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Feelings are the continuous background thrum in our minds. But what are they for? And how might they help us to understand who we are? Are joy and sorrow - so often seen as an 'extra' to human life - really the cornerstones of survival? Do the processes which evolution has designed not only preserve life, but also motivate and shape our greatest cultural achievements? And can the elucidation of the neurobiology of feeling and emotion cast light on the 'mind-body problem'? Tonight neuroscientist Antonio Damasio is in conversation with Susie Orbach. Susie Orbach is a psychoanalyst, visiting professor at the LSE and writer, whose books include Towards Emotional Literacy. Damasio's most recent book, Looking for Spinoza, is out this month.