Question: What got you first interested in animals and the ways they learn?

Laurel Fogarty answered on 18 Jun 2010:

Actually when I started university I thought I would like to study plants (there are a lot of cool ones that eat things!) In my third year we had to do a big essay on a topic, I wanted to do my essay on plants but was assigned one on tool use in animals instead.

I was genuinely blown away by what these animals could do and I decided that I had to learn a bit more. This is the exciting bit- I read some papers written about New Caledonian crows who can use a variety of tools. I decided to write to the author and ask if I could work with him…and he emailed me back (actually it was then that I realised that scientists are not as scary as I thought). I went to work with him and never looked back! one of the best accidents ever!