0:00:00.688,0:00:12.701 [music] 0:00:12.701,0:00:16.255 >>[Narrator: Desmond Morris] Of over a million [br]species of animals on our planet, one species has 0:00:16.255,0:00:22.010 come to dominate all other lifeforms, and [br]to alter dramatically the face of the Earth. 0:00:22.010,0:00:28.757 It's a species that if we remove its protective layer [br]of clothing, reveals a rather strange anatomy. 0:00:28.757,0:00:34.174 A species I once referred [br]to as "the naked ape." 0:00:34.174,0:00:40.421 Physically the human being is a puny primate with a [br]vulnerable, unprotected skin, with no natural weapon. 0:00:40.421,0:00:47.008 No armor, no sharp spines, [br]no venom, no fangs or claws. 0:00:47.008,0:00:50.003 Yet equipped with little more [br]than an enlarged brain, 0:00:50.003,0:00:56.760 this compulsively curious creature has [br]come to dominate the natural world. 0:00:57.585,0:01:02.260 What is the secret of its [br]lavish, unprecedented success? 0:01:02.260,0:01:05.588 [music] 0:01:22.300,0:01:31.046 Anatomically, the human animal is unusual, to say [br]the least. Its lack of hair is unique among primates. 0:01:31.046,0:01:42.297 Contrasting with other apes, its face has a protruding nose, [br]whites to the eyes, and lips that are turned inside out. 0:01:42.297,0:01:50.672 Its legs are long and straight. And unlike [br]any other mammal, it walks bipedally. 0:01:50.672,0:01:56.459 The breasts of the female remain swollen throughout [br]her adult life, even when they're not giving milk. 0:01:56.459,0:01:59.011 Again, a unique feature. 0:01:59.011,0:02:07.171 There are a few surviving patches of hair, including on the [br]tops of the heads, in the armpits and around the genitals. 0:02:07.171,0:02:11.005 The male has the largest [br]penis of any primate. 0:02:11.005,0:02:15.731 And the human animal is the only primate [br]that possesses rounded, fleshy buttocks. 0:02:15.731,0:02:22.371 Altogether, these unique features [br]make us a very strange ape indeed. 0:02:22.371,0:02:29.727 And for a student of animal behavior, even more [br]peculiar than its anatomy are its activity in the wild. 0:02:36.890,0:02:44.606 I'm a zoologist and since man is an animal, I can see [br]no reason why my work, and also in this series, 0:02:44.606,0:02:50.725 I shouldn't study this particular species in the same [br]way that I've studied many other animals in the past. 0:02:50.725,0:02:54.609 The secret is patient observation. 0:02:59.725,0:03:05.315 For me, the ideal method is to go out into the field [br]and study humans in their natural environment. 0:03:05.315,0:03:09.893 In the streets and parks, the shops [br]and offices, the villages and cities, 0:03:09.893,0:03:16.752 to analyze their natural behavior as it happens [br]in real life situations all over the world. 0:03:28.523,0:03:34.363 Everywhere I go, I'm struck by how similar all human [br]beings are to one another in all important respects. 0:03:34.363,0:03:38.963 Of course, there are many superficial [br]differences and these are often so impressive 0:03:38.963,0:03:45.041 that we pay too much attention to them and start [br]treating one another as if we belong to different species, 0:03:45.041,0:03:50.982 with disastrous results. But, despite all our [br]variations in costume, ritual and believe, 0:03:50.982,0:03:58.523 biologically we're all astonishingly close to [br]one another. A fact which I find very reassuring. 0:03:58.523,0:04:04.062 Back in the late 1960's, I was sitting in [br]this very restaurant, on the island of Malta, 0:04:04.062,0:04:09.480 talking to my publisher. I drew his attention [br]to the fact that on the other side of the road 0:04:09.480,0:04:12.200 there were two men gesturing [br]in a particular way. 0:04:12.200,0:04:15.685 The way they were holding their palms [br]to one side was fascinating to me. 0:04:15.685,0:04:21.209 And he said, "You know, you look at people [br]the way birdwatchers look at birds." 0:04:21.209,0:04:25.734 And I said, "Yeah, I suppose you could call [br]me a 'man-watcher.'" As soon as I'd said it, 0:04:25.734,0:04:29.053 it was as if I'd fired a starting [br]gun on a major, new project. 0:04:29.053,0:04:34.918 One that was to engross me for many years to [br]come and take me to over 60 different countries. 0:04:40.402,0:04:46.039 It was wildly ambitious, but I decided to make [br]a complete classification of all human actions, 0:04:46.039,0:04:53.411 gestures, postures, expressions all over the world. [br]And this was going to take a very long time. 0:04:53.411,0:04:57.476 I was going to do for actions what [br]dictionary makers had done for words. 0:04:57.476,0:05:04.789 I began making huge charts naming every facial [br]expression, every gesture, every movement, every posture. 0:05:04.789,0:05:11.399 I kept at it for month after month. And 8 years later [br]I had completed the work and was able at last 0:05:11.399,0:05:16.581 to introduce people to the fascinating [br]subject of human body language. 0:05:17.619,0:05:21.660 One of the first problems I encountered was [br]that even the simplest human action, 0:05:21.660,0:05:26.410 such as the handshake, [br]has countless variations. 0:05:29.788,0:05:35.928 Sometimes it's reduced to a mere palm touch, [br]as with these Maasai elders in East Africa. 0:05:45.692,0:05:48.040 But, in other countries it [br]becomes more elaborate. 0:05:48.040,0:05:55.028 In Mali in West Africa the hand-shaker briefly [br]touches his own forearm as the palms clasp. 0:05:58.340,0:06:03.949 In Morocco, the hand-shakers kiss one another's [br]hands at the same time as clasping them. 0:06:06.127,0:06:11.398 And in Turkey, these Kurdish farmers have taken [br]a simple action and converted it into what 0:06:11.398,0:06:19.291 amounts to a minor ritual. It's the local rule that they [br]can't start bargaining until they are shaking hands. 0:06:19.291,0:06:22.774 And they have to keep on doing [br]so until the deal is struck. 0:06:25.361,0:06:30.059 The essential feature of hand-shaking [br]is that it's an egalitarian act. 0:06:30.059,0:06:36.957 Regardless of their social standing, the two people [br]involved are momentarily performing identical actions. 0:06:39.047,0:06:44.073 This meeting as equals that has spread [br]around the world is comparatively recent. 0:06:44.073,0:06:49.162 In earlier times when greeting, it was common [br]for the less important individuals to literally 0:06:49.162,0:06:56.765 lower themselves as a sign of respect. In some remote [br]parts of the world we can still see this even today. 0:06:56.765,0:07:00.999 The Toda people of South India [br]still perform this body-lowering ritual 0:07:00.999,0:07:06.109 with high-status feet [br]placed on low-status heads. 0:07:23.932,0:07:27.980 Despite their variations, all these [br]greetings have one thing in common. 0:07:27.980,0:07:33.596 They're all fine-tuned to the precise [br]context in which they occur. 0:07:34.929,0:07:37.566 So many gestures have different [br]meanings in different places. 0:07:37.566,0:07:42.960 You have to be quite careful how you use your hands [br]when you're in a marketplace in a foreign country. 0:07:42.960,0:07:47.958 Now to me, this means everything's fine or O.K. [br]But, if I happen to be in the south of France 0:07:47.958,0:07:55.169 it would have a different meaning. There the ring [br]shape made by the hand symbolizes a not or a zero. 0:07:55.169,0:07:59.484 So, in south of France this [br]means zero or worthless. 0:07:59.484,0:08:02.194 So, you don't want to say the [br]wine was "great" [gestures] 0:08:02.194,0:08:04.659 because in fact you'd be [br]saying the wine was worthless. 0:08:04.659,0:08:09.133 It gets even worse if you go to Sardinia [br]because there the same gesture is an obscenity 0:08:09.133,0:08:13.660 with the ring shape symbolizing an orifice. [br]And if you think you're going to say 0:08:13.660,0:08:18.652 something is great in Sardinia like this, [br]believe me you'll be in trouble. 0:08:18.652,0:08:22.684 There's another way you can make mistakes [br]with gestures as you move from place to place. 0:08:22.684,0:08:27.907 Because a single message is given in [br]a different way in different countries. 0:08:27.907,0:08:35.042 The crazy sign. How do you say to somebody [br]"you're crazy?" Well, here in Rome you do this. 0:08:35.042,0:08:39.913 But, in England I would probably do this, the [br]temple screw, saying he's got a screw lose. 0:08:39.913,0:08:43.360 Or I might say his brain is [br]going round and round. 0:08:43.360,0:08:47.882 Or I might tap my head saying "what's [br]he think he's got inside his skull." 0:08:47.882,0:08:51.744 In some countries you do it with two hands. [br]It varies from place to place. 0:08:51.744,0:08:58.043 If you go to Japan you have to be careful because [br]if you it this way it means he's intelligent. 0:08:58.043,0:09:03.363 You have to it in the counter-clockwise direction in [br]Japan if you want to say that somebody is crazy. 0:09:03.363,0:09:09.327 So, all over the world, the same message [br]is given in a slightly different way. 0:09:09.327,0:09:14.322 One of the most obvious examples of this and [br]one of the most dangerous is the insult gesture. 0:09:14.322,0:09:19.079 This Turkish pedestrian displays his [br]anger with the trust of a stiff forearm, 0:09:19.079,0:09:23.858 using his arm symbolically [br]as an aggressively erect penis. 0:09:26.328,0:09:31.798 A slightly more obscure insult is the cornuto, [br]or horn sign, frequently seen in Italy.[br] 0:09:31.798,0:09:37.880 It implies that that victim of the insult is [br]a cuckold, that his wife is unfaithful to him. 0:09:43.694,0:09:47.331 In North America, the most common [br]insult is the middle fingered jerk, 0:09:47.331,0:09:50.973 employing the middle finger [br]as a symbolic penis. 0:09:50.973,0:09:56.391 This is an ancient Roman gesture and [br]is well-known in many countries. 0:09:56.391,0:09:59.316 Much more localized [br]is the Greek moutza. 0:09:59.316,0:10:06.473 This dates back to Byzantine times and symbolizes [br]excrement being pushed into the victim's face. 0:10:06.473,0:10:12.314 In Britain the main insult is a two-fingered gesture [br]which dates back to the battle of Agincourt. 0:10:12.314,0:10:17.222 It's a gesture that foreigners sometimes [br]confuse with the "V for victory" sign, 0:10:17.222,0:10:20.787 but that's performed with the [br]hand the other way around. 0:10:22.671,0:10:29.255 Most regional body language has a long and[br]complicated history, with the origins often forgotten. 0:10:29.255,0:10:34.293 One of the special qualities of regional [br]gestures is that they are amazingly conservative. 0:10:34.293,0:10:38.668 They remain confined to their own particular [br]area regardless of the fact that all around them 0:10:38.668,0:10:44.293 national boundaries keep changing. As a result [br]of this, within a particular country today you 0:10:44.293,0:10:51.812 can find what we can call a "gesture frontier." A place [br]where one gesture stops and another one begins. 0:10:51.812,0:10:56.942 This is a gesture frontier behind me. [br]It's the Massacre Range in Central Italy. 0:10:56.942,0:11:04.503 And south of here in Naples people use, for [br]example, the head toss when they're saying no. 0:11:04.503,0:11:10.086 Up in the north in Rome they shake their heads [br]from side to side when they're saying no. 0:11:10.086,0:11:16.217 And we were amazed to find that here, the Massacre [br]Range is a very narrow area, just a few miles, 0:11:16.217,0:11:21.091 where you get the switch from [br]head tossing to head shaking. 0:11:21.091,0:11:27.173 The explanation of this switch is astonishing. [br]In origin, the head toss is a Greek gesture and 0:11:27.173,0:11:32.921 many centuries ago the ancient Greeks colonized [br]southern Italy and started to move north. 0:11:32.921,0:11:39.300 And it was here at the Massacre Range that [br]they stopped their advance 2,500 years ago. 0:11:39.300,0:11:46.049 And to this day, in the north people still give [br]the typical European head shake when saying no. 0:11:48.956,0:11:52.822 While in the south they still give [br]they ancient Greek head toss. 0:11:52.822,0:11:56.533 And this difference has survived despite [br]all the mobility of modern life 0:11:56.533,0:12:02.755 and the spread of films and television [br]programs. The old gesture frontier remains. 0:12:08.652,0:12:13.068 Yes signals made with the head are [br]just as complicated as no signals. 0:12:13.068,0:12:17.530 In most parts of the world people nod [br]their head up and down when saying yes. 0:12:17.530,0:12:23.819 Many people mistakenly assume that this action [br]is completely global, but this isn't the case. 0:12:23.819,0:12:26.903 There are two areas where [br]something else happens. 0:12:26.903,0:12:34.572 One of them is India, where instead of being nodded, [br]the head is wobbled side to side when saying yes. 0:12:34.572,0:12:41.286 To visitors this looks like a maybe, but [br]it's not. It's a sign of definite agreement. 0:12:47.818,0:12:52.653 When your taxi driver agrees with you, you [br]can see his head rolling from side to side. 0:12:52.653,0:13:01.429 You get the impression that he's undecided. [br]But, every wobble he makes means yes. 0:13:10.063,0:13:14.132 In another region, it's not just [br]the visitors who are confused. 0:13:14.132,0:13:17.781 Even the inhabitants are not [br]always sure what's going on. 0:13:17.781,0:13:24.259 Here in Bulgaria they use both the head [br]nod and the head wobble when saying yes. 0:13:24.259,0:13:30.867 This creates total confusion. Why on Earth [br]they do this remains a mystery, even to them. 0:13:50.572,0:13:55.530 Although gestures often persist for hundreds or even [br]thousands of years, sometimes they may change 0:13:55.530,0:13:59.942 their meaning as they're passed on [br]from generation to generation. 0:13:59.942,0:14:06.654 We all think we know what the popular [br]thumbs up and thumbs down gestures mean. 0:14:08.823,0:14:17.151 [children shouting boo or yay] 0:14:31.361,0:14:38.616 If we go to the cinema we are left in little [br]doubt as to the significance of these gestures. 0:14:38.616,0:14:42.781 The thumbs up for good and the thumbs down [br]for bad are very well known gestures. 0:14:42.781,0:14:47.813 And many people can tell you how they began. [br]It was here in the Colosseum in Rome. 0:14:47.813,0:14:54.531 If a gladiator at the end of a fight was to [br]be spared the crowd gave him a thumbs up sign. 0:14:54.531,0:14:59.865 If he was to be slain it was a thumbs down sign. [br]That's the popular story, there's just one catch. 0:14:59.865,0:15:03.276 It's completely false. [br]It never happened like that. 0:15:03.276,0:15:09.212 In ancient times if the gladiator was to [br]be spared they gave him a covered up thumb, 0:15:09.212,0:15:13.006 the "pollice compresso." This means [br]the compressed or squashed thumb. 0:15:13.006,0:15:19.591 If he was to be slain then they mimed the [br]act of stabbing him with a sword like this. 0:15:19.591,0:15:23.597 Because they were high up they [br]stabbed downwards like that. 0:15:23.597,0:15:27.810 That's the truth of the matter and [br]the next time you go to the movies, 0:15:27.810,0:15:33.640 if you happen to see the thumbs up you'll [br]just have to take it with a pinch of salt. 0:15:36.097,0:15:41.130 It's almost certain that our ancestors used [br]gestures to communicate specific information 0:15:41.130,0:15:47.299 long before they had a spoken language. Even [br]today with words as our main form of communication, 0:15:47.299,0:15:52.625 there are still situations where [br]gestures have a definite advantage. 0:15:55.009,0:15:59.764 For example, they can communicate information [br]over a far greater distance than would be 0:15:59.764,0:16:06.296 possible by shouting. At race tracks in England, the [br]white-gloved tic-tac men signal changes in the 0:16:06.296,0:16:12.520 betting odds to the bookies so that they can keep up [br]with the alterations the arrivals may be making. 0:16:17.892,0:16:23.550 The flashing movements of the white gloves can [br]be seen even at night and at a great distance. 0:16:42.197,0:16:48.298 In some sports a gestural sign language not [br]only conveys information over a great distance, 0:16:48.298,0:16:52.197 but also allows messages [br]to be kept secret. 0:16:59.580,0:17:04.776 The coach of an American football team [br]transmits complex signals to his quarterback 0:17:04.776,0:17:11.226 using coded hand signals that conceal [br]his intentions from the opposing team. 0:17:24.609,0:17:29.977 Even if the opposing team does manage to [br]crack the gestural code at any one time, 0:17:29.977,0:17:33.418 it's being constantly [br]changed to confuse them. 0:17:55.217,0:17:59.731 On the floor of the Bombay stock exchange [br]hand gestures provide a powerful tool 0:17:59.731,0:18:06.781 when competing for attention. The frantic sell and [br]buy signals, indicated by the position of the hands, 0:18:06.781,0:18:09.329 can be the basis of huge deals. 0:18:09.329,0:18:15.711 An insistent flick of the fingers the only way [br]to attract attention above the roar of the crowd. 0:18:39.609,0:18:45.135 In the eerie silence of the Australian Outback, [br]these two Warlpiri women are conversing quite 0:18:45.135,0:18:51.423 adequately by gestures alone. Now they're not [br]deaf and they're perfectly capable of speech, 0:18:51.423,0:18:56.492 but local custom demands that as an act of [br]mourning they don't utter a word for months 0:18:56.492,0:19:01.987 after a tribesman has died. It's [br]their version of wearing black. 0:19:16.410,0:19:21.282 Clearly gestures are important to us, but why [br]are we so much better at signalling with our 0:19:21.282,0:19:28.254 hands than other animals? The answer of course [br]is that we are the only mammals that are bipedal. 0:19:28.254,0:19:31.779 They are all quadrupedal, they [br]walk along on all fours. 0:19:31.779,0:19:36.805 But, when we stood up on our hind legs [br]millions of years ago, here in Africa, 0:19:36.805,0:19:42.927 we freed our hands from the business of walking. [br]We freed them from the chore of locomotion 0:19:42.927,0:19:50.415 and that was what enabled them to become the [br]flexible, gesticulating hands that we have today. 0:19:59.502,0:20:04.098 In order to appreciate what an immense impact [br]the simple act of standing up had on our 0:20:04.098,0:20:11.230 primeval ancestors, it's only necessary to [br]watch our nearest relatives the chimpanzees. 0:20:17.367,0:20:21.927 When they're moving about in their natural [br]habitat their hands still have to function 0:20:21.927,0:20:25.138 much of the time as [br]plodding front feet. 0:20:25.138,0:20:31.113 And this prevents them from becoming highly [br]developed as expressive organs of gesture. 0:20:43.863,0:20:49.222 Their front feet can operate successfully as [br]grasping hands, for example, when holding a baby. 0:20:49.222,0:20:55.089 But, they never develop the subtlety of [br]movement that we see in our own species. 0:20:55.089,0:21:01.599 Elegant gesturing remains the prerogative [br]of the uniquely bipedal, naked ape. 0:21:05.780,0:21:10.892 So far, all the gestures that I've described [br]have been regional and they're used consciously 0:21:10.892,0:21:15.254 to replace speech like the deliberate [br]directions of this policeman. 0:21:15.254,0:21:18.066 But, there's another type [br]of gesture all together, 0:21:18.066,0:21:23.742 unconscious hand movements usually [br]referred to as gesticulations. 0:21:26.028,0:21:29.833 Instead of replacing speech, [br]they accompany it. 0:21:42.887,0:21:46.358 This type of hand signal has been [br]christened the baton gesture 0:21:46.358,0:21:52.356 because it beats time to our words [br]and emphasizes the points we are making. 0:21:55.335,0:22:01.359 But, baton gestures do more than merely beat [br]time, they also indicate our changing moods. 0:22:01.359,0:22:08.161 The posture of the hand as it beats the air [br]revealing the emotional state of the speaker. 0:22:35.365,0:22:42.694 Here at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park a [br]veritable gallery of human baton gestures is on display. 0:22:42.694,0:22:45.019 Let's watch for a moment. 0:22:58.993,0:23:04.595 Now let's take a closer look at two of his [br]gestures. Slowing it down, his first gesture is 0:23:04.595,0:23:08.993 a repelling action using his hand as if [br]it were pushing away the intruder, 0:23:08.993,0:23:16.021 but without making physical contact. This [br]is obvious enough, but what's he do next? 0:23:19.234,0:23:25.639 As the intruder leaves he draws his chosen audience [br]back towards him using an "air grasp" gesture. 0:23:25.639,0:23:27.895 There. 0:23:29.999,0:23:34.710 Another speaker is about to mention a precise [br]date and unconsciously accompanies this with a 0:23:34.710,0:23:42.932 precision gesture, as if holding a small object with [br]great delicacy between his thumb and forefinger. 0:23:50.214,0:23:56.243 A third speaker is in a more aggressive mood. [br]He's using, not a precision grip, but a power grip. 0:23:56.243,0:24:03.064 Thrusting his clenched fist at the audience. The [br]power of his fist reflecting the power of his argument. 0:24:03.331,0:24:10.682 But, now he switches to the raised forefinger, beating his [br]listeners over the head with his small, symbolic club. 0:24:10.682,0:24:19.255 And finally, he extends his hands palm-up in an [br]imploring gesture, begging them to agree with him. 0:24:28.741,0:24:33.911 By contrast, this speaker employs the palm-down [br]gesture, a more dominant action in which he 0:24:33.911,0:24:40.781 attempts to calm his audience by symbolically patting [br]them on the head, as if they're unruly children. 0:24:42.658,0:24:45.470 Finally, this man introduces [br]the "hand chop" gesture. 0:24:45.470,0:24:52.936 A decisive gesture in which he symbolically tries to [br]cut through the argument as if with a sharp blade. 0:25:02.247,0:25:07.748 The urge to express our emotions with our hands [br]is so strong that we continue to gesticulate, 0:25:07.748,0:25:13.795 even when the person we are talking to is miles [br]away at the other end of a telephone line. 0:25:31.823,0:25:36.205 The urge to communicate by body language is [br]so deeply ingrained that if we happen to be 0:25:36.205,0:25:42.881 Japanese we even bow respectfully to [br]our remote, invisible companion. 0:25:44.360,0:25:50.203 But, there's another whole facet of body language [br]that conveys our emotions with even greater subtlety. 0:25:50.203,0:25:55.988 We humans have the most expressive faces in the [br]entire animal kingdom. We take our expressions for 0:25:55.988,0:26:03.704 granted, but if we trace them back to their [br]origins it's interesting to see how they evolved. 0:26:07.109,0:26:12.159 The Chimpanzee's face is almost as expressive [br]as the human's. If we watch these apes in the 0:26:12.159,0:26:18.045 wild we can begin to see how we [br]acquired our own highly mobile faces. 0:26:18.045,0:26:26.019 Originally, facial muscles were needed not for [br]communication, but for other more basic functions. 0:26:26.019,0:26:32.923 To move the lips for instance, improving their role in [br]drinking and feeding. As the apes suck, chew and bite, 0:26:32.923,0:26:39.093 their powerful, sensitive lips explore each [br]object as it comes in contact with the mouth. 0:26:50.325,0:26:55.002 This involves a great deal of pulling and stretching [br]and when they're young, the infant apes 0:26:55.002,0:27:01.750 employ their long lips as valuable sucking organs, [br]squeezing milk from their mother's nipples. 0:27:06.785,0:27:11.757 But, even the Chimpanzee is no match [br]for the rubber-faced human being. 0:27:11.757,0:27:17.217 [laughter] 0:27:17.217,0:27:20.307 >>First, I will show you [br]how I kiss my girlfriend. 0:27:25.046,0:27:32.638 >>In Cumberland, they elected Albert of Somerset,[br]County Tatem, "Ugliest Man in the World." 0:27:35.007,0:27:37.465 >>[Narrator] If we could see below[br]the surface of the human face, 0:27:37.465,0:27:42.351 we'd discover the most complicated [br]set of facial muscles in the world. 0:27:55.410,0:28:00.943 These muscles give us a [br]huge range of expressions. 0:28:02.927,0:28:06.307 Some big and bold, [br]others extremely subtle. 0:28:16.059,0:28:22.176 But, Humans and Chimps don't just share a flexible [br]face. We also share many of the same expressions. 0:28:22.176,0:28:29.584 It's not hard for us to appreciate that these young apes [br]are in a playful mood by simply looking at their faces. 0:28:36.532,0:28:40.524 And if we watch the way in which Chimps [br]work themselves up into a violent mood, 0:28:40.524,0:28:44.136 it's easy for us to understand what's happening. 0:28:56.170,0:29:01.088 Whenever an animal goes on the attack, [br]it's always slightly fearful of retaliation. 0:29:01.088,0:29:06.805 As a result, we see a face in conflict. The [br]tightness of the lips around the mouth is a 0:29:06.805,0:29:11.216 sure sign of primate aggression, while the [br]lowered eyebrows indicate that the attacker 0:29:11.216,0:29:15.058 is protecting its eyes in case of a fight. 0:29:18.086,0:29:25.143 The same tight-lipped face is also seen in our own [br]species in moments of great emotional intensity. 0:29:38.096,0:29:42.944 And there it is, the tight mouth of anger. 0:29:42.998,0:29:50.552 This leaves no doubt as to the mood of these women, [br]especially when combined with an intense stare. 0:29:50.552,0:29:54.807 One of the most primeval of all facial [br]expressions is the staring eye. 0:29:54.807,0:29:59.088 It's something we share with other animals [br]and it's always threatening. Because of this, 0:29:59.088,0:30:04.280 in earlier centuries, people thought there [br]was something they called the "evil eye." 0:30:04.280,0:30:08.057 A mystical force that by staring [br]at them could do them harm. 0:30:08.057,0:30:12.762 To protect themselves against this evil [br]eye they would often try to "out stare" it. 0:30:12.762,0:30:18.226 To do this they made effigies of eyes which were [br]unblinking and could perform a permanent stare 0:30:18.226,0:30:23.388 to frighten away the evil spirits. Fishermen when [br]they went to sea wanted to protect their boats 0:30:23.388,0:30:27.909 and they did so by giving [br]their boats a staring eye. 0:30:32.165,0:30:33.453 And all over the Mediterranean, 0:30:33.453,0:30:39.773 fishing boats are protected with elaborately [br]painted and eternally unblinking eyes. 0:30:41.969,0:30:49.679 Because hard stares are so assertive, some military [br]and prison rituals employ them in a special way. 0:30:49.679,0:30:54.759 At this correctional camp in Maryland, these [br]prisoners are forbidden to stare, even to glance, 0:30:54.759,0:30:59.971 at their prison officers. The officers, who [br]are not allowed to lay a hand on the prisoners, 0:30:59.971,0:31:05.008 make their dominance felt by the most [br]direct and intense staring they can muster. 0:31:05.008,0:31:10.558 And the effect is one of acute intimidation [br]and almost painful humiliation. 0:31:10.558,0:31:13.010 >>[Officer] Inmate Williams.[br]>>[Inmate Williams] Sir. 0:31:13.010,0:31:15.520 >>[Officer] Can you hear me, Inmate Williams?![br]>>[Inmate] Sir, yes sir! 0:31:15.520,0:31:17.886 >>[Officer] Count off, Inmate Williams![br]>>[Inmate] Sir, yes sir! 0:31:17.886,0:31:21.550 >>[Officer] I'm on my toes! Sound off![br]>>[Inmate] Sir, yes sir! 0:31:21.550,0:31:25.932 >>[Officer] I don't want to see an eyeball on [br]me, no where near me! If you don't hurry up 0:31:25.932,0:31:30.477 I'll put your butt outta here! Don't look [br]at me! And you better stop pressing me! 0:31:30.477,0:31:40.642 I don't give a crap about your attitude today. [br][inaudible] Don't care about your attitude. 0:31:40.642,0:31:48.757 You, goddamn dummy over there! Why you won't [br]look at me, huh?! [both officers yelling] 0:31:48.757,0:31:51.836 >>[Second officer] That's all you gotta do! [br]Quiet! Ain't nobody asked you to come here! 0:31:51.836,0:31:55.471 Ain't nobody going to beg you to stay.[br]>>[First officer] Put your legs together! 0:32:05.592,0:32:11.600 >>[Narrator] If you thought that staring was pretty [br]intimidating, there's one culture that takes it even further. 0:32:38.352,0:32:43.331 This is the Maori Haka, the aggressive challenge [br]of the indigenous people of New Zealand. 0:32:43.331,0:32:49.317 An ancient threat display still [br]employed today in a modern context. 0:33:17.045,0:33:20.882 Taking another look at those aggressive [br]Chimpanzees, what happens if they start to 0:33:20.882,0:33:26.095 become alarmed and fearful, if their [br]courage begins to dessert them. 0:33:34.177,0:33:38.294 As they become more and more afraid, their [br]expressions undergo an important change. 0:33:38.294,0:33:41.764 Their mouth corners are pulled [br]back further and further. 0:33:41.764,0:33:47.516 This is the typical fear face of all [br]primates, including our own species. 0:34:10.045,0:34:14.632 The best way to prove just how closely we share [br]this expression is to examine the faces of the 0:34:14.632,0:34:21.646 panic-stricken customers on the latest [br]fairground terror ride, the spiraling Nemesis. 0:34:21.646,0:34:28.301 Just as with frightened Chimps, these mouth [br]corners are pulled back, exposing all the teeth. 0:34:40.845,0:34:47.665 The strange feature of this expression is that [br]it looks, in some respects, like the human smile. 0:34:50.600,0:34:56.481 Smiling is a uniquely human expression that [br]has evolved from the ancient fear face. 0:34:56.481,0:35:00.652 This might sound odd because we think [br]of smiling as friendly, not fearful. 0:35:00.652,0:35:03.320 But, there's a crucial [br]link between the two. 0:35:03.320,0:35:10.929 The fear face is sometimes used as a submissive signal [br]saying "I'm scared, therefore I'm not a threat to you." 0:35:10.929,0:35:13.999 In other words, it's [br]an anti-aggressive action. 0:35:13.999,0:35:22.979 It's only a small step from "I am not aggressive" to "I [br]am friendly" and that's how the human smile evolved. 0:35:24.896,0:35:30.168 Because of the smile's anti-aggressive origins, [br]witnessing it makes onlookers feel at ease and 0:35:30.168,0:35:32.173 responsive to the smiler. 0:35:32.173,0:35:37.830 For this reason it's been a mainstay of [br]commercial advertising for many years. 0:35:40.363,0:35:43.798 >>Certs is a candy mint.[br]>>Certs is a breath mint. 0:35:43.798,0:35:52.377 >>Stop, you're both right. New Certs is two mints in [br]one. Stops bad breath in seconds. Tastiest mint of all. 0:35:55.038,0:35:58.136 >>[Narrator] The problem for these [br]professional smilers however, is that 0:35:58.136,0:36:05.030 it's difficult to fake the expression perfectly. [br]The fixed smile gives the game away. 0:36:29.565,0:36:34.211 For synchronized swimmers, the physical [br]exertions of their sport make it even harder 0:36:34.211,0:36:43.098 to fake a convincing smile. They have to keep on [br]smiling to impress the judges, but it's not easy. 0:36:44.325,0:36:51.128 One of the best places to observe the false smile is on [br]the faces of beach-side photographer's customers. 0:36:51.128,0:36:56.043 >>[Photographer] That's it. Beautiful. [br]Just a bit more. Beautiful. Smile! 0:36:56.043,0:36:57.608 Come on. Smile. 0:36:57.608,0:37:03.688 >>But, how precisely do we know that this [br]smile falls short of being convincing. 0:37:03.688,0:37:09.345 The essential feature is the specialized muscles [br]that pull the mouth corners up and the ones 0:37:09.345,0:37:15.010 around the eyes that create the "smiling eyes" [br]are both much harder to control consciously 0:37:15.010,0:37:18.981 than the more ancient ones that [br]simply pull the mouth corners back. 0:37:18.981,0:37:25.111 No matter how hard we try, we can't [br]fabricate the perfect smile. 0:37:27.318,0:37:32.738 This incredibly strong link between our facial [br]expressions and the inner workings of our body 0:37:32.738,0:37:36.682 has been put to very good use by [br]imaginative doctors in America, 0:37:36.682,0:37:42.121 who've taken the radical step of [br]clowning in hospital wards. 0:37:42.966,0:37:45.356 >>[Clown] I think you're having a [br]little too much fun, you know. 0:37:45.356,0:37:52.539 You're having so much fun they might kick you [br]out of here or something like that. [laughter] 0:37:52.539,0:37:56.953 Look at all the stuff you got in here. [br]You've got a lot of great stuff. 0:37:56.953,0:38:02.361 >>[Narrator] And though this may appear to be a bizarre [br]form of medical care, it's impact is extraordinary. 0:38:02.361,0:38:09.091 By making patients smile and laugh, their pain [br]levels are reduced. Their happy facial expressions 0:38:09.091,0:38:14.720 actually release endorphins, the body's [br]natural pain killers, into their systems. 0:38:14.720,0:38:19.283 [patient laughing] 0:38:19.283,0:38:22.307 >>[Clown] We'll wait for later to do that.[br]>>[Patient] Please come back. 0:38:22.307,0:38:28.620 [laughter] 0:38:28.620,0:38:35.560 >>Oh, you broke his head! Oh boy! [br]I think you should be a doctor like me. 0:38:35.560,0:38:41.879 >>[Narrator] Amazingly, the laughter created by [br]this clowning works as well as any painkilling drug. 0:38:41.879,0:38:46.807 Such is the power of [br]human body language. 0:38:46.807,0:38:52.948 [Laughter] 0:39:02.476,0:39:06.809 Because of our body language that reveals our [br]true feelings, we often try to suppress it, 0:39:06.809,0:39:11.765 to hide our fears and anxieties, [br]our longings and our hostilities. 0:39:11.765,0:39:17.559 But, it's such an efficient communication system [br]that we usually give away a few telltale signs. 0:39:17.559,0:39:24.339 Now for most of us that's an everyday social challenge. [br]For some people it's much more than that. 0:39:25.199,0:39:29.807 For professional poker players, the [br]suppression of body language is a way of life. 0:39:29.807,0:39:34.846 For them, even the tiniest hint [br]of emotion can cost a fortune. 0:39:34.846,0:39:39.833 Here at the annual world poker contest [br]in Las Vegas, a million dollars in cash 0:39:39.833,0:39:45.572 is piled onto the table to be won or [br]lost on the final play of the cards. 0:39:45.572,0:39:49.738 The finalists around the table are the best [br]players in the world and needless to say, 0:39:49.738,0:39:55.961 they are masters of body language control. [br]They epitomize the so-called "poker face," 0:39:55.961,0:40:02.229 but even they are not entirely immune [br]to the urges of human body language. 0:40:02.229,0:40:08.438 Careful studies of the telltale signs of poker players [br]have revealed that there are several vital clues 0:40:08.438,0:40:14.126 that can tell you when a hand is good or bad, [br]and when a player is bluffing. 0:40:14.126,0:40:19.459 When a player has a bad hand he [br]stares at his cards a little longer. 0:40:30.441,0:40:35.828 When a player has a good hand [br]his blink rate increases slightly. 0:40:41.206,0:40:46.573 When he has a good hand he [br]looks away for a split second. 0:40:49.021,0:40:53.158 When he has a bad hand [br]he bets with a flourish. 0:40:54.639,0:40:58.758 But, these particular players, world champions, [br]in addition to being able to suppress their own 0:40:58.758,0:41:01.528 facial expressions and [br]their telltale gestures, 0:41:01.528,0:41:06.821 are also masters of reading the [br]body language of their competitors. 0:41:23.284,0:41:27.974 And this is the victor, but watch his face. [br]This man has just won a million dollars, 0:41:27.974,0:41:33.182 but his expressions are so tightly under [br]control that even now he can't show any emotions. 0:41:33.182,0:41:38.390 There's no smile, no shouting for joy, [br]his poker face is like a mask. 0:41:41.681,0:41:47.622 All he allows himself eventually is a little [br]jab in the air with a triumphant forefinger. 0:41:49.969,0:41:54.008 Most of us would make poor poker [br]players because we're so bad at lying. 0:41:54.008,0:41:58.373 We give away our true feelings [br]despite all our efforts to conceal them. 0:42:03.002,0:42:07.211 This woman has just been accused of stealing [br]somebody's purse and just by looking at her 0:42:07.211,0:42:13.269 body language it's possible to spot certain [br]clues that suggest that her denials are false. 0:42:13.269,0:42:17.510 >>[Accused woman] See I have one like that too.[br]>>[Accuser] Yeah, this is mine. 0:42:17.510,0:42:20.189 >>[Accused woman] Well, then mine [br]is in your car or something. 0:42:20.189,0:42:23.027 >>[Officer] Let's see your ID.[br]>>[Accuser] We can look in my car if you want. 0:42:23.027,0:42:27.510 >>[Narrator] She brings her hand up to her [br]mouth as if to hide the lie that she's telling. 0:42:27.510,0:42:32.182 Face touching is often a [br]sign of attempted deception. 0:42:33.515,0:42:37.996 >>[Officer] How'd you get the purse?[br]>>[Accused woman] I got a ride. 0:42:37.996,0:42:39.578 >>[Officer] Where'd you find it?[br] 0:42:39.578,0:42:41.768 >>[Accused woman] It was on the floor [br]and I automatically thought it was mine. 0:42:41.768,0:42:45.777 >>[Narrator] And she uses the "hand shrug" [br]gesture, an unconscious disclaimer 0:42:45.777,0:42:50.336 that usually increases in frequency [br]when lying is taking place. 0:42:50.336,0:42:54.382 >>[Officer] Well, if you thought it was yours and you [br]just got through telling me... [woman starts to argue] 0:42:54.413,0:42:57.001 >>And her eyes blink and[br]close more than usual. [br] 0:42:57.001,0:43:02.978 An unconscious attempt to shut out the outside world,[br]to cut herself off from the tension of the lie. 0:43:02.978,0:43:06.568 >>[Accused woman] I put it in my bag and my [br]bag was open, so I thought it was mine, ok. 0:43:06.568,0:43:13.687 I picked this up and this too, automatically. Ok, the [br]wallet was on the floor and my mind's mixed up. OK? 0:43:13.687,0:43:16.648 He don't want the baby. [br]I want the baby. Ok? 0:43:16.648,0:43:20.728 So, I just started picking up the things [br]that were on the floor. I'm sorry. 0:43:22.081,0:43:25.167 >>Some people seem to think that body language [br]is trivial, but it should be clear by now 0:43:25.167,0:43:31.410 that this is not the case. Indeed, at moments of [br]desperation we turn not just to spoken language, 0:43:31.410,0:43:36.760 but beyond that to the more primeval language [br]of the body. A signally system that was used by 0:43:36.760,0:43:41.883 our ancestors for millions of years before [br]the first human words were uttered. 0:43:41.883,0:43:47.387 And one that can still play a crucial [br]role in ensuring an individual's survival. 0:43:47.387,0:43:51.964 But, even more far reaching than this, body [br]language is so powerful that it can change the 0:43:51.964,0:43:59.933 course of history and affect the behavior of millions [br]of people. A fact that tyrants have not overlooked. 0:44:19.445,0:44:25.082 For me, body language is far more than [br]just a fascinating area of human biology. 0:44:25.082,0:44:32.638 It's the core of a whole new science, the study [br]of human behavior from a zoological perspective. 0:44:32.638,0:44:36.220 And for this series too, [br]body watching is only the beginning. 0:44:36.220,0:44:40.854 Turning a zoological eye to our own species, [br]I'll be looking at the commonplace, 0:44:40.854,0:44:44.492 as well as the more unusual [br]actions of the human animal. 0:44:44.492,0:44:49.936 Why, for example, for a species which so often [br]lives in a state of extreme overpopulation, 0:44:49.936,0:44:54.933 is aggressive behavior like this [br]the exception rather than the rule? 0:44:56.890,0:45:01.133 In fact, for the vast majority of the time, [br]the human animal goes about his business in an 0:45:01.133,0:45:06.381 amazingly ordered way. Every individual, [br]even in the vast social system of a city, 0:45:06.381,0:45:12.016 is aware of fitting into a very precise [br]position in the social pattern. 0:45:14.135,0:45:17.001 I'll be looking at the human [br]animal's sexual behavior. 0:45:17.001,0:45:21.926 What biological mechanisms are at[br]work when we choose a partner? 0:45:21.926,0:45:31.018 And what influences why we find [br]certain people attractive and others not? 0:45:33.001,0:45:39.254 When it comes to the courtship ritual, what [br]are our species' typical behavior patterns? 0:45:39.254,0:45:47.871 And why at this time do we so often display juvenile [br]characteristics such as the need to be spoon-fed? 0:45:52.963,0:45:58.140 Parental behavior, the bond between the human [br]parent and its young is probably the strongest 0:45:58.140,0:46:00.222 of any species in the world. 0:46:00.222,0:46:06.181 And the effect of being separated can be [br]quite devastating, especially for the parent. 0:46:14.084,0:46:23.476 What is the biological function of rites of passage, [br]ceremonies that mark the arrival of sexual maturity? 0:46:24.176,0:46:31.806 And why do human individuals remain alive long [br]after they cease to be able to bear children? 0:46:31.806,0:46:35.932 Finally, in this series, I'll be looking at [br]those aspects of our behavior that appear to 0:46:35.932,0:46:40.383 have no parallels in the [br]rest of the animal kingdom. 0:46:40.383,0:46:47.703 Is the playful behavior of our species really [br]different from that seen in other animals? 0:46:53.389,0:46:59.703 Is body decoration different from the [br]elaborate and colorful display plumage of birds? 0:47:04.142,0:47:09.790 What drives us to take serious [br]risks merely for the thrill of it? 0:47:13.141,0:47:22.317 But, in the next episode, I'll turn my attention to [br]one of our most fundamental activities: finding food. 0:47:23.604,0:47:30.095 There's no other species that consumes [br]such an incredible variety of food. 0:47:30.095,0:47:34.056 In fact, we're so good at extracting [br]nutrients from our environment, 0:47:34.056,0:47:39.933 that we're able to adapt to and exploit [br]virtually every type of habitat on this planet. 0:47:50.723,0:47:56.600 And with our modern lifestyle, what's [br]happened to our ancestral hunting urges? 0:48:00.164,0:48:08.524 Now, I've sometimes been accused of degrading man-[br]kind, of insulting human dignity, of making man beastly. 0:48:08.524,0:48:12.763 This surprised me because I like animals [br]and I feel proud to call myself one. 0:48:12.763,0:48:17.878 I've never looked down upon them, so to call [br]human beings animals is not degrading to me. 0:48:17.878,0:48:27.183 It's simply honest and putting us in our place as [br]part of the scheme of nature on the planet Earth. 0:48:28.883,0:48:43.067 [music]