All language subtitles for The.Brain.with.David.Eagleman.S01E05.Why.Do.I.Need.You.720p.

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DAVID EAGLEMAN: WHAT DOES
A BRAIN NEED TO BE HEALTHY?

WELL, IT NEEDS NUTRIENTS
FROM THE FOOD YOU EAT,

IT NEEDS OXYGEN FROM YOUR BLOOD,

PLENTY OF WATER

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE,
SOMETHING EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT.

IT NEEDS OTHER PEOPLE.

DAVID EAGLEMAN: HUMAN BEINGS
ARE EXTREMELY SOCIAL CREATURES.

WE COME TOGETHER, WE TEAM UP,

WE SHARE MOMENTS OF
INTENSE JOY AND DISAPPOINTMENT.

WE DON'T JUST SEEK OUT OTHER
PEOPLE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.

YOUR BRAIN FUNCTION DEPENDS

ON THE SOCIAL WEB
THAT YOU'RE IN.

YOUR NEURONS REQUIRE
OTHER PEOPLE'S NEURONS

TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE.

I WANT TO SHOW
YOU HOW OUR BRAINS

ARE FUNDAMENTALLY WIRED
TO WORK TOGETHER...

HOW THIS SOCIAL NETWORK
THAT ENVELOPS US FROM BIRTH

IS VITAL FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

YEAH? OK!

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
UNDERSTANDING HOW BRAINS

DEAL WITH EACH OTHER
ALLOWS US

TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT BONDS OUR SPECIES,

DRIVING US TO HELP ONE ANOTHER.

AND WHAT MAKES US HATE...

WHAT ALLOWS ACTS OF
HUMAN VIOLENCE.

IT HELPS US TO
MAKE SENSE OF OUR PAST

AND HOLDS THE KEY TO OUR FUTURE.

EAGLEMAN:
THERE ARE 7 BILLION PEOPLE

LIVING TODAY--

7 BILLION BRAINS

MOVING, CHOOSING, ACTING,

BELIEVING, AND CONNECTING
WITH OTHER BRAINS.

BRAINS ARE TRADITIONALLY
STUDIED IN ISOLATION.

BUT, IN FACT,
MUCH OF CIRCUITRY OF THE BRAIN

HAS TO DO WITH OTHER BRAINS.

WE'RE FUNDAMENTALLY
SOCIAL CREATURES.

AND OUR SOCIETY IS
A COMPLEX WEB OF INTERACTION.

ON ANY NORMAL DAY,
WE INTERSECT

WITH AN ENORMOUS
NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
OUR LIVES ARE BUILT

ON THESE INTERSECTIONS,

NOT JUST BETWEEN US
AND OUR FAMILY

AND FRIENDS AND WORK COLLEAGUES,

BUT ALSO BETWEEN THEM
AND THE PEOPLE THEY MEET.

EVEN THE MOST BASIC ENCOUNTER...

LIKE GETTING
A CUP OF COFFEE...

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: RELIES
ON TRUST WITH A STRANGER.

CAN I GET
A LATTE, PLEASE?

DEFINITELY.
THANKS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
EVERYWHERE WE LOOK,

WE SEE COMPLEX
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS--

RELATIONSHIPS FORMING
AND BREAKING,

BONDS OF LOVE AND SUPPORT,

SOCIAL NETWORKING.

WE CLUMP INTO LARGE GROUPS
TO SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE.

WE GOT ALL THESE RANDOM
SPOTS IN YOUR BRAIN

THAT GET WIRED UP

INTO AN ASSOCIATIVE
NEURAL NETWORK.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WE WORK TO IMPRESS EACH OTHER.

AND WE SWAP IDEAS.

I'LL STICK AROUND
FOR ANY QUESTIONS

THAT ANYONE HAS.

THANK YOU.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
MOST RESEARCH LOOKS AT

ONE BRAIN AT A TIME,

BUT THAT MISSES THE FACT

THAT A GREAT DEAL OF
OUR BRAIN ACTIVITY

IS DEDICATED TO
COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER,

INTERPRETING EACH OTHER.

OUR SOCIAL DRIVE
IS DEEPLY ROOTED

IN OUR NEURAL CIRCUITRY.

TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS FILM FROM THE 1940s.

WHAT DO YOU SEE
HAPPENING HERE?

IS THIS JUST A SIMPLE
ANIMATION OF SOME SHAPES

OR SOMETHING MORE?

DO YOU SEE A CHASE?

A FIGHT

THE BIG ONE SEEMS
TO BE PUSHING

THE LITTLE
ONE AROUND.

SEEMS LIKE
THE TWO TRIANGLES

ARE IN A LITTLE BIT
OF A SQUABBLE.

THERE ARE
RELATIONSHIPS HERE

IN TERMS OF ONE
IS MORE DOMINANT

THAN THE OTHER.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
BACK IN THE 1940s,

PSYCHOLOGISTS FRITZ HEIDER
AND MARIANNE SIMMEL

CREATED THIS FILM
AS PART OF AN EXPERIMENT.

THE BALL DOESN'T SEEM
TO WANT TO BE IN THERE.

IT'S
FREAKING OUT.

IT'S SCARED.

IT LOOKS LIKE
A TRAP TO ME.

IT LOOKS LIKE
THE SMALL TRIANGLE

IS BEING SHUT OUT

AND, LIKE, TRYING
TO PEER IN.

THEY ARE
PAIRED IN A WAY

THAT SEEMS
FRIENDLY.

YEAH!
THIS IS REALLY FUN.

IT'S FUN, RIGHT? HA HA!

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WHAT HEIDER AND SIMMEL FOUND,

AS I DID, IS HOW EASY IT
IS TO LOOK AT MOVING SHAPES

AND TO SEE MEANING
AND MOTIVES AND EMOTION

ALL IN THE FORM
OF A SOCIAL NARRATIVE.

I KIND OF GET
THE SENSE THAT

THEY'RE CATS
AND DOGS.

IT SEEMED LIKE THE BIG
ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN,

LIKE HIS, UH, HIS
DAD OR SOMETHING.

JUST CALL IT MORE OF,
LIKE, A MATING RITUAL

TWO COMPETITORS GOING
FOR ONE POSSIBLE MATE.

EAGLEMAN: THESE ARE
JUST SHAPES ON A SCREEN,

BUT WE CAN'T HELP
BUT TELL STORIES ABOUT THEM.

WHY? IT'S BECAUSE
OUR BRAINS ARE SO PRIMED

FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION

THAT WE LOOK FOR INTENTION
AND RELATIONSHIPS ALL AROUND US.

ONE WAY WE NAVIGATE
THE SOCIAL WORLD IS

BY JUDGING
OTHER PEOPLE'S INTENTIONS.

IS SHE TRYING TO BE HELPFUL?

ARE WE A TRUSTWORTHY TEAM?

OUR BRAINS ARE GOOD AT MAKING
THESE SORTS OF JUDGMENTS.

AND WE DO IT CONSTANTLY.

BUT DO WE LEARN THIS SKILL
FROM LIFE EXPERIENCE,

OR ARE WE BORN WITH IT?

TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IT IS,

I'VE INVITED OVER SOME PEOPLE

WHO DON'T HAVE
MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THE WORLD.

I'VE INVITED THEM
TO A PUPPET SHOW.

THESE BABIES
ARE ALL UNDER 12 MONTHS OLD.

THEY'RE JUST BEGINNING TO
EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

YOU COULD SAY
THEY'RE ALL A LITTLE SHORT

ON LIFE EXPERIENCE.

WE DECIDED TO RUN
A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT

DEVELOPED AT YALE UNIVERSITY.

HERE'S A DUCK STRUGGLING
TO OPEN A BOX.

ONE BEAR HELPS THE DUCK.

THE OTHER IS MEAN TO THE DUCK.

OK, BOWIE, HERE YOU GO.
THERE ARE TWO PUPPETS...

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN THE SHOW'S OVER,

I LET THE BABIES CHOOSE
A BEAR TO PLAY WITH.

...WANT TO PLAY WITH?

YEAH? OK, IS THAT THE ONE
YOU WANT? ALL RIGHT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM

CHOOSES THE BEAR
THAT'S BEEN KIND.

THESE BABIES
CAN'T WALK OR TALK.

AND YET THEY
ALREADY HAVE THE TOOLS

TO MAKE JUDGMENTS
ABOUT OTHERS.

YEAH? OK!

IT'S OFTEN ASSUMED THAT
TRUST IS SOMETHING

THAT WE LEARN FROM
OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD.

BUT THESE
EXPERIMENTS DEMONSTRATE

THAT EVEN AS BABIES,
WE COME EQUIPPED

WITH SOCIAL ANTENNAE

FOR FEELING OUR WAY
THROUGH THE WORLD.

THE BRAIN COMES
WITH INBORN INSTINCTS

FOR FIGURING
OUT WHO'S TRUSTWORTHY

AND WHO'S NOT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
AS WE GROW,

OUR SOCIAL CHALLENGES BECOME
EVEN MORE SUBTLE AND COMPLEX.

UNDERSTANDING OTHERS IS

ONE OF THE MOST
DEMANDING OPERATIONS

THAT OUR BRAINS PERFORM.

THEY HAVE
TO INTERPRET WORDS.

AND, MORE THAN THAT,
INFLECTION,

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,
BODY LANGUAGE.

"DOES SHE LIKE ME?"

"IS HE INTERESTED
IN WHAT I'M SAYING?"

"DO THEY WANT MY HELP?"

SOCIETY RUNS ON OUR ABILITY

TO READ EACH
OTHER'S SOCIAL SIGNALS.

TAKE THAT ABILITY AWAY

AND THE WORLD BECOMES
A VERY STRANGE PLACE.

CAR ENTHUSIAST JOHN ROBISON
HAS ALWAYS STRUGGLED

TO READ OTHER PEOPLE.

ROBISON, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY,

I WAS BULLIED
AND REJECTED BY OTHER KIDS.

AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN
WITH MACHINES.

YOU KNOW, I COULD STAND, UH,

BY, UH, A TRACTOR
ON MY GRANDPARENTS' FARM.

AND I COULD LEARN HOW
TO ADJUST IT.

AND IT WOULDN'T TEASE ME
OR DO ANYTHING BAD.

IT WOULDN'T RUN AWAY.
IT WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE.

AND I COULD COUNT ON IT.

AND I--I GUESS I
LEARNED TO MAKE FRIENDS

WITH THE MACHINES

BEFORE I LEARNED HOW TO
MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: IN TIME,
JOHN'S AFFINITY FOR TECHNOLOGY

TOOK HIM TO PLACES
HIS BULLIES COULD ONLY DREAM OF.

BY 21, HE WAS
A ROADIE FOR THE BAND KISS.

ROBISON: THIS WAS ME BACK
WITH, UH, KISS IN THE SEVENTIES.

UH, I LOOK OLDER AND FATTER
AND STUFF.

I DON'T LOOK THE SAME ANYMORE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
SURROUNDED BY LEGENDARY

ROCK AND ROLL EXCESS,

HIS OUTLOOK REMAINED
DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S.

ROBISON: PEOPLE WOULD COME UP
TO ME ALL THE TIME.

AND THEY WOULD SAY,
"WHAT'S THIS GUY LIKE,"

OR, "WHAT'S THAT GUY LIKE?"

I WOULD SAY,
"YEAH, THEIR STAGE SETUP,

THEY HAD SUNN 2000S
BASS AMPS," OR...

OR, "GENE PLAYED SUNN COLISEUMS,

"AND WE HAD SEVEN
BASS AMPS CHAINED TOGETHER.

WE HAD 2,200 WATTS
IN THE BASS SYSTEM FOR THAT."

BUT I MAYBE COULDN'T
TELL YOU THE FIRST THING

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
WHO SANG THROUGH THEM.

NOW I REALIZE
THAT SHOWS THAT I DID

KIND OF LIVE IN A DIFFERENT
WORLD ALL THOSE YEARS--

A WORLD OF MACHINES
AND EQUIPMENT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: WHEN
HE WAS 40, JOHN WAS DIAGNOSED

WITH ASPERGER'S--
A FORM OF AUTISM.

MANY REGIONS
OF THE BRAIN ARE ENGAGED

DURING SOCIAL INTERACTION.

BUT IN AUTISM
THAT BRAIN ACTIVITY

ISN'T SEEN AS STRONGLY.

AND THAT'S PARALLELED
BY DIMINISHED SOCIAL SKILLS.

I DIDN'T REALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE

COMPLEX MESSAGES IN FACES

UNTIL I WAS WELL INTO ADULTHOOD

AND LEARNED ABOUT AUTISM.

I KNEW THAT PEOPLE COULD, UH,
DISPLAY SIGNS OF CRAZED ANGER.

BUT IF YOU, UM, ASKED
ABOUT MORE SUBTLE EXPRESSIONS--

YOU KNOW,
"I THINK YOU'RE SWEET,

"AND I WONDER
WHAT YOU'RE HIDING,"

OR, "I'D REALLY
LIKE TO DO THAT,"

OR, "I WISH YOU'D DO
THIS..." OR THAT.

I...I HAD NO IDEA
ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: BUT
THEN CAME A TRANSFORMING MOMENT

IN JOHN'S LIFE.

IN 2008, HE WAS INVITED
TO HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

TO TAKE PART IN
AN EXPERIMENT ON HIS BRAIN

OVERSEEN BY
DR. ALVARO PASCUAL-LEONE.

PASCUAL-LEONE: IT WAS
AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND

HOW ACTIVITY IN ONE AREA

AFFECTS ACTIVITY IN AN AREA...
IN ANOTHER AREA

AND HOW THAT AFFECTS BEHAVIOR.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
THE EXPERIMENT WAS ONLY MEANT

TO HELP THE SCIENTISTS
GAIN GREATER KNOWLEDGE

ABOUT THE AUTISTIC BRAIN,

BUT THEN SOMETHING
UNEXPECTED HAPPENED.

JOHN WAS GIVEN

TRANSCRANIAL
MAGNETIC STIMULATION OR TMS.

MAGNETIC COILS
WERE PLACED NEXT TO HIS HEAD

TO GENERATE MINUTE ELECTRICAL
CURRENTS IN THE BRAIN

AND ALTER ITS ACTIVITY.

THE RESEARCHERS
TARGETED DIFFERENT REGIONS OF

JOHN'S BRAIN
TO SEE WHETHER INTERFERING

WITH HIS BRAIN ACTIVITY
HAD ANY EFFECT ON HIS BEHAVIOR.

ROBISON: THEY WOULD
TEST ME AFTER THE SESSION.

I WOULD GO HOME KIND OF
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
AT FIRST THERE WAS NO RESULT.

BUT THEN THEY TARGETED

THE DORSOLATERAL
PREFRONTAL CORTEX--

A REGION INVOLVED

IN FLEXIBLE THINKING
AND ABSTRACTION.

AND SOMETHING DRAMATIC HAPPENED.

SOMEHOW I BECAME DIFFERENT.

PASCUAL-LEONE: HE
CONTACTED US, UH--VERY EXCITED

TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
"THE EFFECTS OF THE STIMULATION

"SEEMED TO HAVE
UNLOCKED SOMETHING.

"AND THE EFFECTS IS STILL
LASTING.

AND I NOW CAN DO THINGS
THAT I COULD NEVER DO."

ROBISON: AFTER TMS, I WAS
ABLE TO, UH, SORT OF

READ SIGNALS FROM OTHER PEOPLE

AND UNDERSTAND
WHAT WAS GOING ON.

PASCUAL-LEONE: SO I LISTENED
TO THAT, FASCINATED BY IT,

AND THOUGHT,
"OK, WELL, WHATEVER.

IT'LL GO AWAY."

UH, BUT IT DIDN'T. IT...

IT ACTUALLY, UM,
REMAINS SOMETHING

THAT--THAT HAD REALLY
FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED IN...

IN HIM.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: SOMEHOW,
AND ENTIRELY ACCIDENTALLY,

THE TMS HAD UNLOCKED
A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR JOHN.

...VEGETABLE
SANDWICH

TO BRING HOME.

WHAT HAVE
YOU GOT...

ROBISON, VOICE-OVER:
I'D BE TEMPTED TO SAY,

"I COULDN'T READ PEOPLE
AND NOW I CAN,"

BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE.

ROBISON: OK.
HOW ABOUT

A FULL-SIZE
ONE OF THEM...

SURE.

IT'S MORE ACCURATE TO SAY

I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE
THESE MESSAGES EMANATING

FROM OTHER PEOPLE.

[ROBISON
ORDERING]

ROBISON: VOICE-OVER: TMS
SHOWED ME THOSE MESSAGES.

AND NOW THAT I'M AWARE
THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE,

EVERYTHING I DO
IS DIFFERENT.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU CAN WALK AROUND

AND ENGAGE THE WORLD.

AND IT'S A BIG, BIG THING.

OK, THANKS!

PASCUAL-LEONE: WE DON'T KNOW

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED
NEUROBIOLOGICALLY. UM...

BUT I THINK IT NOW
OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US

TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATIONS,

WHAT INTERVENTIONS
MIGHT BE POSSIBLE

TO LEARN FROM HIM
THAT WE CAN THEN TEACH OTHERS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: JOHN'S
TRANSFORMATION IS A REMINDER

THAT ALL THE ACTIVITIES
OF THE HUMAN BRAIN,

INCLUDING THE SUBTLE INTERPLAY
OF EMOTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS,

ARE ROOTED
IN THE DETAILED PATTERNS

OF TRILLIONS
OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SIGNALS.

[LAUGHTER,
INDISTINCT CHATTER]

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
SOMEHOW, HUMANS CAN LOOK AT

EACH OTHER AND STUDY

THE ARRANGEMENT
OF FACIAL MUSCLES

AND THEN PROCESS
THAT INFORMATION

INTO AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER
PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IT'S AN ASTONISHING SKILL

BECAUSE THE CUES
ARE SO SUBTLE.

AND THE PROCESSING
IS SO RAPID

THAT THE WHOLE OPERATION
RUNS UNDER YOUR RADAR.

IT ONLY TAKES
33 MILLISECONDS

FOR YOUR BRAIN
TO PROCESS BASIC INFORMATION

ABOUT SOMEONE'S
FACIAL EXPRESSION

AND START REACTING TO IT.

MAN: SO WE'RE GONNA
PUT ONE ELECTRODE

RIGHT ABOVE
YOUR EYEBROW...

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
SO HOW DOES IT DO THAT?

AND THE OTHER RIGHT
ON YOUR CHEEK.

HERE WE GO.
GREAT...

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: I'VE
INVITED A GROUP OF PEOPLE

TO RUN AN EXPERIMENT.

I'VE WIRED THEM UP TO
A MACHINE

THAT MEASURES MOVEMENTS
IN THEIR FACIAL MUSCLES.

AND I'VE ASKED THEM TO LOOK
AT PHOTOGRAPHS OF FACES.

WHEN PARTICIPANTS
ARE LOOKING AT A PHOTOGRAPH

WITH A SMILE OR A FROWN,

WE SEE THIS
ACTIVITY ON THE GRAPH

WHICH INDICATES THAT THEIR
OWN FACIAL MUSCLES ARE MOVING.

WHY?

WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT

THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY
MIRRORING WITH THEIR OWN FACES

THE EXPRESSIONS
THAT THEY'RE SEEING.

EAGLEMAN:
THAT WAS FUN, RIGHT?

THE LAST ONE?

YEAH.
YEAH, IT WAS A FUN TEST.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
BUT WHAT PURPOSE DOES

THIS MIRRORING SERVE?

I'VE INVITED
A SECOND GROUP OF PEOPLE.

THEY'RE SIMILAR
TO THE FIRST GROUP,

EXCEPT FOR ONE THING.

THIS IS THE MOST LETHAL
NEUROTOXIN ON THE PLANET.

IF YOU WERE TO INGEST
EVEN A FRACTION OF THIS,

YOUR BRAIN COULD NO LONGER TELL
YOUR MUSCLES HOW TO CONTRACT

AND YOU WOULD DIE
OF TOTAL PARALYSIS.

SO IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE

WOULD PAY TO HAVE THIS INJECTED
INTO THEMSELVES, BUT THEY DO.

THIS IS KNOWN AS
BOTULINUM TOXIN OR BOTOX.

IF YOU PUT IT
INTO YOUR FOREHEAD MUSCLES,

IT PARALYZES THEM
TO REDUCE WRINKLING.

BUT THERE'S A LESS
WELL KNOWN SIDE-EFFECT.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN OUR PARTICIPANTS WITH BOTOX

WENT THROUGH THE SAME TESTS,

THEIR FACIAL MUSCLES
RESPONDED LESS.

NO SURPRISE THERE.

BUT REPLICATING AN EXPERIMENT
OUT OF DUKE UNIVERSITY,

WE HAD BOTH GROUPS
LOOK AT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.

AND NOW THEY WERE
ASKED TO CHOOSE THE WORD

THAT BEST DESCRIBED
THE EMOTION THEY WERE SEEING.

PANIC.

PANICKED.

UPSET.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
ON AVERAGE, THE BOTOX GROUP

WAS WORSE AT IDENTIFYING
THE EMOTIONS CORRECTLY.

SKEPTICAL?

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IT SEEMS THAT

THE LACK OF FEEDBACK
FROM THEIR FACIAL MUSCLES

IMPAIRS THEIR ABILITY
TO READ OTHER PEOPLE.

THE PARALYZED FACES
OF BOTOX USERS

NOT ONLY MAKES IT HARD FOR US
TO TELL WHAT THEY'RE FEELING,

THOSE SAME FROZEN MUSCLES MAKE
IT HARD FOR THEM TO READ US.

AND THAT TELLS US SOMETHING.

WHEN I'M HAPPY OR SAD,

PART OF THAT FEELING RELIES
ON THE UNCONSCIOUS FEEDBACK

FROM MUSCLES IN MY FACE.

AND OUR SOCIAL BRAINS
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT--

SO WHEN WE'RE
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS FEELING, WE
TRY ON THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSION.

THIS AUTOMATIC
MIRRORING OF EXPRESSIONS IS

JUST ONE WAY IN WHICH
WE UNDERSTAND OTHERS.

THE BRAIN ALSO HAS
A DEEPER WAY--

ONE THAT'S BEST EXPLAINED
AT THE MOVIES.

ONE TICKET, PLEASE.

THANK YOU.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN WE GO TO THE MOVIE THEATER,

WE KNOW FULL WELL
THAT IT'S MAKE-BELIEVE.

THE PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN
ARE JUST ACTING.

AND YET WE STILL REACT.

WE GASP
AND FLINCH AND CRY.

WHY DO WE FALL FOR IT?

TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE CARE
ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE GETTING HURT,

YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR BRAIN

WHEN YOU GET HURT.

SO IMAGINE THAT
SOMEBODY WERE TO STAB YOUR HAND

WITH A SYRINGE NEEDLE.

THAT ACTIVATES
A NETWORK OF AREAS IN YOUR BRAIN

THAT WE CALL THE PAIN MATRIX.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: THERE'S
NO SINGLE SPOT IN THE BRAIN

WHERE PAIN IS PROCESSED.

INSTEAD, THE PERCEPTION
OF PAIN ARISES

FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT
AREAS NETWORKING TOGETHER.

STRANGELY ENOUGH,
THIS PAIN MATRIX IS

AT THE HEART OF
HOW WE CONNECT WITH OTHERS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
NOW, WHEN YOU WATCH

SOMEONE ELSE GET STABBED,

YOUR PAIN
MATRIX BECOMES ACTIVATED.

NOT THE PARTS THAT TELL YOU
YOU'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TOUCHED,

BUT THE PARTS INVOLVED

IN THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
OF PAIN.

IN OTHER WORDS,
WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE IN PAIN

AND BEING IN PAIN
USE THE SAME NEURAL MACHINERY.

AND THAT'S THE BASIS OF EMPATHY.

EAGLEMAN:
TO EMPATHIZE WITH ANOTHER PERSON

IS TO LITERALLY FEEL THEIR PAIN.

EAGLEMAN:
YOU RUN A COMPELLING SIMULATION

OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
IF YOU WERE IN THAT SITUATION.

AND OUR CAPACITY TO DO
THIS IS WHY STORIES AND MOVIES

AND NOVELS ARE SO ABSORBING

AND WHY THEY'RE SO PERVASIVE
ACROSS HUMAN CULTURE.

BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S
ABOUT TOTAL STRANGERS

OR MADE-UP CHARACTERS,

YOU EXPERIENCE THEIR AGONY
AND THEIR ECSTASY.

YOU FLUIDLY BECOME THEM

AND LIVE THEIR LIVES AND STAND
IN THEIR VANTAGE POINTS.

YOU CAN TELL YOURSELF THAT
THE STORIES AREN'T REAL,

BUT SOME NEURONS DEEP IN YOUR
BRAIN CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
OUR CAPACITY TO FEEL

ANOTHER PERSON'S PAIN
IS PART OF WHAT MAKES US

SO GOOD AT TAKING
OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVE--

TO STEP OUT OF OUR SHOES
AND INTO THEIR SHOES,

NEURALLY SPEAKING.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: WE CAN'T
HELP BUT CONNECT WITH OTHERS.

WE'RE HARDWIRED TO BE
EXTREMELY SOCIAL CREATURES.

AND THAT RAISES A QUESTION.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE BRAIN
WERE STARVED OF HUMAN CONTACT?

IN 2009,
PEACE ACTIVIST SARAH SHOURD

AND HER TWO COMPANIONS
WERE HIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS

OF NORTHERN IRAQ--AN AREA
THAT WAS AT THE TIME PEACEFUL.

BUT THEY ACCIDENTALLY
STRAYED INTO IRAN,

AND THEY WERE ARRESTED.

SHOURD: THEY PULLED US APART

AND THREW US IN SEPARATE CELLS

AND SLAMMED THE DOOR.

AND, UM, THAT WAS
THE BEGINNING OF--

OF THE NEXT 410 DAYS
OF MY LIFE IN THAT CELL.

WELL, IN THE EARLY WEEKS
AND, REALLY, MONTHS

OF SOLITARY
CONFINEMENT, YOU'RE REDUCED

TO AN ANIMAL-LIKE STATE.

I MEAN, YOU ARE AN ANIMAL
IN A CAGE.

AND THE MAJORITY
OF YOUR HOURS ARE PACING.

AND THE ANIMAL-LIKE STATE

SORT OF EVENTUALLY TRANSFORMED

INTO A MORE PLANT-LIKE STATE...

WHEN YOUR MIND STARTS
TO SLOW DOWN

AND YOUR THOUGHTS
BECOME REPETITIVE.

SHOURD, VOICE-OVER:
YOUR BRAIN TURNS ON ITSELF.

AND IT BECOMES THE--
THE SOURCE OF YOUR WORST PAIN

AND YOUR WORST TORTURE.

I WOULD RELIVE EVERY
DETAIL OF MY LIFE.

AND EVENTUALLY,
YOU RUN OUT OF--OF MEMORIES.

AND YOU'VE TOLD THEM
ALL TO YOURSELF

SO MANY TIMES,
AND IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
EXTREME SOCIAL DEPRAVATION

CAUSES DEEP PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN.

WITHOUT INTERACTION,
THE BRAIN SUFFERS.

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
IS DESIGNED TO EAT AWAY AT

AND REALLY ATTACK
WHAT ESSENTIALLY MAKES US HUMAN.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
SARAH'S BRAIN USED

THE SCANT SENSORY INFORMATION
IT HAD TO CONSTRUCT A REALITY.

SHOURD: THE SUN WOULD COME
IN AT A CERTAIN TIME OF DAY

AT AN ANGLE THROUGH MY WINDOW.

AND ALL OF THE LITTLE
DUST PARTICLES IN MY CELL

WERE ILLUMINATED BY THE SUN.

I SAW ALL OF THOSE
PARTICLES OF DUST AS BEING

OTHER HUMAN BEINGS
OCCUPYING THE PLANET.

AND THEY WERE
IN THE STREAM OF LIFE.

THEY WERE INTERACTING. THEY
WERE BOUNCING OFF ONE ANOTHER.

THEY WERE DOING
SOMETHING COLLECTIVE.

AND I SAW MYSELF
AS OFF IN A CORNER, YOU KNOW,

WALLED OFF BY--BY MYSELF
OUT OF THE STREAM OF LIFE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IN SEPTEMBER 2010

AFTER 410 DAYS
IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT,

SARAH WAS FINALLY RELEASED
AND ALLOWED TO REJOIN THE WORLD.

BUT FOR A LONG TIME,
SHE SUFFERED

FROM EXTREME
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS.

THE PHILOSOPHER
MARTIN HEIDEGGER SAID

WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT BEING.

WE CAN ONLY TALKING
ABOUT BEING IN THE WORLD.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE WORLD AROUND
YOU IS A PART OF WHO YOU ARE.

IN A VACUUM,
YOU LOSE YOUR SENSE OF SELF.

IT'S NOT EASY
FOR SCIENCE TO STUDY PEOPLE

WHILE THEY'RE EXPERIENCING
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT,

BUT A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT

DESIGNED BY NEUROSCIENTIST
NAOMI EISENBERGER CAN GIVE US

AN INSIGHT INTO
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN

WHEN WE FEEL EXCLUDED.

IT'S BASED ON A GAME OF CATCH.

WHILE VOLUNTEERS
PLAYED A COMPUTER GAME OF CATCH,

EISENBERGER AND HER TEAM
SCANNED THEIR BRAINS.

THE VOLUNTEERS THOUGHT THE OTHER
CHARACTERS WERE CONTROLLED

BY OTHER PARTICIPANTS,

BUT, IN FACT, THEY WERE JUST
PART OF THE COMPUTER PROGRAM.

AT FIRST, THE OTHER
CHARACTERS PLAYED NICELY,

BUT AFTER A WHILE, THEY'D CUT
THE VOLUNTEER OUT OF THE GAME

AND SIMPLY PLAY
BETWEEN THEMSELVES.

SHE FOUND THAT BEING
LEFT OUT OF THE GAME

ACTIVATED THE PAIN MATRIX.

NOT GETTING THE BALL
MIGHT SEEM INSIGNIFICANT,

BUT TO THE BRAIN,

SOCIAL REJECTION
IS SO MEANINGFUL

THAT IT HURTS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: BUT
THAT PAIN, IN TURN, IS USEFUL.

IT PUSHES US IN THE DIRECTION
OF BONDING WITH OTHERS.

WE ALL SEEK OUT ALLIANCES.

WE JOIN WITH FRIENDS,
WITH FAMILY, WITH COLLEAGUES.

IT COULD BE
WHICH TEAM WE SUPPORT...

WHAT STYLE WE GO FOR...

WHAT OUR HOBBIES ARE.

IT GIVES COMFORT
TO BELONG TO A GROUP.

AND THAT GIVES
US A CRITICAL CLUE

INTO OUR SUCCESS AS A SPECIES.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
ISN'T JUST ABOUT INDIVIDUALS.

IT'S ALSO ABOUT GROUPS.

WE'RE SAFER.
WE'RE MORE PRODUCTIVE.

WE OVERCOME CHALLENGES.

THE DRIVE TO WORK IN GROUPS HAS
HELPED HUMAN POPULATIONS THRIVE

ACROSS THE PLANET

AND BUILD
ENTIRE CIVILIZATIONS.

AND YET THERE'S A FLIPSIDE
TO THIS DRIVE TO COME TOGETHER.

BECAUSE FOR EVERY
"IN" GROUP, THERE ARE OUTSIDERS.

AND THE CONSEQUENCES
OF THAT CAN BE VERY DARK.

HISTORY IS PLAGUED WITH EXAMPLES

OF ONE GROUP TURNING
ON ANOTHER THAT WAS DEFENSELESS

AND POSED NO THREAT.

IF YOU WERE TO LOOK
AT MY FAMILY TREE,

YOU WOULD SEE
THAT MOST OF THE BRANCHES END

IN THE EARLY 1940s.

THIS IS BECAUSE MY FAMILY
IS ETHNICALLY JEWISH.

THAT SMALL SOCIAL MARKER
WAS ENOUGH

TO PROMPT NAZI GENOCIDE.

UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES,

YOU WOULDN'T
FIND IT CONSCIONABLE

TO GO MURDER YOUR NEIGHBOR.

SO WHAT IS IT THAT ALLOWS
HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

TO SUDDENLY DO EXACTLY THAT?

WHAT IS IT ABOUT
CERTAIN SITUATIONS

THAT SHORT-CIRCUITS THE NORMAL
SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAIN?

WHILE THE NAZI HOLOCAUST WAS
ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE,

IT WASN'T UNIQUE.

GENOCIDE CONTINUED
TO OCCUR ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AND WITHIN A GENERATION,
IT RETURNED TO EASTERN EUROPE.

THIS TIME, IT WAS IN YUGOSLAVIA.

THE BOSNIAN WAR
FROM 1992 TO '95

SAW ATROCITIES
ON BOTH SIDES.

IN ONE OF THE WORST, MORE
THAN 100,000 BOSNIAN MUSLIMS,

KNOWN AS BOSNIAKS,
WERE SLAUGHTERED

BY SERBIANS IN ACTIONS
KNOWN AS ETHNIC CLEANSING.

ONE OF THE MOST
HORRIBLE INCIDENTS

HAPPENED HERE AT SREBRENICA.

[MAN SPEAKING
FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: OVER
THE COURSE OF JUST 10 DAYS,

8,000 PEOPLE
WERE SYSTEMATICALLY KILLED.

HOW DOES SOMETHING
LIKE THIS HAPPEN?

HERE IN 1995, THOUSANDS
OF BOSNIAKS TOOK REFUGE

INSIDE THIS
UNITED NATIONS COMPOUND,

BECAUSE THIS VILLAGE
WAS SURROUNDED BY SIEGE FORCES.

BUT THEN ON JULY 11th, THE U.N.
COMMANDERS MADE THE DECISION

TO EXPEL ALL THE REFUGEES.

AND THEY DELIVERED THEM RIGHT
INTO THE HANDS OF THEIR ENEMIES,

WHO WERE WAITING
JUST OUTSIDE THIS GATE.

WOMEN WERE RAPED,

AND MEN WERE EXECUTED,
AND EVEN CHILDREN WERE KILLED.

AND THIS WAS JUST
THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WOULD BE

THE LARGEST GENOCIDE ON EUROPEAN
SOIL SINCE THE HOLOCAUST.

HASAN NUHANOVIC:
THE DUTCH WERE THERE.

I MEAN, THE WORLD WAS THERE.
YOU KNOW, THE U.N.

THE SERBS WERE THERE
AS PERPETRATORS.

EVERYTHING WAS MIXED.

THE REFUGES WERE THERE,
THE BABIES WERE CRYING.

I WAS THERE BEING PROTECTED
WITH THAT U.N. I.D. CARD

THAT SAID "U.N. LANGUAGE
ASSISTANT," WHATEVER.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
HASAN NUHANOVIC'S STATUS

AS A U.N. TRANSLATOR MADE HIM
PART OF A PROTECTED GROUP.

BUT HIS FAMILY
MEMBERS WERE MARKED OUT

BY THEIR IDENTITY AS MUSLIMS.

AT THAT VERY MOMENT
WHEN MY FAMILY

WAS BEING SENT OUT
OF THE COMPOUND

TO ACTUALLY DIE,
I LOST MY--

I LOST MY MOTHER,
MY BROTHER,

AND MY FATHER.

YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU
ARE IN A SITUATION

WHEN YOUR FAMILY
IS BEING KILLED.

AND I WAS THINKING,
MY GOD...

I MEAN, WHY?

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: ONE OF
THE MOST STRIKING THINGS IS

THAT THE PERPETRATORS
WEREN'T STRANGERS.

THEY WERE PEOPLE WITH WHOM

HIS FAMILY HAD PREVIOUSLY
SHARED A GREAT DEAL.

THE CONTINUATION,
YOU KNOW, OF...

OF THE KILLINGS,
OF TORTURE,

WAS PERPETRATED
BY OUR NEIGHBORS.

YOU KNOW?

THE VERY PEOPLE WE
HAVE BEEN LIVING

WITH FOR DECADES.

THEY WERE CAPABLE
OF KILLING

THEIR OWN
SCHOOL FRIENDS.

I REMEMBER
THEY SAID

THEY ARRESTED
A DENTIST

WHO WAS
A BOSNIAK,

THE BEST DENTIST
IN THE TOWN.

THEY TIED HIM UP
FROM A LIGHT POLE,

LIKE THIS IN FRONT
OF THE POST OFFICE.

HE WAS HANGING THERE
LIKE THIS.

AND THEY BEAT HIM
WITH A METAL BAR.

THEY BROKE HIS SPINE.

AND HE WAS
THERE DYING FOR DAYS

WHILE SERB CHILDREN
WENT TO SCHOOL,

WALKING BY HIS BODY,
YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, THERE ARE
UNIVERSAL VALUES.

AND THESE UNIVERSAL
VALUES

ARE KIND OF VERY BASIC:

DON'T KILL...

APRIL '92,
THIS DON'T KILL

SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED.

IT WAS LIKE,
"GO AND KILL."

IT WAS,
ALLOWED TO KILL.

THIS IS WHERE
HASAN'S FAMILY IS BURIED.

AND EACH YEAR,
THERE ARE NEW BODIES

THAT ARE FOUND
AND IDENTIFIED,

AND THEY'RE BROUGHT HERE.

MANY OF THESE GRAVES
ARE FRESH.

AND ACROSS
THE HUMAN SPECIES,

THIS IS JUST
ONE GENOCIDE OF MANY.

GENOCIDES KEEP HAPPENING--

RWANDA, DARFUR,
NANKING, ARMENIA.

AND MY INTEREST IS
IN UNDERSTANDING WHY.

TRADITIONALLY WE
ASK THIS QUESTION

THROUGH THE LENS OF HISTORY
OR ECONOMICS OR POLITICS.

AND THOSE ARE
ALL IMPORTANT VANTAGE POINTS.

BUT I THINK FOR
A COMPLETE PICTURE,

ONE MORE LENS IS NEEDED.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
GENOCIDE AS A NEURAL PHENOMENON.

I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING
THIS BACK IN MY LABORATORY.

AND HERE IS MY MAIN QUESTION,
WHEN WE INTERACT WITH SOMEONE,

DOES OUR BRAIN FUNCTION DIFFER

ACCORDING
TO WHICH GROUP THEY ARE IN?

FOR EVERY "IN" GROUP
WE BELONG TO,

THERE'S AT LEAST ONE
GROUP THAT WE DON'T.

AND THAT DIVISION
CAN BE BASED ON ANYTHING--

RACE OR GENDER
OR WEALTH OR RELIGION.

WE PUT 130 PARTICIPANTS
IN THIS SCANNER.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
AND HERE'S WHAT THEY SAW--

SIX HANDS ON THE SCREEN.

AND THE COMPUTER RANDOMLY
PICKS ONE OF THESE.

AND THEN THAT HAND GETS
STABBED BY A SYRINGE NEEDLE.

NOW, THAT ACTIVATES
THE PAIN MATRIX,

WHICH IS WHAT COMES ON LINE

WHEN YOU'RE IN PAIN
OR YOU SEE SOMEONE ELSE IN PAIN.

NOW, HERE'S THE TRICK--

WE NOW ADDED
A LABEL TO EACH HAND--

JEWISH, CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM,
HINDU, ATHEIST, SCIENTOLOGIST.

AND THE QUESTION IS:
WOULD THEY CARE AS MUCH

WHEN THEY SEE A MEMBER OF THEIR
OUT GROUP GETTING STABBED?

SO HERE'S WHAT WE FOUND:

HERE'S A SUBJECT.

AND WHEN HE WATCHED

A MEMBER
OF HIS "IN" GROUP

GETTING STABBED, THERE WAS
A LARGE NEURAL RESPONSE

IN THIS AREA OF HIS BRAIN.

BUT WHEN HE WATCHED A MEMBER
OF ONE OF HIS "OUT" GROUPS

GET STABBED, THERE WAS
ESSENTIALLY A FLAT LINE.

WE SCANNED
A RANGE OF VOLUNTEERS.

AND THERE ARE
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES,

BUT THE TREND IS CLEAR.

A SINGLE WORD LABEL
IS ENOUGH TO CHANGE

YOUR BRAIN'S BASIC
PRE-CONSCIOUS RESPONSE

TO ANOTHER PERSON IN PAIN--

IN OTHER WORDS,
HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT THEM.

NOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE
OPINIONS ABOUT RELIGION

AND ITS HISTORICAL DIVISIVENESS,

BUT EVEN ATHEISTS HERE
CARE MORE

ABOUT OTHER ATHEISTS'
HANDS GETTING STABBED

THAN THEY DO ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY
ABOUT RELIGION.

IT'S ABOUT WHICH TEAM YOU'RE ON.

THIS IS JUST
THE FIRST STEP IN UNDERSTANDING

HOW WE GET TO THIS.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW GROUPS
OF PEOPLE CAN COMMIT ATROCITIES,

IT CAN HELP TO LOOK
AT THE BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS

LIKE PSYCHOPATHS.

SOME OF THE MOST CALLOUS,
INHUMANE CRIMES EVER RECORDED

HAVE BEEN COMMITTED
BY PSYCHOPATHS.

BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT
ABOUT THEIR BRAINS

THAT ALLOWS THEM
TO ACT THAT WAY?

THERE ARE NETWORKS
IN THE MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX

THAT UNDERLIE
SOCIAL INTERACTION.

WHEN WE INTERACT
WITH OTHER PEOPLE,

THIS AREA BECOMES ACTIVE.

BUT IN THE BRAIN OF SOMEONE
WITH EXTREME PSYCHOPATHY,

THIS AREA HAS
A LOT LESS ACTIVITY.

A PSYCHOPATH
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU.

HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RUN
A SIMULATION

OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO
OR HOW YOU MIGHT REACT,

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
AN EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING

OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE YOU,
HE DOESN'T GET THAT.

TO HIM YOU'RE JUST AN OBSTACLE

TO BE WORKED AROUND
OR MANIPULATED

RATHER THAN
A FELLOW HUMAN BEING.

SO WHAT ACCOUNTS
FOR GENOCIDE?

IS IT DRIVEN
BY ARMIES OF PSYCHOPATHS?

WELL, THAT CAN'T BE IT

BECAUSE PSYCHOPATHS
ONLY MAKE UP

A SMALL FRACTION
OF THE POPULATION,

BUT GENOCIDE TYPICALLY
ENGAGES A WIDER COMMUNITY.

SO HERE'S THE QUESTION:

HOW DO YOU GET
ORDINARY CITIZENS ON BOARD?

AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF LEIDEN IN HOLLAND,

DR. LASANA HARRIS HAS
BEEN CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT

TO UNDERSTAND A PIECE
OF THIS PUZZLE.

[INDISTINCT
CONVERSATION]

HARRIS: SO NOW WE'RE GOING
TO START THE EXPERIMENT.

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS

A BUNCH OF PICTURES
OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

YOUR JOB IS JUST TO REACT
NATURALLY TO THOSE PICTURES.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
LASANA IS LOOKING AT ACTIVITY

IN THE BRAIN AREAS INVOLVED
IN HUMAN SOCIAL INTERACTION,

IN PARTICULAR
THE MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX.

THIS COMES ON LINE WHEN
WE THINK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

IT'S LESS ACTIVE

WHEN DEALING WITH
SOMETHING INANIMATE, LIKE A CUP.

WHAT LASANA FOUND
IS THAT THIS REGION HAS

A SIMILARLY LOW RESPONSE

WHEN WE DEAL WITH
CERTAIN TYPES OF OTHER PEOPLE.

HARRIS: WHAT HE SEES NOW
ARE STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES

OF PEOPLE FROM
DIFFERENT SOCIAL GROUPS.

WHAT WE SEE HERE IS AT
THIS NETWORK OF BRAIN REGIONS,

INCLUDING MEDIAL
PREFRONTAL CORTEX,

IS LESS ACTIVE
WHEN OUR PARTICIPANT

LOOKS AT THE HOMELESS PEOPLE.

SO WHAT THIS PATTERN
OF ACTIVITY SUGGESTS

IS A TYPE OF MENTAL AVOIDANCE.

THEY ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT
THE MIND OF THE HOMELESS PERSON

IN THE SAME WAY THEY THOUGHT

ABOUT THE MIND
OF THE COLLEGE STUDENTS

THAT THEY SAW
OR THE BUSINESSPEOPLE.

HARRIS: SO IF,
FOR INSTANCE, YOU IMAGINE

THAT INTERACTING
WITH A HOMELESS PERSON

WILL BE UNPLEASANT, IT
WILL MAKE YOU WILL FEEL BAD.

YOU MAY FEEL SOME DEMAND TO
DONATE SOME OF YOUR MONEY

AND ALL OF THESE
UNPLEASANT PRESSURES

THAT COME ALONG WITH IT.

BY SHUTTING OFF THOSE SYSTEMS,

YOU NEVER EXPERIENCE
THOSE FEELINGS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: TO A BRAIN
THAT RESPONDS THIS WAY,

HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE DEHUMANIZED.

THEY'RE VIEWED
MORE LIKE OBJECTS.

AND THAT CAN ENABLE US
TO NOT CARE.

HARRIS: OF COURSE IF YOU
DON'T PROPERLY DIAGNOSE

THIS PERSON AS A HUMAN BEING,
WHICH IS HAPPENING HERE,

THEN THE DIFFERENT
MORAL RULES WE HAVE

THAT ARE RESERVED
FOR HUMAN PEOPLE MAY NOT APPLY.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: SO UNDER
THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES,

OUR BRAIN ACTIVITY CAN
LOOK MORE LIKE A PSYCHOPATH'S.

BUT TO UNDERSTAND
HOW WE CAN GET TO GENOCIDE,

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ONE
MORE THING ABOUT GROUP BEHAVIOR.

GENOCIDE IS ONLY POSSIBLE

WHEN DEHUMANIZATION HAPPENS
ON A MASSIVE SCALE.

NOT JUST A FEW INDIVIDUALS,

BUT WHOLE SECTIONS
OF THE POPULATION.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A GROUP
OF PEOPLE COMMITTING ATROCITIES.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
AND IF ALL THE MEMBERS

OF THAT PERPETRATING GROUP
ARE COMPLICIT,

IT'S AS IF THEY'VE
ALL SOMEHOW EXPERIENCED

THE SAME REDUCTION
IN BRAIN ACTIVITY

WHEN THEY THINK
ABOUT THEIR "OUT" GROUP.

THIS CAN BE
UNDERSTOOD AND STUDIED

LIKE A DISEASE OUTBREAK,

A KIND OF
GROUP CONTAGION--

ONE THAT'S MOST OFTEN
SPREAD DELIBERATELY.

THE PERFECT TOOL
FOR THIS JOB IS PROPAGANDA.

IT PLUGS RIGHT
INTO NEURAL NETWORKS,

AND IT DIALS DOWN THE DEGREE

TO WHICH WE CARE
ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

JUST LIKE ALL SITES OF GENOCIDE,

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED
IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.

THE PEOPLE WHO WENT
ON TO TORTURE AND KILL

THEIR NEIGHBORS
WERE BOMBARDED WITH PROPAGANDA.

STATE-CONTROLLED
BROADCASTERS DEMONIZED

THE BOSNIAN MUSLIMS
WITH DISTORTED NEWS STORIES.

MAN: I READ
YOU--FROM THE BEGINNING

THAT SOMEBODY IS, UH, HELPING
MUSLIMS, UH, AND ARMING THEM.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
THEY WENT SO FAR AS TO CLAIM

THAT THE MUSLIMS
WERE FEEDING SERBIAN CHILDREN

TO THE LIONS AT THE ZOO.

ACROSS PLACE AND TIME,

THE LANGUAGE OF
PROPAGANDA CHANGES VERY LITTLE.

IT ALWAYS PLAYS THE FAMILIAR
TUNE OF DEHUMANIZATION:

MAKE YOUR ENEMY LESS THAN
HUMAN, MAKE THEM LIKE AN ANIMAL.

PROPAGANDA IS A WEAPON.

AND OVER THE COURSE OF HUMAN
HISTORY, IT'S BECOME AN ART

AND A SCIENCE.

AND IT'S BECOME

EVER MORE DANGEROUS.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IN OUR CONNECTED AGE,

ANY EXTREMIST GROUP

CAN REACH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
WITH A KEYSTROKE.

THE INTERNET IS THE PERFECT
CARRIER FOR PROPAGANDA MESSAGES

TO REACH THE PEOPLE
MOST LIKELY TO ACT UPON THEM--

YOUNG MEN.

[ANNOUNCER SPEAKING
FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
THE POLITICAL AGENDAS AROUND US

ACTUALLY MANIPULATE THE BRAIN
ACTIVITY INSIDE OF US.

SO IS THERE ANY WAY TO STOP
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST

FROM CONTINUING INTO THE FUTURE?

ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
LIES IN A 1960s EXPERIMENT

THAT WAS CONDUCTED NOT
IN A SCIENCE LAB BUT A SCHOOL.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IT WAS 1968,

THE DAY AFTER THE ASSASSINATION
OF MARTIN LUTHER KING.

JANE ELLIOTT: IS THERE
ANYONE IN THIS UNITED STATES

THAT WE DO NOT
TREAT AS OUR BROTHERS?

YEAH.
ELLIOTT: WHO?

THE BLACK PEOPLE.

THE BLACK PEOPLE.
WHO ELSE?

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
JANE ELLIOTT WAS A TEACHER

IN A SMALL TOWN IN IOWA.

AND SHE WANTED TO SHOW
HER CLASS

WHAT PREJUDICE
REALLY FELT LIKE.

HOW ARE
BLACK PEOPLE TREATED?

STUDENT: THEY DON'T GET
ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD.

ELLIOTT: WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE THEY'RE
A DIFFERENT COLOR.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: THESE
TWO MEN WERE IN THAT CLASS.

THIS WAS REX BACK THEN...

AND THIS WAS RAY.

ELLIOTT: HOW MANY IN
HERE HAVE BLUE EYES?

OK. HOW MANY IN HERE
HAVE BROWN EYES?

RAY, VOICE-OVER: JANE
SAYS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE

THIS EXERCISE.

AND SHE RIGHT AWAY
LAUNCHES INTO THE PROPAGANDA

OF BLUE EYES
ARE BETTER THAN BROWN EYES.

BLUE-EYED PEOPLE ARE BETTER
THAN BROWN-EYED PEOPLE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER: RAY
AND REX BOTH HAVE BLUE EYES.

ELLIOTT: YOU BROWN-EYED
PEOPLE ARE NOT TO PLAY

WITH THE BLUE-EYED PEOPLE
ON THE PLAYGROUND

BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AS
GOOD AS BLUE-EYED PEOPLE.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
THE BROWN-EYEDS WERE DENIED

PRIVILEGES GIVEN
TO THE BLUE-EYEDS,

AND THEY HAD TO WEAR
SPECIAL COLLARS.

ELLIOTT: YOU'LL
BEGIN TO NOTICE TODAY

THAT WE SPEND A GREAT
DEAL OF TIME

WAITING FOR BROWN-EYED
PEOPLE.

EAGLEMAN:
DO YOU REMEMBER, UH...

WHAT YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR WAS
LIKE WHEN YOU WERE ON TOP?

I WAS TREMENDOUSLY
EVIL TO MY FRIENDS.

HOW SO?

I WAS GOING OUT OF MY WAY

TO PICK ON MY
BROWN-EYED FRIENDS

FOR THE SAKE OF
MY OWN PROMOTION.

WHAT DID YOU DO?

RAY: I RECALL TELLING
MRS. ELLIOTT, JANE,

THAT SHE SHOULD KEEP
THE YARDSTICK AT HAND

IN CASE THOSE BROWN-EYEDS
GOT OUT OF CONTROL.

ELLIOTT: I DON'T SEE
THE YARDSTICK.

DO YOU?

IT'S DOWN
OVER THERE.

HEY, MISS ELLIOTT,
YOU BETTER KEEP THAT

ON YOUR DESK.

DON'T LET THE BROWN-EYED
PEOPLE GET OUT OF HAND.

RAY: AT THAT TIME,
MY HAIR WAS QUITE BLOND

AND MY EYES
WERE QUITE BLUE.

AND I WAS
THE PERFECT LITTLE NAZI.

I LOOKED FOR WAYS TO BE
MEAN TO MY FRIENDS,

WHO MINUTES OR HOURS
EARLIER

HAD BEEN VERY CLOSE
TO ME.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
BUT THE NEXT DAY,

THERE WAS
A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE.

ELLIOTT: YESTERDAY I TOLD
YOU THAT BROWN-EYED PEOPLE

AREN'T AS GOOD
AS BLUE-EYED PEOPLE.

THAT WASN'T TRUE.

I LIED TO YOU YESTERDAY.

STUDENT:
OH, BOY...

ELLIOTT: THE TRUTH IS
THAT BROWN-EYED PEOPLE

ARE BETTER THAN
BLUE-EYED PEOPLE.

REX, VOICE-OVER: A PERSON
YOU TRUST STANDS BEFORE YOU

AND SAYS, "I WAS WRONG.

NOW HERE'S THE TRUTH,"

TAKES YOUR WORLD
AND SHATTERS IT

LIKE YOU'VE NEVER HAD
YOUR WORLD SHATTERED BEFORE.

ELLIOTT:
YOU BLUE-EYED PEOPLE

ARE NOT TO PLAY WITH
THE BROWN-EYED PEOPLE.

BLUE-EYED PEOPLE
GO TO THE BACK.

THE BROWN-EYED PEOPLE
COME TO THE FRONT.

EAGLEMAN: TELL ME
A LITTLE MORE

ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN
YOU WERE IN THE DOWN GROUP.

YOU HAVE SUCH A SENSE
OF LOSS--

OF PERSONALITY AND SELF--

THAT IT MAKES IT ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO FUNCTION

WITH WHAT'S GOING
ON IN THE ROOM.

SHOULD THE COLOR OF
SOME OTHER PERSON'S EYES

HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH HOW YOU TREAT THEM?

NO, NO.

ELLIOTT: ALL RIGHT.

THEN SHOULD
THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN?

STUDENTS: NO.

SHOULD YOU JUDGE PEOPLE...

NO...

BY THE COLOR...
NO...

OF THEIR SKIN?

NO.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
IF I WERE JUST GONNA RIFF--

GUESS AT IT--IT'S THAT, UH,

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS WE LEARN

AS HUMANS IS
PERSPECTIVE TAKING.

AND KIDS DON'T OFTEN GET

A REALLY MEANINGFUL
EXERCISE IN THAT.

AND WHEN YOU'RE FORCED
INTO UNDERSTANDING

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO STAND
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES,

THAT OPENS UP A LOT OF
COGNITIVE PATHWAYS FOR YOU.

I REMEMBER SAYING
SOMETHING TO MY DAD

ABOUT A COMMENT
HE MADE, SAYING,

"NO, THAT'S
NOT APPROPRIATE."

AND IT DID CHANGE
WITHIN THE FAMILY.

BUT YOU TALK
ABOUT A LITTLE KID

MAKING THAT STATEMENT,
IT'S HUGE.

BUT IT REAFFIRMED THAT
YOU COULD DO THAT--

YOU COULD BEGIN
TO CHANGE.

THE BRILLIANCE

OF THE BLUE EYES/BROWN EYES
EXPERIMENT IS

THAT THE TEACHER, JANE ELLIOTT,
SWITCHED WHICH GROUP WAS ON TOP.

AND THAT ALLOWED THE STUDENTS
TO EXTRACT THE LARGER LESSON,

WHICH IS THAT SYSTEMS OF
RULES CAN BE ARBITRARY.

THEY LEARNED THAT THE TRUTHS
OF THE WORLD ARE NOT FIXED,

AND THEY'RE NOT
EVEN NECESSARILY TRUTHS.

AND THIS IS
WHAT EMPOWERED THE CHILDREN

AS THEY GREW TO SEE
THROUGH THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS

OF OTHER PEOPLE'S
POLITICAL AGENDAS

AND TO FORM THEIR OWN OPINIONS--

SURELY A SKILL THAT WE SHOULD BE
TEACHING TO ALL OF OUR CHILDREN.

ELLIOTT: SHOULD THE COLOR
OF SOME OTHER PERSON'S EYES

HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH HOW YOU TREAT THEM?

STUDENTS: NO.

EAGLEMAN, VOICE-OVER:
WHEN PEOPLE ARE ARMED

WITH AN UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW PROPAGANDA WORKS,

THE POWER OF PROPAGANDA
IS REDUCED.

AS WE COME TO UNDERSTAND

THE DEEP IMPORTANCE
OF COOPERATION,

WE STAND A CHANCE NOT ONLY
OF REDUCING DEHUMANIZATION,

BUT ACHIEVING OUR
POTENTIAL AS A SPECIES.

EAGLEMAN: GENOCIDE
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE NORM.

INSTEAD OUR FUNDAMENTALLY
SOCIAL NATURE CAN HOLD

THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
AS A SPECIES.

OUR FUTURE, OUR SURVIVAL IS

INTIMATELY, PERMANENTLY BOUND UP

WITH THAT OF THE PEOPLE
AROUND US.

EAGLEMAN: OUR SOCIAL
DRIVE IS AT THE ROOT

OF EXTRAORDINARY ACTS
OF BRAVERY AND GENEROSITY.

EAGLEMAN: WHO YOU ARE
HAS EVERYTHING TO DO

WITH WHO WE ARE.

OUR BRAINS ARE SO
FUNDAMENTALLY WIRED TO INTERACT

THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR

WHERE EACH OF US
BEGINS AND ENDS.

OUR SPECIES IS MORE
THAN JUST 7 BILLION INDIVIDUALS

SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE PLANET.

WE'RE SOMETHING MORE LIKE
A SINGLE VAST SUPER-ORGANISM.

BECAUSE WHAT YOUR
FRIENDS KNOW AND LOVE AS YOU IS

REALLY A NEURAL NETWORK EMBEDDED

IN A FAR LARGER WEB OF
OTHER NEURAL NETWORKS.

IN THIS AGE
OF DIGITAL CONNECTION,

WE DESPERATELY
NEED TO UNDERSTAND

THE LINKS BETWEEN HUMANS.

IF WE WANT OUR CIVILIZATIONS
TO HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE,

WE'LL NEED TO UNDERSTAND
HOW HUMAN BRAINS INTERACT--

THE DANGERS
AND THE OPPORTUNITIES.

BECAUSE THERE'S
NO AVOIDING THE TRUTH

THAT'S ETCHED INTO OUR NEURAL
CIRCUITRY: WE NEED EACH OTHER.