What’s it like to be a bat? Scientists develop new solution to the puzzle of animal minds

By Cristina Luz Wilkins, PhD Candidate, Department of Environmental Studies, University of New England
Amy Lykins, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of New England
Cathrynne Henshall, Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University
Melanie Fillios, Professor, Department of Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England
Paul McGreevy, Professor, School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney

In 1974, philosopher Thomas Nagel posed a deceptively simple question: “what is it like to be a bat?”. His point wasn’t really about bats. He was offering a provocative challenge about the limits of understanding another mind: no matter how much we try, we cannot access what it feels like to experience the world as another.

This might seem like an abstract philosophical puzzle. But it’s crucial when we consider the billions of animals in our care – whether in farms, laboratories, homes or zoos. We make daily decisions…

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