Affective science has lost an extraordinary member of our community: Dr. Paul Ekman, who passed peacefully at home at the age of 91 on Monday. Dr. Ekman’s pioneering cross-cultural research on the interpretation of facial expressions in emotional terms, and his fierce advocacy for those findings’ implications for the mechanisms of emotion itself, arguably launched the field of affective science. His theorizing about the nature of emotion was rich and complex as well as controversial, providing a foundation for decades of high-impact research. He was also a beloved mentor and friend. The Society for Affective Science joins together in honoring Dr. Ekman’s life, work, and impact on the field, and our hearts go out to his children, Eve and Tom. A full obituary for Dr. Ekman will appear in the December issue of Affective Science, and we’ll keep the community informed of opportunities to honor Dr. Ekman’s legacy.
https://www.paulekman.com/blog/the-passing-of-dr-paul-ekman/