The Science Behind Inside Out 2

Animated character raising their arms in surprise while another animated character standing in front of them is looking back at them with nervousness

  • Venue: Online
  • Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2024
  • Time: 1:30 - 2:30 PM ET/ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM PT

Join us to explore the science behind Pixar's highly anticipated new film, Inside Out 2, and delve into the complexities of emotion and the teenage brain.

This illuminating one-hour event will feature a conversation with GGSC Faculty Director Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., and Lisa Damour, Ph.D., who both served as scientific consultants on the film. They will share their expert insights into the world of teenage emotions. They will be joined by lead editor of the film, Maurissa Horwitz, who will explain how the film tried to bring this world of teenage emotions to the screen. Moderated by GGSC Senior Fellow Allison Briscoe-Smith, Ph.D., this livestreamed conversation promises to be both enlightening and thought-provoking--for parents, teens, educators, movie lovers, and anyone interested in psychology.

Inside Out 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved animated film that took audiences on a journey through the mind of a young girl named Riley, personifying her emotions as characters inside her head. In this sequel, Riley is navigating the turbulent waters of adolescence, and her emotions are more complex than ever.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional landscape of teenagers, as we explore the intersections of psychology, storytelling, and cinema.

Watch the recording of the livestreamed conversation here:

 

 

Inside Out 2 images provided by ©Pixar Animation Studios

  • Allison Briscoe-Smith headshot

    Allison Briscoe-Smith, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center and the co-instructor of the GGSC’s Bridging Differences online course. She is also the project lead on the GGSC’s Connecting Californians Through Service project, a partnership with California’s Office of the Governor to strengthen bonds between people engaged in public service in the state and the communities they serve, and she co-facilitates the GGSC’s Bridging Differences in Higher Education project. She also serves as the Diversity Lead of Student Life at the University of Washington and is the author of Generation Mixed Goes to School: Radically Listening to Multiracial Kids. Previously she was an assistant professor and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Wright Institute.

  • Lisa Damour headshot

    Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of three New York Times best sellers: Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, which have been translated into twenty-three languages. She co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Damour is a regular contributor to The New York Times and CBS News and the creator of Untangling 10to20, a digital library of premium content to support teens and those who care for them.

    Dr. Damour serves as a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University and has written numerous academic papers, chapters, and books related to education and child development. She maintains a clinical practice and also speaks to schools, professional organizations, and corporate groups around the world on the topics of child and adolescent development, family mental health, and adult well-being. Dr. Damour also works with industry leaders on topics related to adolescent mental health and was a consultant to Pixar on the film Inside Out 2.

    Dr. Damour graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She has been a fellow at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the University of Michigan. She has been a fellow at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the University of Michigan’s Power Foundation. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters.

  • Maurissa Horowitz headshot

    Maurissa Horwitz joined Pixar Animation Studios in April of 2021. She is currently working as the lead editor on Pixar’s newest feature film “Inside Out 2,” set to release in theaters on June 14, 2024. 

    As lead editor, Horwitz and her editorial team build the film out from start to finish, frame by frame. They start by cutting storyboards and reference dialogue, and continue to shape the story, performance, and pacing all the way through the film’s final renders. Horwitz works very closely with the production’s director, story, layout, and animation departments to help bring the film to life. 

    Prior to Pixar, Horwitz worked at Blue Sky Animation and was the lead editor on the film “Nimona.” She has worked in editorial positions for over 20 years at companies including DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, and Disneytoon Studios. 

    Horwitz attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. She currently resides in El Cerrito, CA with her husband Travis, and supermutt, Maggie.

  • Headshot of Dacher Keltner

    Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., is the faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Dacher is the host of the GGSC's award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness,and is a co-instructor of the GGSC's popular online course of the same name.

    One of the world’s foremost emotion scientists, Dacher has over 200 scientific publications and seven books, including the recent national bestseller, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life, as well as The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good and Born to Be Good; he was also a co-editor of the Greater Good anthology, The Compassionate Instinct.

    He has also written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and was a scientific advisor behind Pixar’s Inside Out and Inside Out 2.