In Search Of Universals In Human Emotion -- Dr. Paul Ekman at Exploratorium in January

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his landmark expedition, Dr. Paul Ekman will meet with UC Berkeley's Dr. Robert Levenson to discuss his research in the field of emotions.

In 1967, Paul Ekman traveled to a remote community in New Guinea to resolve a century-long debate: are expressions of emotion universal or culture-specific? Charles Darwin considered facial expressions of emotion to be the product of evolution, and therefore common to all people. In contrast, the anthropologist Margaret Mead believed they varied from culture to culture, like language. Ekman's findings—among a people who had seen few outsiders and no magazines, photographs, or film—proved that certain facial expressions are, as Darwin predicted, universal.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this landmark expedition, Dr. Paul Ekman will meet with UC Berkeley's Dr. Robert Levenson to discuss the broader implications of his research into the emotions. In addition, he'll show photographs and rare, never-before-seen films documenting that time. Lectures (and the exhibition) are included in the price of admission, although reservations are required. Please call (415) 674-2870.