Reason might be our puppet master but only after emotions tug on the strings
Many ancient Greek philosophers were suspicious of emotions, believing that reason was the key to freeing the mind from destructive, distracting impulses. However, the 18th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza, and later Charles Darwin, came to the conclusion that emotion and reason work in tandem to help us survive and build important social bonds – a theory that was later confirmed by modern psychologists and brain scientists. This short video from Scientific American explores how emotions transformed from nuisances to necessities in the eyes of Western philosophy and science – with puppets!
Director: Kevin Cline
Website: Punctuation Films
videoDemography and migration
The volunteers who offer a last line of care for migrants at a contentious border
30 minutes
videoLove and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes
videoLife stages
Grief, healing and laughter coexist at a unique retreat for widows and widowers
15 minutes
videoMathematics
Spiral into the ‘golden ratio’ – and separate the myths from the maths
4 minutes
videoConsciousness and altered states
What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?
12 minutes
videoFamily life
A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait
11 minutes
