KOSMOS Public Lecture: Tom Johnstone (Reading)
Public lecture as part of KOSMOS Summer University (internal link) Abstract: Humans have long had an ambivalent relationship with their emotions. Emotions are the inspiration for pinnacles of human art, literature and music. But emotions are also the driving force behind the worst examples of human behaviour. Are emotions to be celebrated, or feared? In this talk I will discuss the scientific evidence that our brains are constantly engaged in a delicate emotional balancing act. I will discuss the neural systems that serve to manage emotions and moods in such a way that they contribute to, rather than interfere with the richness of our daily lives. I will also talk about what happens when these systems are disturbed, and how the neuroscience of emotion regulation is helping us to create new interventions to restore the balance.
