The Mystery of Beauty
Think about the last time you were struck by a gorgeous painting in a museum, or heard a song that brought you to tears. All of us know what it’s like to be stopped in our tracks by a beautiful sight. But scientists are still puzzling over why this is the case. What’s the point of beauty? Why is it seemingly so important to us? This week on the show, neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee explains the function of beauty in our daily lives. Then, Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek describes how beauty served a purpose in some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our time.
- Duration
- 55m
- Broadcast on
- 04 Dec 2023
- Audio Format
- other
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Think about the last time you were struck by a gorgeous painting in a museum, or heard a song that brought you to tears. All of us know what it’s like to be stopped in our tracks by a beautiful sight. But scientists are still puzzling over why this is the case. What’s the point of beauty? Why is it seemingly so important to us? This week on the show, neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee explains the function of beauty in our daily lives. Then, Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek describes how beauty served a purpose in some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our time.
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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta. In December 1968, the crew of NASA's Apollo 8 spacecraft became the first human beings to orbit the moon. The astronauts on board, Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders had a stunning view of Earth rising over the lunar horizon. That Christmas Eve, a televised broadcast of the event, became the most watched TV program at the time. William Anders captured the moment in a photograph that came to be known as Earthrise. It showed up planet in a way people had never before seen. A vivid, blue and white orb, suspended against the vastness of space. Earthrise wasn't just a beautiful photograph. It became a symbol of the environmental movement and had a profound impact on how people view our planet, beautiful, but fragile and deserving of our protection. The picture inspired the launch of Earth Day, it's a global movement that is still around decades later. It involves billions of people around the world. All of this, inspired by a simple, beautiful image. This week on Hidden Brain, the power of beauty, why we are so moved by it, the ways it influences our behavior and how our attraction to beauty might unlock the secrets of the universe. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Instagram. Instagram teen accounts' automatic protections limit who can contact teens, the content they can see and the time they spend on the app. Teens are automatically placed into teen accounts. Teens under 16 will need a parent's permission to change any of those settings to be less strict. Learn more about teen accounts and Instagram's ongoing work to protect teens online at instagram.com/teenaccounts. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Land Rover. Even the boldest journey starts small, with a single decision to go somewhere new. Purpose built and courage driven, the Defender 110 combines on-road presence with off-road capability. It looks tough because it is, with a raised hood and an exterior engineered for durability. Inside, capability meets comfort, with seating for five and the option for seven plus refined finishes and thoughtful design. The Defender event is on now. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Progressive. Whoever says saving money is hard, doesn't know that new customers who bundle and save with Progressive save hundreds. Because switching your home and auto insurance is better than cutting down on those iced lattes you love. Switch to Progressive and see if you could save. Find your quote today at Progressive.com, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates and other insurers, not available in all states. In the early 1990s, Anjan Chatterjee was a young neuroscientist working at the University of Birmingham in Alabama. On Fridays, Anjan and two colleagues would get together at a local hangout to talk about work in life. And the place we got together was a bar that was close to across the street from where I lived in Birmingham called garages. And just to set the scene, this is one of these beautiful central courtyards with architectural
Transcription truncated.
Think about the last time you were struck by a gorgeous painting in a museum, or heard a song that brought you to tears. All of us know what it’s like to be stopped in our tracks by a beautiful sight. But scientists are still puzzling over why this is the case. What’s the point of beauty? Why is it seemingly so important to us? This week on the show, neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee explains the function of beauty in our daily lives. Then, Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek describes how beauty served a purpose in some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our time.