We've all heard people say, 'It was beyond my control'
or 'I couldn't stop myself'. We like to think that we're all ultimately in control of our actions. But how true is this really? Neuroscientists are generating new research that sheds light on why some people can't stop themselves from committing harmful or criminal acts. This is creating new challenges for the justice system and making us re-evaluate the way we sentence, punish, and rehabilitate people for criminal behaviour. Featuring lead scientist, David Eagleman, director of the Center for Science and, Law and author of international best selling books, Incognito and The Brain, MY BRAIN MADE ME DO IT, a new documentary by Merit Motion Pictures challenges our most fundamental beliefs about crime, punishment, and free will premieres on THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 at 8 pm (8:30pm NT) CBC-TV's THE NATURE OF THINGS.
According to Eagleman, "We are our biology...One of the most stunning things about what we're seeing in neuroscience is the degree to which who you are and how you act and your beliefs, they're all driven by mechanisms running under the hood to which you have no conscious access." The series includes an impressive cast of neuroscientists who also explore the many ways our behavior is influenced by outside our genes and environment.
All of which begs the question:
When a brutal crime is committed who is ultimately to blame - the perpetrator or their brain?
My Brain Made Me Do It
includes surprising stories of people whose behavior has changed when their biology has changed due to tumours, accidents, drugs, chemistry, and abuse.
My Brain Made Me Do It
is directed by Gemini Award winner, Ryszard Hunka and produced by Merit Motion Pictures in association with the CBC, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Earth Touch, the financial investment of Manitoba Film & Music, and the assistance of the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit Program and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit Program.
About Merit Motion Pictures
Merit Motion Pictures is
one of Canada's leading producers of factual entertainment programming and is known for producing multi-platform programs. Recent highlights include The Curious Case of Vitamins and me; Vietnam: Canada's Shadow War; Decoding Desire; Smarty Plants;
Faking the Grade; The Truth About Shoplifting;
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.
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