Did you know that there is no widely agreed upon definition of what emotions actually are? After losing his dad to Covid-19 in the early days of the pandemic lockdown, neuroscientist Dean Burnett found himself wondering what life would be like without emotions. In today’s episode, Dean combines his personal story with expert analysis, humour and powerful insights into the grieving process, to uncover how emotions make us who we are.

Get Dean's book: 'Emotional Ignorance: Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion'

Subscribe to Dean's podcast: 'Why does this thing exist?'

Follow Dean on Twitter: twitter.com/garwboy

This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 30 January 2023.

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Produced by: Sarah Dick

Music by: Joseph Sandy

Can science explain emotions? – with Dean Burnett