This One’s a Tear Jerker

Are humans the only creatures that shed emotional tears? If we are, what purpose do these tears really serve? If crying is so natural, why do we so often try to hide it?

A single sob sends Hannah and Michael into an unexpected journey through the science and mystery of emotional crying, from the first tearful moments of infancy to the complex social signals behind adult weeping.

Why do babies cry before they can speak? How do tears strengthen - or strain - our relationships? And what is the hormonal cocktail that makes “a good cry” feel so strangely comforting?

Join Professor Hannah Fry and YouTube educator Michael Stevens as they uncover the strange, revealing story of the human tear: why we cry, what our tears communicate, and how this uniquely human response shapes the way we connect.

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Video Producer: Adam Thornton
Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell
Assistant Producer: Imee Marriott
Producer: Becki Hills
Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter
Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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