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Harnessing the Power of Neuroplasticity
Based on the acclaimed World Science Festival program “The Nuts and Bolts of Better Brains,” the course explores how the brain grows through experience, how emotional development is shaped, and how we can consciously harness plasticity for learning, healing, and creative transformation.
Participants will discover the interplay between stability and flexibility, learn about critical periods in brain development, and explore neuroaesthetic approaches that align artistic expression with cognitive and emotional well-being. Through guided reflections, creative tasks, and scientific insights, learners will bridge the gap between neuroscience and human creativity, understanding not just how the brain works, but how it feels, adapts, and creates.
Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society 2024 - Susan Magsamen
The video "Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society 2024 -Susan Magsamen" features Susan Magsamen, founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins. Delivered at the 2024 Society for Neuroscience conference, it explores neuroaesthetics, showing how engagement with music, visual arts, and dance influences brain function, reduces stress, enhances cognition, and fosters social connection. The talk highlights integrating arts into healthcare, education, and communities to promote holistic well-being, demonstrating the transformative power of creative expression on mental and physical health.
Beauty & the Brain
Speakers:
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Anjan Chatterjee, Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture, University of Pennsylvania; Director, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics
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Susan Magsamen, Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab, Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Co-Director, NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative
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Suchi Reddy, Founder and Principal, Reddymade Architecture and Design
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Casey Schwartz, Author, Attention: A Love Story and In the Mind Fields
How Your Brain Decides What Is Beautiful
In his TED Talk, Anjan Chatterjee explores how our brains perceive beauty, examining the neural mechanisms behind aesthetic appreciation. Drawing from cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, he explains why patterns, symmetry, and proportions are universally appealing. The talk highlights how this understanding can inform art, design, and architecture, showing that beauty is influenced by both brain wiring and experience.
Should Architecture Be Beautiful?
Architects traditionally focus on form, function, flow, and sustainability but what role should beauty play in the built environment, and whose perspective determines it? This conversation explores how recent advances in neuroaesthetics may influence the design of the spaces where we live, work, and play. Can biological responses to beauty guide architecture, and if so, what might we be overlooking?
Speakers:
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Philip Kennicott, Senior Art and Architecture Critic, The Washington Post
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Ann Sussman, Architect; President, Human Architecture and Planning Institute; Co-Author, Cognitive Architecture
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Yael Reisner, Architect; Director, Yael Reisner Studio
Composition in Art
Composition in Art explores the essential elements and principles that shape compelling artwork. From focal points and balance to movement, harmony, variety, and space, participants learn effective planning, the rule of thirds, and the power of odd-numbered arrangements to create visually engaging and harmonious compositions.
Beauty & the Brain
Speakers:
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Anjan Chatterjee, Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture, University of Pennsylvania; Director, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics
-
Susan Magsamen, Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab, Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Co-Director, NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative
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Suchi Reddy, Founder and Principal, Reddymade Architecture and Design
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Casey Schwartz, Author, Attention: A Love Story and In the Mind Fields