Cat Buttons

Graeme Hill, longtime broadcaster and a good friend of science, skepticism and common sense thinking, now has an evening slot on MagicTalk radio. As part of his show, Graeme usually interviews knowledgeable people about a wide range of fascinating topics. A few years ago I was lucky enough to have been invited to join Siouxsie Wiles as a regular guest to talk about skeptical issues, and I'm now privileged to have been asked back to talk on Graeme's new show as he hosts Magic Nights.

Although listening to my slot would probably be a case of preaching to the converted for our regular readers, I'd recommend listening to Graeme's show to hear some of the amazing guests he hosts, and hear some interesting facts about cool new science and historical events. With several high profile stories about radio presenters promoting bad thinking recently, it's nice to have a show you can be confident is going to be based on solid evidence, with Graeme talking to experts rather than cranks and charlatans.

As part of my chat with Graeme last Wednesday, we talked about a curious video he found online showing a cat (Billi) using a set of buttons laid out on the floor to “speak” to its owner, a vet called Kendra. Rather than telling you why I don't think this is a case of a cat who has the ability to convey complex thoughts and desires, I figured I'd simply give you a link to the videos and ask what you all think:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGMTesZlKa0Lokb7ZNqOJXQ

I really liked these videos because they're pretty harmless, and as such I wonder if they're good training material for people to engage their skepticism and think of reasonable explanations for what they see - something for skeptics to sharpen their teeth on. I certainly don't want to demean Kendra for her belief that her cat is communicating with her in this way, but I'm definitely interested in the different ways that humans can fool themselves and each other into believing things that are not true. So, if you have the time, watch a few videos and have a think about what rational explanations there might be for this phenomenon. And, if you're really game, send me your thoughts (to news@skeptics.nz). I'm especially interested to see what you might come up with that I hadn't considered.