Name: How your brain decides what is beautiful
Uploaded: 2017-08-08T14:40:37Z
Duration: 14 min 38 s
Description: Anjan Chatterjee uses tools from evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study one of nature's most captivating concepts: beauty. Learn more about the science behind why certain configurations of line, color and form excite us in this fascinating, deep look inside your brain.

Anjan Chatterjee uses tools from evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study one of nature's most captivating concepts: beauty. Learn more about the science behind why certain configurations of line, color and form excite us in this fascinating, deep look inside your brain.

How your brain decides what is beautiful

Beauty feels personal, but neuroscience reveals it is deeply shaped by evolution and our brains. When Galton combined faces to find the 'look' of criminality, he instead produced a surprisingly beautiful composite. Studies show that facial attractiveness hinges on factors like symmetry, averaging, and hormone-driven features, all of which signal evolutionary advantages. Yet, these ancient preferences persist even as our society and technology change what beauty means and who benefits from it.