Human beings are the only species to have evolved the trait of emotional crying. We weep at tragedies in our lives and in those of others - remarkably even when they are fictional characters in film, opera, music, novels, and theatre. Why have we developed art forms - most powerfully, music - which [...]

Human beings are the only species to have evolved the trait of emotional crying. We even create music, fiction, film, and theatre - 'Tragedy' - to encourage crying. Michael Trimble looks at the physiology and evolution of this unique human behaviour, exploring its links with language, consciousness,[...]

In this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationship between brain function, language, art-especially music and poetry-and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, neuroscientists have identified brain circuits that are inv[...]