Article: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/07/06/beauty-is-in-the-brain-of-the-beholder/#.W-R_m5NKjD4
This article from Discover Magazine is about a study conducted to test how people’s brains react to things they find beautiful. It found that when people find things beautiful (they tested music and paintings) the medial orbitofrontal cortex lights up in an fMRI scan. It also briefly discusses this in the context of average life, concluding that beauty is in the eye (or brain) of the beholder. I plan to use this to discuss beauty in a scientific context. In all of the articles we’ve read so far, beauty has been talked about in an abstract and philosophical context, but I feel that having the grounding of science behind the idea that beauty is a unique experience would help the essay a lot.
Presentations:
I chose these presentations because both of them were inspiring to me, but in different ways. Tehya’s interview was about the natural physical beauty of the coastline, while Liam’s interview was about the beauty of humanity. I feel that, since I have to include 2 interviews, it would be best if they both had unique perspectives from one another and could compliment each other.
The article you found sounds very interesting and I think it will complement your essay well. I agree that having a concrete, evidence-based argument will make your essay more concrete and keep it grounded. I do enjoy the philosophical aspects of the topic but I need hard facts to hold onto to keep my thoughts clear.
I chose the same podcasts and you and I agree that they both provide unique perspectives on beauty. I also found both of these podcasts inspiring in different ways. I think they both add a lot of value to your essay.