Beauty and the Brain: The Emerging Field of Neuroaesthetics
November 10th, 2017
Ethan B. Reichsman, Faith A. Pak
Neuroaesthetics, an innovative but controversial new area of neuroscience research, has the potential to help us understand the ways our brain responds to art. But some remain skeptical of how much science can really tell us about aesthetic experiences. The Crimson surveys the state of the field on campus and beyond.
The Harvard Crimson
Posted bySamuel Garrett
Pending staff verification
Notify
Abstract/Description
Leo Tolstoy’s classic 1897 polemic “What Is Art?” may be a surprising first reading for a neuroscience class, but surprises like this are par for the course in MBB 980N: “Neuroaesthetics.” Taught by Nancy L. Etcoff, Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, the class investigates the possibilities of applying the science of the brain to the study of art. Neuroaesthetics as a discipline is a very new field of research, only recently gaining momentum in both the artistic and scientific communities. Some are none too happy with this development, and this burgeoning area of study is already under fire.
