California Science Center

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	The Science and Ethics of Fear Saturday, October 27, 2007 Why do our hearts race, our knees shake, and our bodies sweat when we are scared? Fear is a universal emotion, yet poorly understood by the general public. Experts discussed the current science of fear, the most studied of all our emotions. Participants learned what fears are learned and which are innate, why we are often afraid of the wrong things, and what fears we share as members of society. Panelists offered perspectives on how our collective anxieties are shaped by culture and at times intentionally manipulated. In presenting both the science and ethics of fear, speakers illuminated the arresting power of fear and the ethical implications of its use and abuse. Click to download Dr. Fanselow's PowerPoint presentation. Click to download Dr. Altheide's PowerPoint presentation. Panel Discussion: Four featured panelists offered different perspectives on the science and ethics of fear. Panelists included: (click name for bio) Conan Nolan—moderator Reporter, NBC4 Michael Fanselow, Ph.D. Professor, UCLA Department of Psychology - Area Chair, Learning and Behavior David Altheide, Ph.D. Regent’s Professor, Arizona State University R. Lindsey Bergman, Ph.D Associate Director of the Childhood OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Keith Esparros Assistant News Director, NBC4 Resources for Further Reading Books Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life (Steven Johnson) Fear Itself: The Origin and Nature of the Powerful Emotion That Shapes Our Lives and Our World (Rush W. Dozier, Jr.) Fear: A Cultural History (Joanna Bourke) How Claims Spread: Cross-National Diffusion of Social Problems (Joel Best) The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things (Barry Glassner) Creating Fear: News and the Construction of Crisis (David Altheide) Terrorism and the Politics of Fear (David Altheide) Fear: Its Political Uses and Abuses (Social Research) Useful Links "Emotions and the Brain." The Brain From Top to Bottom - Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction Fanselow Research Lab - University of California Los Angeles Caltech Emotion and Social Cognition Laboratory - California Institute of Technology Home \| Fear \| Nuclear Energy \| Obesity