A time to grin? (editor's note).(Editorial)

While most professionals contribute to society, some make a bigger impact than others. Take computer graphics users, whose job titles range from research scientist and engineer to film artist and animator. It's clear that the researchers among us make the world a better place by improving our health, safety, and comfort. But what do people in the movie industry really add?

A standard answer is that filmmakers are modern-day storytellers who entertain, educate, and evoke feelings that help us handle stress and maintain a healthy mental balance. In the past, some may have questioned the relative importance of such work. But since September 11, it's becoming clear that the significance of filmmaking, in providing relief and healing from the terrorist attacks and ensuing conflict, is on a par with that of science and engineering.

Psychologists tell us that just as it's normal to grieve so is it important to escape despair, even to feel happy, if only for brief periods, to treat emotional wounds. In fact, behaviors that we associate with happiness have evolved from primitive defense mechanisms such as the "fear grin" that many animals still exhibit when dealing with conflict, explains Stuart Sumida, a biologist at California State University, San Bernadino, who has worked extensively with feature animation studios, including serving as paleontology advisor on Disney's Dinosaur.

Sumida, one of the participants in a roundtable discussion titled "The Effect of Terrorism on the Animation and Entertainment Industries," held recently at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, contends that those who can make us smile and give us hope offer far more than a simple diversion. They provide a potent medicine that enables us to respond in ways that have been critical throughout human evolution ...