Neuroesthetics. (360G-Wellcome-083149_Z_07_Z)

The development of powerful techniques for imaging brain activity has ushered in an interest in the neurobiology underlying artistic creativity and aesthetic appreciation, in fields as diverse as art, literature, music and mathematics. The new field of neuroesthetics studies these subjects and relies on contributions both from neurobiology and the humanities. This application aims to promote the study of neuroesthetics in the UK, where the concept was born. The main goal is to produce world clas s research addressing issues that have long been debated in the humanities concerning the nature of art and beauty, the relationship of both to the atavistic impulses of love, and the role of reward, judgment, affective states, knowledge and concepts in the creation and appreciation of works of art. Other goals are to train future generations of researchers to tap knowledge acquired in the humanities to develop questions amenable to scientific experimentation; to educate undergraduate students a nd the public about the relevance of neurobiological studies to issues of concern to science and society. Finally, it will provide a framework within which to unite the apparently disparate fields of neurobiology and the humanities in the common pursuit of understanding the human brain and the human condition.