What it is to be human: “a modern secular view.” First in a series of six talks by the distinguished cognitive scientist, in this long-running philosophical lecture series.
Producer: University of Edinburgh, The Gifford Lectures
A bullied young man in the Arctic resists suicidal thoughts through comic book battles with a demon, in an epic animated story. Subtitled in English, narrated in the Gitxsan language.
Producer: The Healthy Aboriginal Network
Featuring: voicework: Chief Marj McRae, Robert Milton, Floyd Moore, Fedilia O'Brien, Chastity Turley, Jay Turley, Jezebel Turley, Dan Wilson, Audrey Woods, Shawn Woods
“Basically, depression is like the worst disease you can get.” This renowned neuroscientist has convincing arguments to back up his opening statement. See also: an excellent lecture on the neurodegenerative effects of stress.
Left Brain, Right Brain: Human nature and political values
Trends in economics and politics including consumerism and changes in democracy, and how research into psychology, social networks and behavioural economics is relevant.
Producer: Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Behavioural economist Dan Ariely explains his experiment in which wearing sunglasses perceived as designer counterfeits led people to cheat in an economic game. Amusing, nicely produced DIY video, featuring a great wardrobe. Check out more of his vids on Ariely’s YouTube channel (a very funny intro to his work: The Dan Ariely Show), and watch a lecture on irrational behaviour in the archives.
The neuroethics of cosmetic psychopharmacology. Four hypothetical situations (with real parallels) are debated by major thinkers on a panel at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: a person who wants to take a drug for narcolepsy to stay awake in order to work more, a parent considering giving their child a psych med to help with social skills, healthy students who take “Rememberall, made by Hype Pharmaceuticals” to enhance studying, and memory dampening. Highlights. Close captioned.
Producer: Fred Friendly Seminars, Annenberg Media
Featuring: John Hockenberry, John Abramson, Arthur Caplan, Lawrence Diller, Martha Farah, Joshua Foer, Michael Gazzaniga, William B. Hurlbut, Peter Augustine Lawler, Gary Lynch, Michael Sandel, Sally Satel, Antonin Scalia, Tim Tully
Being involved in designing and carrying out an academic participatory research project on housing for people with severe psychiatric challenges. Research team members also reveal their personal experiences and symptoms of schizophrenia, and talk about the group program The Unsung Heroes. Includes video of the Making Our Voices Heard presentation, a powerful theatrical reading from their research findings [PDF script]. Lots more info at a luxe project web site with a photo essay, graphic novel (!), script & performances, travelling exhibit, publications and more. “Back when we started, I never thought we would get that far. I never thought that it would be such a difference, you know, of yeah, we’ve discovered these facts. We’ve discovered that homelessness is a universal problem, and that it doesn’t have to be, and if we have the political will we can make a difference, and that if we lend our voices and our expertise and our experiences, we can put it into a format to make our voices heard.” — Candace Watson.
Producer: University of Calgary
Featuring: Jamal Ali, Laurie Arney, George Benson, Cindy Calderbank, Claude Mathieu, Mary Mitchell, Michelle Misurelli, Barbara Schneider, Dale Silbernagel, Mark Sunderland
Not to be confused with The Office, this is an amusing series too. Mental health issues and stigma in the workplace are the focus. The Interview, The Breakdown, and The Return.