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WhatLivingLikeGoatsandBadgersCanTeachUsAbout
Ourselves
TwoEnglishmenwontheIgNobelPrizeforeatinggrass,earthwormsandworse
inthenameofscience

Hello,Iamgoat.(TimBowditch/GoatMan)

ByBrianHandwerk
smithsonian.com
September29,2016

WhatmostpeoplerememberaboutCharlesFostersstintimpersonatingabadgeristheworms.Forsixweeks,Fosterandhis
eightyearoldsonTomdidwhatbadgersdid,keepingtheirnosestothegroundandlearningtoburrowinthemoistearthofthe
BlackMountainsofWales.Afterwards,Fosterdescribedinexquisitedetailtheexperienceofsamplingtheculinarydelightsof
eatingearthworms,whichdrippedfromthehilllikemucuscandlesfromasnottynosedchild,asheputitinTheGuardianin
January.

Butthefocusonstomachingwormsandothernastyfarerathermissesthepoint,Fosterinsists.It'saboutseeingwhatit'slike
whenyournoseisdownthereinthedirt,hesays.

Animalbehaviorresearchershavelonggleanedknowledgeaboutotherspeciesbytryingtofitinwithanimalsandtheirsocial
structures.BritishprimatologistJaneGoodallfamouslyspentyearslivingamongchimpanzees,ourclosestprimaterelatives,to
understandmoreabouttheirbehavior.ZoologistandprimatolgoistDianFosseygainedinsightintothegroupdynamicsof
Africa'smountaingorillasbyintegratingintotheircommunities.AnimalexpertandautismadvocateTempleGrandinhasgotten
intothemindsofcowstothinkupwaystobuildmorehumanefarmsandslaughterhouses.
ButFoster,alectureronmedicallawandethicsattheUniversityofOxford,wasntjusttryingtolearnaboutanimalshewas
tryingtolearnaboutidentity,andwhetherit'severtrulypossibletoknowwhat'sinanotherbeing'smind.Forhisimmersive
foraysintotheworldsofotheranimals,whichhedescribedinhis2016bookBeingaBeast,Fosterwasjointlyawardedthe2016
IgNobelPrizeinBiology,thetongueincheekawardthathonorsachievementsthatmakepeoplelaugh,andthenthink.The
otherhalfoftheprizewenttoThomasThwaites,wholivedamongaherdofmountaingoatsbycreatinganddonningagoatlike
prostheticexoskeleton.

Fostersfascinationwiththemindsofanimalsbeganyoung.AsachildinSheffield,hewasstruckbythewayablackbirdinthe
gardenlookedathimwithwhatseemedaknowingeye.ItplainlyknewsomethingaboutthatlittlesuburbangardenthatIdidn't
know.IthoughtIknewthatgardenfantasticallywell.Iwantedtoknowwhatitsaw,inthatplace,thatIdidn'tsee,saysFoster.
ThatseededinmeafascinationwithwhatthenaturallandscapesIlovedsomuchareliketotheanimalsthatknowthemso
muchmoreintimatelythanIdo.

Fosterhasspenttimeasanotter,floating,swimmingandgenerallyimmersinghimselfintheriverineecosystemsofExmoor.A
turnasareddeerontheScottishhighlandshadhimexperiencingthethrillofthehuntbutasprey.(Foster,aformerhunter,
arrangedforafriend'shoundtorunhimtoground.)HeevenexploredtheworldofurbananimalsasafoxinLondon'sEastEnd,
trailingtheanimalsthroughthedarkcorners,dumpstersandalleysofthenocturnalcity.Amongthefoxes,hefoundasenseof
communityhehadn'tfeltbefore,inacitywherehishumanneighborsallseemedtobetransplantsfromsomeotherplace.

Thatwasanattempttoseeusthewaythatanimalsseeus,"hesays.

Foster,aformerlawyerandtrainedveterinarian,hadlongbeenfascinatedwiththephilosophicalquestionofwhetherwecansee
theworldthewayanotherpersonseesit.WhoamI,andcanIeverreallyknowanotherperson,evenmywifeandchildren?
What'sintheheadofeventhepeopleweknowbest?asheputsit.Sincethatquestionisessentiallyunanswerable,heasked
whatseemedtobeasimplerquestion:canIseeawoodthewaythatabadger,foxorbirdseesit?Icametobefascinatedwith
thatquestion,hesays.

Nomatterwhichanimal'sskinhewasdonning,hismethodfordoingsowasthesame.Humansrelyheavilyontheirsenseof
vision,"whichimmediatelygetsdistortedbythewaysit'stranslatedinthebrain,meaningthatwehaveaverywarpedand
incompleteviewofthenaturalworldasitreallyis,hesays.SoFostertriestopaymoreattentiontotheothersensessmell,
taste,touchandhearingthatarebetterutilizedbyanimalsinthewild.Afterall,thesesensesstilldeliverinformationtoour
brainsevenwhenwedon'tconsciouslyrealizeitrunningonbackground,sotospeak.

Fostertriedtoreawakentheothersensesbyusingsensorygames,liketryingtonavigatebythesmellofincenseorsimplyby
focusinghisattentiononthem.Imarinatedmyselfintheliteraturedescribinghowthesensoryapparatusofeachspeciesworks,
andhowtheinformationreceivediscentrallyprocessed,hesays.AndthenIwentoutandlivedasfarasIcouldlikeeach
species.

Canlivingthelifeofabadgerteachusaboutourselves?(VolodymyrBurdiak/Alamy)

ThomasThwaites,adesignerbytrade,washonoredforhishumorousinvestigationofwhatit'sliketobeagoatintheSwiss
Alps.TheresultwasGoatMan:HowITookaHolidayFromBeingHuman.LikeFoster,thoughinadifferentway,hesoughtto
shedhisdistinctlyhumanperspectiveandseetheworldthroughneweyes.
Thwaitesoriginallyconsideredlivingasanelephant,butsettledonagoat,inpartbecauseitwaseasiertoapproximatethegoat's
physicalattributesandrelationshiptotheenvironment.HebuiltagoatlikeexoskeletonwithhelpfromGlynHeath,aprosthetics
designexpertattheUniversityofSalfordinEngland.TogethertheycreatedappendagesthatletThwaitesmoveasagoatand
experiencetheworldfromtheanimal'sperspective.Thedisguisewentbothways:Theappendagesalsoletthegoatsseehimasa
similarspecies,ratherthanabipedalhuman.

Sincethebetterpartofagoat'swakinglifeisgrazing,Thwaitestriedtocomeupwithawaytobecomeagrazerhimself.
Unfortunately,mammalslikeourselvescan'tdigestgrassthewaythatgoatscan.Soheexperimentedwithmakinganartificial
rumen,thedigestivechamberfilledwithbacteriaandothermicroorganismthatcanbreakdowngrassesandextractnutrition.
Expertswarnedhimagainstrelyingonthisfornourishment,sincemightcontractseriousstomachillnesses,sohechewedup
grassduringthedayandcookeditatnightinapressurecooker.

Thegoalofhisexperiment,however,wasmoreloftythanmerelyearningtosubsistonagoatsdiet.Isupposeatrootmuchof
artandscienceisultimatelylookingfornewperspectivesonthisotherwisemundaneworld,heexplains.Themaingoalwasto
seewhatpresentdayscienceandtechnologyhavetosayaboutthisancienthumandreamofbecominganonhumananimal.Isay
'ancient'becausesomeoftheearliestfigurativeartisofparthumanpartnonhumananimalhybrids.

Experiencingtheworldasagoatmeantchanginghisperceptionsandbehaviorsaswell.Forexample,sincegoatsaresocial
animals,intergoatcommunicationwaskey.SoThwaiteshadtolearnthegoatlanguage,whichmeanttappingintononverbal
skills,likeposture,thathediscoveredthathealreadyknew.

Humansareallaboutcommunicatingandreadingeachothersthoughts,andofcoursethatinvolveslotsofnonverbal
communicationtoo,hesays.Thisnonverbalcommunicationtranslatesacrossspecies,oratleasttheoneswevegrownup
aroundforthelastfewmillennia,fairlywell.Whenyouwalkthroughascarypartoftownyoucanchangeyourgaittobeabit
moreconfidentyetdisinterested,andIguessbeingdisinterestedisanonthreateningsignal.Intryingtofitinwiththeheard,he
says,"IwasawareofallthenonverballanguageIdpickeduphangingaroundthevarioussocialsituationsandsocialgroups
thatIhaveoverthecourseoflifeinLondon.

EventhoughThwaitesdidn'tsetouttostudythelivesofgoats,livingamongthemdidteachhimsomethingsthatnongoat
impersonatinghumansprobablywouldntknow.Forexample:theastonishingvarietyofgrassesinagivenpasture.Inowrealize
thatnotallgrasstastesthesame:someisbitter,someissweet,andmuchmoredesirable,atleasttome,hesays.Thisrealization
gavehiminsightintothedynamicsofgoathierarchy.Sothegrassisareasonforanewgoatintroducedtotheherdtotryand
secureitsplacehighupinthehierarchyifitthinksitstoughenough,"headds.

Oneoftherevelationsthatanyhumanimpersonatingananimalquicklylearnsisthefactthathumansaren'talwaysatthetopof
thepyramid.Ongoatsturf,Thwaitessays,youhavetoplaybytheirrulesandtheyplaybyastricthierarchy.Inhiscase,he
foundouthewasnttougherthantheaveragegoat.Iwasverysubmissive,hereports.Iwalkedawayfrommyonepossible
confrontation.

Therewillalwaysbelimitstohowfarhumanscangotowardexperiencingtheworldasotherspeciesdo.Thequestionis,how
muchdoessuchimpersonationteachusaboutwhatit'sliketobethemandhowmuchislearningaboutwhatit'sliketobeus?
Theanswerremainstobeseen.Fosternotesofhisearthwormexperience:"allthatittellsyouistheadjectivesthatIhavelearned
overthecourseofalifetimetodescribehowwormstaste.Itdoesn'ttellyouanythingatallabouthowtheytastetoabadger.

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AboutBrianHandwerk

BrianHandwerkisafreelancewriterbasedinAmherst,NewHampshire.