Just back from Philadelphia, and a colloquium on neuroscience and violence, organised by the Center for Global Non-Killing, a young but vigorous organisation which aims to reduce and eventually eliminate killing by human beings.
Don't I sound like a jet setter! In fact it's the first time I'd been to the States for so long that the last time I went I didn't have a mobile phone - how sad is that? I'd forgotten how friendly, efficient, smart and optimistic Americans can be. Okay, not all, but the stereotypes which get bandied about in Britain were way off the mark for the people I was meeting. And I got a free day to look round Philadelphia, buying my lunch in Reading Terminal Market and admiring the gorgeous City Hall. No doubt the place has its problems - I gave my change to several beggars - but I thought it a fine city, fabulous architecture and great weather when I was there. One of these days I'd like to take a long vacation in the US, and Philadelphia is definitely on the list of places to explore.
So to the colloquium, in which I'll admit I was braced for wide-eyed evangelism, cloying naivete, or both; but in fact it was extremely interesting. Of the ten people there, two were from CGNK, three were senior scientists, four were at an earlier stage in their neuroscience careers, and one (me) was a science writer. We'd gathered to address the question of whether we thought a world without killing was possible, and what neuroscience could or couldn't do to help achieve that goal. There was plenty of critique during a vigorous, well-chaired discussion which ranged from history and anthropology through sociology and evolutionary psychology to the genetics of risk factors for aggression. Several of us queried what was meant by a world without killing, and there was plenty of debate about the role of neuroscience in addressing complex social problems. One point kept re-emerging: to reduce cruelty, violence and killing, you have to start early. If you'd like to know more, keep an eye on the CGNK website, I daresay they'll be posting about the colloquium.
Meanwhile I'd be interested to know what you think. Could a nonkilling world ever come to be? If so, how? And what would such a world be like?
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