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Recent Discussions |
Art on the brain?October 2013Ray Tallis, Philip Davis, Rhiannon Corcoran and George Szirtes will introduce a discussion on appreciating art, brain mapping, neuroscience, and our wellbeing
In recent years, the arts have increasingly turned towards neuroscience to understand its purpose and value. From Jonah Lehrer’s controversial Proust Was A Neuroscientist to Harry Witchel’s You Are What You Hear, there is a huge interest in the burgeoning field of neuroaesthetics.
Yet some remain extremely sceptical both to the extent of what scientific findings actually reveal and, more broadly, science’s ability to explain art’s importance.
Can brain scans ever really explain to us the beauty of a concerto or a sonnet? Does Mozart’s and Shakespeare’s power ultimately reside in their ability to touch the right neural buttons? Or are critics guilty of mystification and philistinism in refusing to countenance a biological underpinning to ‘the art instinct’?
Can scientific research help us better separate good art from the bad? Is this another case of neuromania exaggerating its claims, or are there other reasons for why art has turned to science to validate itself?
Some background readingsShakespeare and Wordsworth boost the brain, new research reveals, by Julie Henry, The Telegraph 13 Jan 2013 New music 'rewarding for the brain', by Rebecca Morelle, BBC News 12 April 2013 Beyond the Brain, by David Brooks, New York Times 17 June 2013 Ultra-high resolution 3D map of a human brain, by Mo Costandi, The Guardian 20 June 2013 There's a lot more to neuroscience than media 'neuromania', by Mark Stokes, The Guardian 25 June 2013 Never mind the neuro-bollocks, by Stuart Derbyshire, spiked 5 Aug 2013
Watch video of the speaker and audience discussion below. Thanks to Dan Clayton the documentary filmmaker from Leeds for this.Discussion PartnersThe Manchester Salon is joining the fabulous Manchester Science Festival for the fifth year running, itself celebrating its seventh year. With over 200 events for families and adults, you can expect an exciting nine days of cutting-edge research, the brightest minds and amazing events. You’ll have the chance to delve into immersive experiences, explore the science of the city by foot, join in the debate, enjoy hands-on activities, see awe-inspiring films and much more. Watch out for trailblazers throughout the year and join us at events throughout Greater Manchester during 24 October - 3 November 2013.
Supported by Oxford University Press
This controversial series will offer strong personal visions involving writers and thinkers from many disciplines, each examining the role of literature within their own life's work and thought, and the effect of that work, in turn, on literary thinking. For more information on the series, visit: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/category/academic/series/literature/litag.do. |