Zack Lynch is author of The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World (St. Martin's Press, July 2009).
My article, Emotions in Art and the Brain, a review of the key findings discussed at the Third International Conference on Neuroesthetics, was published today in the March issue of The Lancet Neurology.
The article highlights the following research:
- Arthur Shimamura, Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, on embodied esthetics
- Ray Dolan, Director of the Emotions and Cognition Group at the University college London, on emotions and feelings
- Semir Zeki, conference organizer, from the University of College London, on the legal ramifications of neuresthetics
- Dan Fessler, UCLA's Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, on the evolutionary advantage of emotions
- Rosa-Aurora Chavez, National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico City, on the neurobiology of creativity
As I mentioned in cubism, camouflage and cultural change, I am spending a considerable amount of my time these days exploring the cultural implications of neurotechnology. This article was part of this ongoing process.
I would like to thank Peter Hayward at the Lancet for his continued interest in Brain Waves and for the opportunity to share some of my initial thoughts on our rising neuroculture. Purchase the full article.