parle de Bergson mais aussi des pollinisateurs et d’écologie, de théories bancales et des histoires complexes qui tissent les cultures animales.
Il est en librairies, en bonne compagnie.
August 28, 2026 at 2:18 PM
New book by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social !
We are delighted to invite you to our interdisciplinary workshop on Agency between Biology and Philosophy.
The workshop will take place at University College London and online on 22-23 September 2026.
All info and registration details can be found here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/interna...
The workshop will take place at University College London and online on 22-23 September 2026.
All info and registration details can be found here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/interna...
July 7, 2026 at 12:51 PM
We are delighted to invite you to our interdisciplinary workshop on Agency between Biology and Philosophy.
The workshop will take place at University College London and online on 22-23 September 2026.
All info and registration details can be found here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/interna...
The workshop will take place at University College London and online on 22-23 September 2026.
All info and registration details can be found here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/interna...
The next session of our seminar is tomorrow!
Christopher Joseph Gonzalez will talk about normative agency in nonhumans !
Info on how to join can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We are looking forward to discussing this fascinating topic with you!
Christopher Joseph Gonzalez will talk about normative agency in nonhumans !
Info on how to join can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We are looking forward to discussing this fascinating topic with you!
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.Next session10 June, 4.15 to 5.15 PM UK timeSession led by Christopher J...
www.animalinventiveness.com
June 9, 2026 at 10:09 PM
The next session of our seminar is tomorrow!
Christopher Joseph Gonzalez will talk about normative agency in nonhumans !
Info on how to join can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We are looking forward to discussing this fascinating topic with you!
Christopher Joseph Gonzalez will talk about normative agency in nonhumans !
Info on how to join can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We are looking forward to discussing this fascinating topic with you!
Hello everyone,
The next session of our seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy will take place tomorrow 13th of May from 4 to 5 PM (UK time) on Zoom.
This session on AI agency will be led by Leonard Dung.
Feel free to join us :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
The next session of our seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy will take place tomorrow 13th of May from 4 to 5 PM (UK time) on Zoom.
This session on AI agency will be led by Leonard Dung.
Feel free to join us :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.Next session13 May, 4 to 5 UK timeSession led by Leonard DungTitle: Dist...
www.animalinventiveness.com
May 12, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Hello everyone,
The next session of our seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy will take place tomorrow 13th of May from 4 to 5 PM (UK time) on Zoom.
This session on AI agency will be led by Leonard Dung.
Feel free to join us :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
The next session of our seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy will take place tomorrow 13th of May from 4 to 5 PM (UK time) on Zoom.
This session on AI agency will be led by Leonard Dung.
Feel free to join us :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Some fresh news from us!
Mathilde Tahar will share the preliminary results of our research:
- at the ISAE regional conference 21 April (Nottingham)
- at the Common Ground on Animal Ethics Workshop 30 April (London, LSE)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/excitin...
We are looking forward to it ! 🐒 🐜
Mathilde Tahar will share the preliminary results of our research:
- at the ISAE regional conference 21 April (Nottingham)
- at the Common Ground on Animal Ethics Workshop 30 April (London, LSE)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/excitin...
We are looking forward to it ! 🐒 🐜
Exciting news: we’ll be sharing our first findings on inventive agency in the wild!
We are delighted to share that the first results of the project’s initial research stage will be presented at two upcoming conferences this spring!
www.animalinventiveness.com
April 13, 2026 at 12:10 PM
Some fresh news from us!
Mathilde Tahar will share the preliminary results of our research:
- at the ISAE regional conference 21 April (Nottingham)
- at the Common Ground on Animal Ethics Workshop 30 April (London, LSE)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/excitin...
We are looking forward to it ! 🐒 🐜
Mathilde Tahar will share the preliminary results of our research:
- at the ISAE regional conference 21 April (Nottingham)
- at the Common Ground on Animal Ethics Workshop 30 April (London, LSE)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/excitin...
We are looking forward to it ! 🐒 🐜
The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place this Wednesday on Zoom !
Hugh Desmond will talk about agency and cognitive capacities!
More info on how to join us here: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Hugh Desmond will talk about agency and cognitive capacities!
More info on how to join us here: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
March 25, 2026 at 12:35 AM
The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place this Wednesday on Zoom !
Hugh Desmond will talk about agency and cognitive capacities!
More info on how to join us here: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Hugh Desmond will talk about agency and cognitive capacities!
More info on how to join us here: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place next Wednesday. Marek Špinka will talk about play in nonhuman animals !
More info here :
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
More info here :
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:27 AM
The next session of our transdisciplinary (biology-philosophy) seminar on Agency will take place next Wednesday. Marek Špinka will talk about play in nonhuman animals !
More info here :
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
More info here :
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Tomorrow is the first session of the 2026 edition of our online seminar on animal agency!
This session will be led by Lisa Yon and will explore ways to promote agency in captive animals (especially elephants!).
Hoping to see many of you! 🐘🐘🐘
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
This session will be led by Lisa Yon and will explore ways to promote agency in captive animals (especially elephants!).
Hoping to see many of you! 🐘🐘🐘
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Tomorrow is the first session of the 2026 edition of our online seminar on animal agency!
This session will be led by Lisa Yon and will explore ways to promote agency in captive animals (especially elephants!).
Hoping to see many of you! 🐘🐘🐘
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
This session will be led by Lisa Yon and will explore ways to promote agency in captive animals (especially elephants!).
Hoping to see many of you! 🐘🐘🐘
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
The next session of our seminar is tomorrow !!
Angie Pepper will be presenting, on the topic « A good life or their own life? Rethinking nonhuman animal interests in freedom ».
Relevant information can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
You’re welcome to join!
Angie Pepper will be presenting, on the topic « A good life or their own life? Rethinking nonhuman animal interests in freedom ».
Relevant information can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
You’re welcome to join!
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:22 AM
The next session of our seminar is tomorrow !!
Angie Pepper will be presenting, on the topic « A good life or their own life? Rethinking nonhuman animal interests in freedom ».
Relevant information can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
You’re welcome to join!
Angie Pepper will be presenting, on the topic « A good life or their own life? Rethinking nonhuman animal interests in freedom ».
Relevant information can be found here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
You’re welcome to join!
Next session is tomorrow !
Come and join us to unveil the mystery of animal agency (or just try to make sense of the concept actually…)! Daria Zakharova will be presenting!
Come and join us to unveil the mystery of animal agency (or just try to make sense of the concept actually…)! Daria Zakharova will be presenting!
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Next session is tomorrow !
Come and join us to unveil the mystery of animal agency (or just try to make sense of the concept actually…)! Daria Zakharova will be presenting!
Come and join us to unveil the mystery of animal agency (or just try to make sense of the concept actually…)! Daria Zakharova will be presenting!
Our seminar on animal agency, between biology and philosophy, is back !
Check out the programme for the next sessions here !
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, on Zoom, from 4 to 5 PM (UK time).
You’re very welcome to join ! :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Check out the programme for the next sessions here !
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, on Zoom, from 4 to 5 PM (UK time).
You’re very welcome to join ! :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy 2025/2026
Here, you will find the 2025-2026 programme, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.ProgrammeThis year, we will meet each second Wednesday of each month, fr...
www.animalinventiveness.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Our seminar on animal agency, between biology and philosophy, is back !
Check out the programme for the next sessions here !
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, on Zoom, from 4 to 5 PM (UK time).
You’re very welcome to join ! :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Check out the programme for the next sessions here !
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, on Zoom, from 4 to 5 PM (UK time).
You’re very welcome to join ! :)
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Great paper on the degrees and the levels of innovativeness, contributing to the ongoing debate on how to measure and compare innovations & the tendency to innovate. (Note: to be distinguished from the propensity to invent = produce a novel behaviour, which we are studying in chacma baboons).
🚨What is behavioral innovativeness? And how can we make sense of claims that individuals or taxa are 'more innovative' than others? In their new EJPS paper, Grant Ramsey & @andrameneganzin.bsky.social defend a novel, multidimensional & multilevel account of innovativeness.👇
#philsci #HPbio #evobio
#philsci #HPbio #evobio
July 9, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Great paper on the degrees and the levels of innovativeness, contributing to the ongoing debate on how to measure and compare innovations & the tendency to innovate. (Note: to be distinguished from the propensity to invent = produce a novel behaviour, which we are studying in chacma baboons).
In April, our very own Mathilde Tahar discussed animal consciousness in Paris with Florian Moullard. And it is now a podcast!
(Available in French though… for now?)
(Available in French though… for now?)
Notre discussion avec @fmoullard.bsky.social sur la conscience animale, guidée par Fabien Trécourt, est désormais disponible en podcast!
On y a parlé du jeu des poulpes🐙, des collaborations entre loups et corbeaux🐺 🐦⬛et de ce que ça fait d'être une chauve-souris 🦇!
smartlink.ausha.co/soirees-phil...
On y a parlé du jeu des poulpes🐙, des collaborations entre loups et corbeaux🐺 🐦⬛et de ce que ça fait d'être une chauve-souris 🦇!
smartlink.ausha.co/soirees-phil...
Éthologie : Dans la tête des animaux
Pouvons-nous penser comme la chauve-souris, jouer comme le poulpe ou encore collaborer comme le corbeau avec le loup ?
Tous ces animaux perçoivent-ils et ont-ils conscience d’eux mêmes comme nous l’en...
smartlink.ausha.co
June 27, 2025 at 10:15 AM
In April, our very own Mathilde Tahar discussed animal consciousness in Paris with Florian Moullard. And it is now a podcast!
(Available in French though… for now?)
(Available in French though… for now?)
The next session of our seminar will take place next Thursday! We will be discussing the possibility of connecting (or not) the different concepts of biological agency.
Mathilde Tahar will be leading the session!
You're welcome to join us through Zoom!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Mathilde Tahar will be leading the session!
You're welcome to join us through Zoom!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
June 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
The next session of our seminar will take place next Thursday! We will be discussing the possibility of connecting (or not) the different concepts of biological agency.
Mathilde Tahar will be leading the session!
You're welcome to join us through Zoom!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Mathilde Tahar will be leading the session!
You're welcome to join us through Zoom!
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Next Wednesday !!!
@drmathildetahar.bsky.social will speak about animal’s cognition and imagination with Florian Moullard.
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
Les soirées Philosophie, sciences et société à la Sorbonne | IHPST
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr
April 5, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Next Wednesday !!!
A new piece by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social just got out on @aeon.co!! It explores the link between inventiveness and play in nonhuman animals. It is written with a sincere desire to convey what science and philosophy can teach us about this fascinating topic.
We hope you enjoy reading it!
We hope you enjoy reading it!
Animal play can seem trivial, even laughable, and such scenes make us grin with delight. But is that all there is to it? buff.ly/yQcVjNj
March 28, 2025 at 12:47 PM
A new piece by @drmathildetahar.bsky.social just got out on @aeon.co!! It explores the link between inventiveness and play in nonhuman animals. It is written with a sincere desire to convey what science and philosophy can teach us about this fascinating topic.
We hope you enjoy reading it!
We hope you enjoy reading it!
@drmathildetahar.bsky.social will speak about animal’s cognition and imagination with Florian Moullard.
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
Les soirées Philosophie, sciences et société à la Sorbonne | IHPST
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr
March 18, 2025 at 10:25 AM
@drmathildetahar.bsky.social will speak about animal’s cognition and imagination with Florian Moullard.
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
9th April in Paris !
ihpst.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s...
Next session of our online seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy is today (5pm UK time).
We will talk about the link between organism and agency + biosemiotics !!
Feel free to join us 😃
More info here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We will talk about the link between organism and agency + biosemiotics !!
Feel free to join us 😃
More info here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Seminar Agency between Biology and Philosophy. Organisation and schedule
Here, you will find the programme of the upcoming sessions, and general information about our seminar. The introductory post can be found here.Next SessionsThe seminar series will continue on the seco...
www.animalinventiveness.com
March 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Next session of our online seminar on Agency between Biology and Philosophy is today (5pm UK time).
We will talk about the link between organism and agency + biosemiotics !!
Feel free to join us 😃
More info here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
We will talk about the link between organism and agency + biosemiotics !!
Feel free to join us 😃
More info here:
www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Our seminar on agency between biology and philosophy is still on, and we have amazing discussions.
It is on the second Thursday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm (UK time). Feel free to join :)
More info here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
It is on the second Thursday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm (UK time). Feel free to join :)
More info here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
February 13, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Our seminar on agency between biology and philosophy is still on, and we have amazing discussions.
It is on the second Thursday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm (UK time). Feel free to join :)
More info here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
It is on the second Thursday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm (UK time). Feel free to join :)
More info here : www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
There are many links between play and love/tenderness. The way the two intertwine when it comes to the co-invention of shared behaviours and signals between members of different species is one subject we aim to explore…
January 31, 2025 at 10:22 AM
There are many links between play and love/tenderness. The way the two intertwine when it comes to the co-invention of shared behaviours and signals between members of different species is one subject we aim to explore…
New draft available on our website. Your feedback is most welcome — feel free to contact @drmathildetahar.bsky.social with any comments!
www.animalinventiveness.com/preprints-pu...
www.animalinventiveness.com/preprints-pu...
January 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
New draft available on our website. Your feedback is most welcome — feel free to contact @drmathildetahar.bsky.social with any comments!
www.animalinventiveness.com/preprints-pu...
www.animalinventiveness.com/preprints-pu...
Reposted by Animal Inventiveness Research Project
Hey ! I have a new paper I'm willing to submit. I am still working on it. But I'd be happy to have some feedback before the final version ! I think it needs it…
It's about biological agency! Please share your comments :)
Here is the preprint:
dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG....
It's about biological agency! Please share your comments :)
Here is the preprint:
dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG....
(PDF) "Individual playful memory": making sense of biological agency
PDF | In recent decades, agency has become a prominent concept for conceiving of biological phenomena, both in philosophy and in biology. The concept... | Find, read and cite all the research you need...
dx.doi.org
January 24, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Hey ! I have a new paper I'm willing to submit. I am still working on it. But I'd be happy to have some feedback before the final version ! I think it needs it…
It's about biological agency! Please share your comments :)
Here is the preprint:
dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG....
It's about biological agency! Please share your comments :)
Here is the preprint:
dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG....
Next session is this Thursday !!!
If you want to learn more about our seminar’s first session (and the next ones !!!), you can find everything here!
We had the first session of our seminar last week!
Here is a report + some information about the next sessions: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
Here is a report + some information about the next sessions: www.animalinventiveness.com/post/seminar...
January 7, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Next session is this Thursday !!!