Kieran Lyon

Charles Darwin is one of the most important and well-respected scientists in history. Over 150 years ago, he published "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals", claiming that evolution can explain emotions. In this video, I summarise the book, and explain where Darwin was right and wrong about the science of emotion. Darwin's Expressions of Emotion is in the public domain. A free online version can be found here: https://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1142&viewtype=text&pageseq=1 Note: This is a historical text and includes dated language that reflects the prejudices of its time. Some of this may be offensive by today's standards. It is presented for evaluation of its scientific merits, not as an endorsement of the values or assumptions expressed. Some of the images in this video are not my own. They can be found at the following sources: Images of Darwin: https://timelessmoon.getarchive.net/amp/media/charles-robert-darwin-by-john-collier-9827b8 and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charls_Darwin.jpg Images of Duchenne's research: https://picryl.com/media/guillaume-duchenne-de-boulogne-performing-facial-electrostimulus-experiments-7f2886 and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant_Duchenne_%28de_Boulogne%29,_Attention,_attentive_gaze_%28left%29;_Painful_attention_%28right%29,_1854-1856,_NGA_169273.jpg Covers of Darwin's books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Origin-Species-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140439129/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1T93U1M6W7YGH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-X1-saWoLhFofeTUZAZYevbK1xzQcdFd2q38AncCf7s48Iidv1yBDB_8qylRvI53mbgVJu_8m01ioB4P1GFByILknW7RaDAZdwnComy8UIPqtnDaIYNAe3oeaiVpzBcaOb13rX0TKdnR5n2YCysnSYkti3Hj8zLPnsfbGho54vwH3i2Sd4cqlWyWOHKVlI56tKd9nF2lThqnsxFo1dsQFTnHLYNvYCes5OIAA-BZneI.1QbqmOJKF1B3QjsC9HtxWmbfMvpN5QGjuIjlMyh6o38&dib_tag=se&keywords=on+the+origin+of+species+penguin&qid=1750243703&sprefix=on+the+origin+of+species+penguin%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-3, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Descent-Man-Selection-Relation-Classics/dp/0140436316/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A9UUKLYSXARI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nl9R6lj67TtNPY349lGFGc26t191gE3A4bGFi8fjflYl44U5ZJILl5tb37T87YxIOhUIath9rk4v4x_IZ7G-rHXPrzUDh5DxiulpmqTBy-TiDoHnO1Dcu5rxIlicP9x9AWS1fIN7pML9zkMecdy9TSX9EHIx5wIouKbW9Lui5-elPNl1Wjk9MEEuNNT2T159t3_fUqmwtbX3XTFAFjYkzuuP5DtlY2sAGYXRxvIIgM4.AxpJ_-fjbjk6RRJgVAdDM2kMGjiBCH4VNHnEbZnOOBQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=darwin+descent+of+man+penguin&qid=1750243782&sprefix=darwin+descent+of+manpenguin%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1, and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Expression-Emotions-Animals-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141439440/ref=sr_1_1?crid=245BOE4E8AWU0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2p3ahG9MBALx73lqa1F03-YVgUFdueAA1DrhVJWE6VnxZDgVzKfToKs_2mslr1moMdm1NQYuUuDZp92TedLmBXvJY45gptpSW6cuPrMYvMo.V_MmZ26zwfxjFqgZ78J4ZgZw6uPdl_uJsdKLODHlIas&dib_tag=se&keywords=darwin+expression+of+emotion+penguin&qid=1750243756&sprefix=darwin+expression+of+emotion+penugin%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1 Image of ape skeletons (from Huxley's Man's Place in Nature): https://www.flickr.com/photos/apsmuseum/3444848605 Image of Alfred Russel Wallace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Russel_Wallace Image of Charles Lyell: https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/media/lowes-cato-dickinson-1819-1908-sir-charles-lyell-1st-bt-replica-of-an-original-ce957e Image of animals with angry expressions (from Darwin's Expression of Emotions): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Darwin;_The_Expression_of_Emotions_Wellcome_L0027779.jpg, https://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1142&viewtype=image&pageseq=139, and https://darwin-online.org.uk/converted/published/1890_Expression_F1146/1890_Expression_F1146.html. Painting of lions hunting wildebeest: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/655977501951373620/ Russell's Circumplex Model of Affect: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Circumplex_model_of_emotion.svg

Students across university courses need to learn statistics. Dr. Megan Barnard and I have created "Statistics Launchpad", to help students to learn and revise statistics. This video is a conference presentation, presented at the University of Nottingham's Teaching and Learning Conference 2025. Reference: Lyon, K. A. & Barnard, M. (2025). Statistics Launchpad: An Online Resource for Teaching the Big Ideas of Statistics. Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Nottingham (presentation)

Jean Piaget is one of the most important and influential Psychologists. He gave an overview of his theories in his book "The Psychology of the Child", which I summarise here. Piaget's central claim is that people do not learn by passively absorbing information. Instead, people learn through action, which allows them to add to their existing knowledge. Piaget's Stage Theory of Cognitive Development states that everyone goes through four stages of development, to improve their understanding of the world. Some of the images in this video are not my own. You can find the sources here: Piaget image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Professor_Piaget_en_koningin_Juliana_tijdens_de_bijeenkomst,_Bestanddeelnr_925-6521.jpg “Psychology of the Child” book cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-Piaget-Inhelder-Barbel-Paperback/dp/B00ZT1U1Z4

This video is the second part of my two-part history of psychology. These videos are a summary of the "Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology" module, from the Psychology BSc, at the University of Nottingham. This module is taught by Dr. Richard James and Dr. Alexander Coles. _________________________________________________________________________ I do not own all the images in this video. Images are used to expand on my original content. The sources of all videos can be found below: Weber image: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernst-Heinrich-Weber Darwin image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Darwin,_English_naturlist,_colored.jpg Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” book cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Origin-Species-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140439129/ref=asc_df_0140439129/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10369112937032526745&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007453&hvtargid=pla-2281435176858&psc=1&mcid=550872d257ba3ecfafaa6173c179e397&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=10369112937032526745-0140439129-&hvexpln=74&gad_source=1 Freud image: https://www.meisterdrucke.it/stampe-d-arte/Austrian-Photographer/326221/Ritratto-di-Sigmund-Freud-%281856-1939%29-c.1900.html Watson image: https://totallyhistory.com/john-b-watson/ Miller image: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/remembering-george-a-miller Popper image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photo_of_Karl_Popper.j Hobbes image: https://snl.no/Thomas_Hobbes Rousseau image: https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/amp/media/jean-jacques-rousseau-armenian-costume-6903cb Skinner image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skinnerphoto2.jpg Skinner’s “Verbal Behaviour” book cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Verbal-Behavior-B-F-Skinner-ebook/dp/B08NTWNCPZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27EZGTYSWHMN8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.A5sPvlfAzLh-CzeBAA-1l7M7JbOicPwkzUDKI-uBesyDkHacm5R9Lev5JoVX8S2tnRDRJX7fn-SP8DXC0EK1ddQAkcqRp_WFt9lZEe7xFdL-CNnBks5XO-I7nxaamZteq3HVdGIDB9E70r71izo0io5gxlJgXTaQSZeINYu3ddWBwhfnoeiAjgpF88uNeCU9.waBGdNUYd0eoFpVDI0X83UyveO5J7MNrLLT-mVAYals&dib_tag=se&keywords=verbal+behaviour+bf+skinner&qid=1724768804&sprefix=skinner+verbal%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1 Pilot Automatic Computing Machine (ACE): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Computing_Engine#/media/File:Pilot_ACE3.jpg MRI brain scan: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MRI_brain_sagittal_section.jpg fMRI brain scan: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figure_8.fMRI_image_showing_activity_in_the_default_mode_network_during_hypnosis_%28Graner_et_al.,%282013%29.png I do not own the music in this video. The sources are as follows: Inspiration by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Under The Sun by Keys of Moon | / keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

This video is the first part of my two-part history of psychology. These videos are a summary of the "Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology" module, from the Psychology BSc, at the University of Nottingham. This module is taught by Dr. Richard James and Dr. Alexander Coles. ___________________________________________________________________________ I do not own all the images in this video. Images are used to expand on my original content. The sources of all videos can be found below: Hume image: https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/amp/media/painting-of-david-hume-fb963d Descartes image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonas_Suyderhoef_after_Frans_Hals_-_engraving_of_Ren%C3%A9_Descartes.jpg Kant image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant#/media/File:Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg Hobbes image: https://snl.no/Thomas_Hobbes Robert Sapolsky image: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2017/05/biologist-robert-sapolsky-takes-human-behavior-free-will “Determined” by Robert Sapolsky book cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Determined-Life-Without-Free-Will/dp/1847925537 I do not own the music in this video. The sources are as follows: Inspiration by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Under The Sun by Keys of Moon | / keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

One common debate in psychology is whether people's outcome and characteristics are best explained by an individual's genes or their environment. Using evidence from genetics in psychology, I explain why this question cannot be answered: genes and environments work together, so their effects cannot be separated. _____________________________________________ References and further reading: Avinun, R. (2020). The E is in the G: gene–environment–trait correlations and findings from Genome-Wide Association Studies. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(1), 81-89 Harden, K. P. (2021). “Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated”: Behavior genetics in the postgenomic era. Annual review of psychology, 72(1), 37-60 Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., Knopik, V. S., & Neiderhiser, J. M. (2016). Top 10 replicated findings from behavioral genetics. Perspectives on psychological science, 11(1), 3-23 Polderman, T. J., Benyamin, B., De Leeuw, C. A., Sullivan, P. F., Van Bochoven, A., Visscher, P. M., & Posthuma, D. (2015). Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies. Nature genetics, 47(7), 702-709 _____________________________________________ How to calculate heritability using a classic twin study: Identical twins and non-identical twins both share the same environment. However, identical share 100% of their genes, whereas non-identical twins share 50% of their genes. Therefore, if identical twins are more similar to each-other (compared to non-identical twins) it is because of the additional 50% of shared genes. Here is how to calculate the heritability of the personality trait extroversion (using example numbers): 1) Measure trait extroversion across many pairs of identical twins. Find the correlation between the scores of the first twin and the second twin. For example, this may be a correlation of r = 0.65. This number is called rMZ (meaning the correlation between identical twins). 2) Measure trait extroversion across many pairs of non-identical twins. Find the correlation between the scores of the first twin and the second twin. For example, this may be r = 0.4. This number is called rDZ (meaning correlation for non-identical twins). 3) Find out how much more similar identical twins are from non-identical twins. This is rMZ - rDZ. In this case, it is 0.25. This means that 25% of differences in trait extroversion are explained by 50% of the genes (100% of genes for identical twins, compared to 50% of genes for non-identical twins). 4) Double this number, to account for all 100% of genes. This gives the heritability (h^2) of 0.5, or 50%. This means that genetic factors would explain half of the reason why people differ in extroversion. These 4 steps are expressed in this equation: h^2=2(r_MZ-r_DZ) _____________________________________________ Polar bear image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_polar_bear_%28Ursus_maritimus%29_with_cub,_Svalbard.jpg

Science finds out about the world from experience, but experience is always limited, so what can science prove about the world? This question is the focus of "The Logic of Scientific Discovery" by Karl Popper, of the the most important philosophers of science. In this 3-part video series (of which this is the first video), I detail Popper's theory of how science works and what science can prove. Some of the images used are not my own; these are from the following sources: Karl Popper thumbnail image: https://snl.no/Karl_Popper Karl Popper image: https://www.lindahall.org/about/news/scientist-of-the-day/karl-popper/ White swan image: https://freerangestock.com/photos/74521/white-swan-floating-on-body-of-water.html David Hume image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sonofgroucho/4464434606 Images of swans on a lake generated by: https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img Ronald Coase image: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/nobel-laureates/ronald-coase

This is the 3nd video and final video in my series about Karl's Poppers "The Logic of Scientific Discovery." In this series, I summarise Popper's philosophy of how science works and what science can and cannot prove. This time, I discuss how Popper's theories apply to the use of statistics is science, and how theories can be corroborated (supported) even if they cannot be proven true. This gives a philosophical foundation to the use of statistics in science. Some of the images used are not my own; these are from the following sources: White swan image: https://freerangestock.com/photos/74521/white-swan-floating-on-body-of-water.html Black swan image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Swan_RWD2.jpg Titanic image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Titanic#/media/File:St%C3%B6wer_Titanic.jpg