Why We Tell Stories: The Science of Narrative
[1:35:46]
Stories have existed in many forms—cave paintings, parables, poems, tall tales, myths—throughout history and across almost all human cultures. But is storytelling essential to survival? Join Jonathan Gottschall, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Keith Oatley in a spirited discussion seeking to explain the uniquely human gift of narrative—from how neurons alight when we hear a tale, to the role of storytelling in cognitive development, to the art of storytelling itself, which informs a greater understanding of who we are as a species.
[Video and text source: World Science Festival YouTube channel]
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