New Stunning Evidence: Chimpanzees are more rational than humans! | Dr Hanna Schleihauf

Did you know that chimpanzees might be more rational than humans when making decisions? Dr Hanna Schleihauf led groundbreaking research, published in the prestigious journal Science, revealing that chimpanzees can evaluate the quality of evidence when making decisions, just like humans!Hanna is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Developmental Psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She is a developmental psychologist whose research explores the roots of human rationality and the socio-cognitive foundations of cultural learning.Hanna employs behavioural experiments, surveys, and interactive AI-based paradigms alongside eye tracking and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study rationality across development – from toddlers to adults.Join the conversation now, as we delve into human behaviours, AI, political ideologies and my own journey with narcissism as an ex-elite athlete! This discussion was truly outstanding! I suppose, as a scientist, I'm somewhat biased.Join our free newsletter to get notified for future live sessions: ⁠https://ceoretort.com/newsletter⁠Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠Timestamps:(00:00:00) – Preview(00:02:39) – Introduction to Hanna's research on chimpanzees and intelligence(00:05:24) – Explanation of overimitation in children and chimpanzees, and Hanna's collaboration with Jan Engelmann at Berkeley(00:11:45) - Exploration of epistemic defeaters in chimpanzees, their belief formation and reflective rationality(00:18:07) – Ad to help you focus with functional music!(00:20:36) – Discussion on social dynamics and rationality in chimpanzees and similarities with humans(00:28:40) – Copying trends and group beliefs in humans and chimpanzees – Why do we hold on to beliefs to keep up appearances?(00:38:53) – The stark social and political differences between chimpanzees and bonobos. Can this help us understand the meaning of collective intelligence?(00:47:23) – Environmental factors may create challenges in changing human beliefs despite evidence(00:53:26) – Why do humans struggle with changing their minds? Looking at the anti-vaxxer movement as an example, and the public perception of certainty(01:04:13) – The dangerous rise of public mistrust in science, and scientific communication challenges in a world driven by clickbait(01:16:12) – How humans can be easily manipulated through trends, misinformation and clickbait, using the manosphere as an example(01:22:53) – The power of self-belief, using Tim as an example with his narcissistic self-belief as a championship elite athlete(01:32:11) – Defining intelligence and its multifaceted nature across species. Humans are not the most intelligent!(01:40:00) – The role of consciousness in intelligenceEpisode Notes & Citations:https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2026/03/19/hanna-schleihauf-animals-dont-just-act-they-think-about-whySupport our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out The Retort news outlet:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RetortMedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@ceoretortextra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://newsletter.ceoretort.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠