Animal in the Machine

Kyle Conroy
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Animal in the Machine is a weekly podcast exploring how animals, including us, live within the systems humans have created. It’s a show about awareness, responsibility, and finding better ways to coexist.

  1. May 25

    They Flew Anyway

    On Memorial Day we speak the names of those who did not come home. But there are others — animals who served in every major conflict in human history, who carried messages through gunfire, pulled supplies through mud, and detected dangers no human could — who have no names on any wall. This episode is for them too.

    15 min

  2. May 12

    The Oldest Bond

    Motherhood is not a human invention. On Mother's Day, Animal in the Machine looks at the bonds we celebrate today — and the ones we systematically sever. From a dairy barn to the Pacific Northwest, from the African savanna to a forest in bear country, this episode asks a simple question: who do we decide to grieve for?

    16 min

  3. May 4

    What Needs Saving

    The Save Our Bacon Act just passed the House of Representatives. Its stated goal is protecting interstate commerce. What it would actually do is nullify voter-approved state laws banning gestation crates, battery cages, and veal crates — the most basic protections farm animals have. This episode looks at what the bill does, who is behind it, and what the science tells us about the animals at the center of it all.

    12 min

  4. Apr 28

    Natural Intelligence

    Intelligence has been tested, scored, packaged, and sold. But what if the version we've been measuring is only a fraction of what's actually out there? In this episode, we trace the story of how intelligence got defined — and who got left out. From Richard Feynman's suspiciously average IQ score to the cognitive lives of cows, chickens, and pigeons, this is an invitation to widen the lens. Because the capacity to sense, process, and respond to the world isn't a human invention.

    11 min

  5. Apr 20

    The Undertakers Overhead

    Somewhere over your town right now, a turkey vulture is turning slow circles in the sky. It's been doing that — or something very close to it — for five million years. It outlasted ice ages, mass extinctions, and the disappearance of entire species. And today, it's being slowly poisoned by lead ammunition, rodenticides, and the simple fact that most people have never stopped to appreciate what it does. This episode is a defense of the turkey vulture: its history, its biology, its indispensable role in keeping ecosystems — and us — healthy, and what we can do to protect it.

    12 min

  6. Apr 13

    Protein is Everywhere

    Protein is everywhere—from snack foods to soda—and suddenly, everything is “high-protein.” In this episode, we explore how protein became more than a nutrient—it became a marketing strategy. We break down what protein actually does, how much we really need, and why so many foods are being reframed around it. We also take a closer look at the connection between protein and animal products—and whether that link is as necessary as we’ve been led to believe.

    12 min

  7. Apr 8

    The Dark Knight we Need

    Bats are disappearing—but not in ways most of us notice. In this episode, we explore how modern systems—agriculture, pest control, land use, and even renewable energy—are reshaping the night. And what bats have been doing for us all along. Controlling insects. Supporting crops. Sustaining ecosystems. Quiet work that rarely gets noticed—until it’s gone.

    10 min

  8. Mar 30

    The Default Body

    Women’s health is gaining more attention—but it hasn’t always been that way. In this episode, we explore how the foundations of medical research shaped what we know today, and how that has impacted the care, treatment, and understanding of women’s health. From pain perception to drug dosing to conditions that are only now receiving greater focus, we look at where the system has fallen short—and where it’s beginning to change. Because improving women’s health isn’t just about better medicine. It’s about building a system that fully represents the people it’s meant to serve.

    12 min
See All (13)

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Animal in the Machine is a weekly podcast exploring how animals, including us, live within the systems humans have created. It’s a show about awareness, responsibility, and finding better ways to coexist.

Information

  • Creator
    Kyle Conroy
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kyle Conroy
  • Show Website
    Animal in the Machine