New Orleans Film Society New Orleans, LA
Dr. Jonathan P. Fadok
The Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. Professor in Science and Engineering, Tulane University
Purple Noon— What Happens Next? Why Uncertainty Makes Suspense Irresistible
Program Description
We know exactly what Tom Ripley has done. So why can’t we look away? In René Clément’s sun-soaked 1960 thriller Purple Noon, Alain Delon’s charming, dangerous Ripley keeps us gripping our seats, half dreading and half hoping he’ll get away with it. In conjunction with this screening, Tulane neuroscientist Dr. Jonathan P. Fadok takes us inside the brain to explore “What Happens Next? Why Uncertainty Makes Suspense Irresistible.” Drawing on his research into how neural circuits shape emotional memory and learning, Dr. Fadok will unpack why not knowing the outcome is so thrilling, what our brains are doing when a story leaves us hanging, and why we keep coming back for more.
Presented At
New Orleans Film Society New Orleans, LA
Film Synopsis
Passion at ten. Envy at eleven. Murder at noon.
Tom Ripley is a talented mimic, moocher, forger and all-around criminal improviser; but there's more to Tom Ripley than even he can guess.
About the Speaker
Dr. Fadok’s research is focused on understanding how the brain controls the formation and expression of emotional memory at the level of defined neuronal circuits. He is currently interested in understanding how brain-wide neuronal networks interact to influence learning and adaptive behavior. Work in his laboratory involves using cutting-edge methodology such as large-scale in vivo recordings of neuronal activity and targeted manipulations of function in behaving animals.
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