Uploaded October 2012 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Rene Descartes argued that animals could neither think nor feel due to their lack of a pineal gland, an idea not taken seriously now. But a modified version of this argument has recently been revived by William Lane Craig this time using the pre frontal cortex to argue that animals cant suffer. This film aims to debunk this claim and we talk to some of the leading scientists in the world to refute this claim.
All of the scientists who were featured in the movie were sent a preview copy and asked to let us know if they feel we had misquoted them or made any scientific errors. No instances were identified by them.
Many thanks to those that helped in the making of this movie.
Dr Anita Alvarez, Imperial College/UCL
Prof Stuart Firestein, Columbia University
Prof Joaquinn Fuster, UCLA
Prof Bruce Hood, Bristol University
Dr Lori Marino, Emory Univeriy
James Moskito, Great White Shark Adventures
Dr Diana Reiss, City University NY
All of the wildlife footage was filmed by us and the music is by Symphony of Science and is used with permission.
Update: we have noticed that the claims that a chimp can beat a human in a memory test have been challenged here: download.springer.com/static/pdf/254/art%253A10.3758%252FPBR.17.4.599.pdf?auth66=1412067521_29e3ea8299a9bf959214fc6a92446208&ext=.pdf
we still find itpretty amazing that chimps can do this task though. On additional correction, the Cambridge Decleration was singed by the conference presenters not the attendees.
Rene Descartes argued that animals could neither think nor feel due to their lack of a pineal gland, an idea not taken seriously now. But a modified version of this argument has recently been revived by William Lane Craig this time using the pre frontal cortex to argue that animals cant suffer. This film aims to debunk this claim and we talk to some of the leading scientists in the world to refute this claim.
All of the scientists who were featured in the movie were sent a preview copy and asked to let us know if they feel we had misquoted them or made any scientific errors. No instances were identified by them.
Many thanks to those that helped in the making of this movie.
Dr Anita Alvarez, Imperial College/UCL
Prof Stuart Firestein, Columbia University
Prof Joaquinn Fuster, UCLA
Prof Bruce Hood, Bristol University
Dr Lori Marino, Emory Univeriy
James Moskito, Great White Shark Adventures
Dr Diana Reiss, City University NY
All of the wildlife footage was filmed by us and the music is by Symphony of Science and is used with permission.
Update: we have noticed that the claims that a chimp can beat a human in a memory test have been challenged here: download.springer.com/static/pdf/254/art%253A10.3758%252FPBR.17.4.599.pdf?auth66=1412067521_29e3ea8299a9bf959214fc6a92446208&ext=.pdf
we still find itpretty amazing that chimps can do this task though. On additional correction, the Cambridge Decleration was singed by the conference presenters not the attendees.
