The Brain's Moral Compass: Investigating Obedience and Resistance through Field Research with Prof. Emilie Caspar Artwork

SciLux

Podcast about science in Luxembourg and beyond - in every episode we have a look at the latest scientific research and technological changes in Luxembourg or we discuss it with scientists or researchers working in Luxembourg. This is a podcast for people who love science, but aren't necessarily science graduates. We post a new episode every second week.

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The Brain's Moral Compass: Investigating Obedience and Resistance through Field Research with Prof. Emilie Caspar

June 09, 2026 • Hanna Siemaszko • Season 6 • Episode 9

0:00 | 52:46

Can neuroscience shed light on why some individuals choose to obey harmful orders while others risk their lives to save others? In this SciLux episode Prof. Emilie Caspar at Ghent University shares her groundbreaking field research in Rwanda and Cambodia, exploring the mechanisms of obedience and resistance during genocides.

Throughout the episode, Emilie talks about her experiences of gaining trust within communities, working with NGOs, and the logistical hurdles of transporting EEG equipment to remote locations – all while making the case for the importance of field study. We also talk about the impact of empathy, sense of agency and the feeling of guilt, as well as the influence of group dynamics.

USEFUL LINKS

Emilie Caspar's blog: https://emiliecaspar.home.blog/

Emilie's book 'Just Following Orders': https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/just-following-orders/678F06FDADFE89B9155F3A4907AB5660

Milgram experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

More about Rwandan genocide in Jean Hatzfeld's book 'Machete Season': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machete_Season

jingle track (get it) provided by mobygratis.

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Hanna Siemaszko

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