Lovely faces: the biology of beauty

Lecture in English by Duncan Geddes

 

Is beauty dead? Art critics say yes, scientists say no. For the past hundred years art has abandoned beauty as too subjective to have any meaning while looking for new ways to engage and interest the viewer. At the same time psychologists, biologists, mathematicians and cosmetic surgeons have investigated objective measures of beauty ranging from the classical golden ratio to fractals and the features that make a face attractive. Duncan Geddes, Professor of Medicine at Imperial College, London, reviews recent research on what makes a beautiful face and points to a central role for beauty in child development, psychology and evolution. 

 

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