In this lively interview, Bioneers Senior Producer J.P. Harpignies asks eco-musician, author, philosopher and poet David Rothenberg to share some of the experiences, insights and vignettes gleaned

In this lively interview, Bioneers Senior Producer J.P. Harpignies asks eco-musician, author, philosopher and poet David Rothenberg to share some of the experiences, insights and vignettes gleaned over the course of his remarkable, multi-faceted life and unique career trajectory.

David Rothenberg (born 1962) is a professor of philosophy and music at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, with a special interest in animal sounds as music. He is also a composer and jazz musician whose books and recordings reflect a longtime interest in understanding other species such as singing insects by making music with them.

Because of Rothenberg's study of animal song and his experimental interactions with animal music, he is often called an "interspecies musician."  His book Survival of the Beautiful: Art, Science and Evolution (Bloomsbury Press, 2011) was described by the journal Nature in this way: "Rothenberg covers topics such as camouflage, abstraction, the profound impact of art on science and much more to explore his theme [that beauty is not random but is intrinsic to life—and that evolution proceeds by sumptuousness, not by utility alone]." Roald Hoffmann said of the book, "David Rothenberg is a brilliantly fun guide on a journey that takes us from bower birds to the neuroesthetics of Semir Zeki. Survival of the Beautiful is just about the best travel literature of the mind out there. With wit by turns gentle and sharp, Rothenberg shows us how art is shaped by animals, and by us."^[

Recent advances in technology have made it possible to understand some of the communication of a few animal species. Leading interdisciplinary initiatives such as Project CETI (the Cetacean

Recent advances in technology have made it possible to understand some of the communication of a few animal species. Leading interdisciplinary initiatives such as Project CETI (the Cetacean Translation Initiative) are developing cutting-edge advancements in machine learning, robotics, natural language processing, linguistics, cryptography, complexity science, and marine biology to record and begin to understand the fundamental elements of some nonhuman animal communication, beginning with that of sperm whales.

While these technologies hold significant promise for enhancing the well-being and rights of nonhuman animals, they also present serious risks of further manipulation and exploitation of animals.

This conversation explores the innovative collaboration between the NYU More-Than-Human Life (MOTH) Program and Project CETI to establish ethical and legal guardrails that enable us to harness the potential of these technologies while minimizing their risks.

With David Gruber and César Rodríguez-Garavito. Moderated by Teo Grossman, President of Bioneers.