Unlocking the Brain

Recently, face transformation filters invaded our digital lives via extremely popular social media applications. Almost overnight, billions of individuals gained the ability to control how they were perceived by others, by changing their smiles or physical appearance. Yet, these technologies are still at their infancy. In the future, individuals may be able to transform their "digital selves" not only to look in specific ways, but also to behave differently. How may this unprecedented possibility impact human cognition? And, how can we leverage this phenomenon to understand human psychology?

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” may just be the least followed proverbial warning. Instead, we all regularly make spontaneous judgements about who to trust or avoid based on appearance. Although rapid and often implicit, face-based first impressions significantly impact our lives, from dating choices to hiring decisions and election outcomes. Yet, despite their importance across society, knowledge of how we form these impressions is mostly based on White people living in Western countries. In this talk, we will examine how face-based first impressions vary according to ethnicity and culture.

What makes us stop and really look at a piece of art? In this talk, we explore the science behind how long people spend looking at paintings—and why. Based on a study of 60 different artworks, we found that paintings rated as having higher artistic value tend to hold viewers’ attention for longer. But there’s more: regardless of how “good” the art is, emotionally negative paintings also attract longer viewing times than positive ones. This suggests a psychological negativity bias at play—even in how we experience visual art. We’ll unpack these findings, discuss the role of fame and emotional intensity, and consider what this means for how we interpret and engage with art on a deeper level. Whether you're into neuroscience, psychology, or just curious about why art affects us the way it does, this talk offers a fascinating glimpse into the science of looking.