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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ceo-retort-with-tim-el-sheikh-7053049/new-stunning-evidence-chimpanzees-are-more-rational-than-humans-dr-hanna-schleihauf
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ceo-retort-with-tim-el-sheikh-7053049/new-stunning-evidence-chimpanzees-are-more-rational-than-humans-dr-hanna-schleihauf.md
Podcast: [The CEO Retort with Tim El-Sheikh](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ceo-retort-with-tim-el-sheikh-7053049)
Published: 2026-03-19T16:41:10+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ceoretort/episodes/New-Stunning-Evidence-Chimpanzees-are-more-rational-than-humans---Dr-Hanna-Schleihauf-e3gltbl
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f711e3e0/podcast/play/117158709/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-19%2F420341780-44100-2-3954a7f84bec6.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-ceo-retort-with-tim-el-sheikh-7053049/episodes/new-stunning-evidence-chimpanzees-are-more-rational-than-humans-dr-hanna-schleihauf
Duration seconds: 6424

## Resource

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/newsletter⁠ Support our independence by becoming a member: ⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠ Timestamps: (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…

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