To a neuroscientist like me, the inner workings of our emotional brains seem as mysterious as the inner workings of a black hole would seem to an astrophysicist like my late father. Yet everyone thinks they understand emotions, because unlike black holes, we experience them in our daily lives. This disconnect between what we actually know about emotions, and what we think we know, has given rise to much confusion and heated debate.
Some leading brain researchers have argued that “emotions” can only be studied in humans, not animals. To those of us who own a pet, this situation seems absurd. Isn’t it obvious that our dogs and cats, including my cat, have feelings? Maybe, but intuition is not enough. We should ask for proof, because animals are not cute little people and we can be fooled.