How do different species of animals measure up against humans? (Do they have language? Self-awareness? Do they wage war? Can they count? Use tools? Do they have opposable thumbs? Can they make a Humvee? Sit stuck in traffic at the same time every day?) It’s a good question, but rather one-sided.

What if we focused on the other perspective: How do humans measure up against other animals? (What skills do we lack compared to jellyfish? What awareness and communication abilities have we abandoned in the embrace of language? How do other mammals nurture young? How many scents can we identify in competition with a bear? How come dogs don’t seem to worry about aging, or having only three legs? Can we gauge wind strength and direction like an egret can?)

And what can we learn from a pecan tree? What does a pebble got that we haven’t got?