The Berlin Wall and the perfect social laboratory

Twenty-five years ago this Sunday, November 9, the concrete and barbed wire barrier that separated East and West Germans for nearly 30 years came down. When the wall was built in 1961, people who had been living very similar lives suddenly found themselves in radically different societies. But the division and subsequent reunification of Germany created an ideal 'natural experiment' for social scientists. Researchers share what they've learned about human behaviour using this social laboratory, including insights on trust issues, political leanings and even advertising.