ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anjan Chatterjee - Cognitive neuroscientist
Anjan Chatterjee seeks to answer a tantalizing question: Why is beauty so gripping?

Why you should listen

In his recent book, The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art, cognitive neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee investigates neural responses to beauty, explaining that the faces and places we find aesthetically pleasing may promote evolutionary success.

With numerous publications to his name in areas such as attention, spatial cognition and neuroethics, Chatterjee is the former president of the Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Society and the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics, and he is also a founding member of the Board of Governors of the Neuroethics Society. In 2016, Chatterjee was awarded the Rudolph Arnheim Award for contributions to psychology and the arts. Currently at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, Chatterjee's cutting edge work in neuroaesthetics bridges art and neuroscience in complex and fascinating ways.

More profile about the speaker
Anjan Chatterjee | Speaker | TED.com
TEDMED 2016

Anjan Chatterjee: How your brain decides what is beautiful

Anjan Chatterjee: Como decide o teu cerebro o que é fermoso

Filmed:
2,701,069 views

Anjan Chatterjee emprega ferramentas da psicoloxía evolutiva e da neurociencia cognitiva para estudar un dos conceptos máis cativadores da natureza: a beleza. Aprende máis sobre a ciencia que está detrás da razón pola que certas configuracións de liñas, cores e formas nos estimulan nesta fascinante e profunda mirada ao interior do teu cerebro.
- Cognitive neuroscientist
Anjan Chatterjee seeks to answer a tantalizing question: Why is beauty so gripping? Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
It's 1878.
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É 1878.
00:16
Sir Francis Galton
gives a remarkable talk.
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Sir Francis Galton
dá unha charla excepcional.
00:21
He's speaking to the anthropologic
institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Diríxese ao Instituto Antropolóxico
de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda.
00:26
Known for his pioneering work
in human intelligence,
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Coñecido polo seu traballo pioneiro
sobre a intelixencia humana,
00:30
Galton is a brilliant polymath.
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Galton é un erudito espléndido.
00:33
He's an explorer,
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É explorador,
00:35
an anthropologist,
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antropólogo,
00:37
a sociologist,
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sociólogo,
00:38
a psychologist
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psicólogo,
00:40
and a statistician.
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e estatístico.
00:43
He's also a eugenist.
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Tamén é euxenista.
00:46
In this talk,
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Nesta charla,
00:48
he presents a new technique
by which he can combine photographs
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Galton presenta unha nova técnica
coa cal pode combinar fotografías
00:53
and produce composite portraits.
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e xerar retratos compostos.
00:56
This technique could be used
to characterize different types of people.
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Esta técnica podía empregarse para
caracterizar distintos tipos de persoas.
01:02
Galton thinks that if he combines
photographs of violent criminals,
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Galton pensaba que se combinaba
fotografías de criminais violentos,
01:08
he will discover the face of criminality.
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descubriría a cara da criminalidade.
01:12
But to his surprise,
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Mais para a súa sorpresa,
01:14
the composite portrait that he produces
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o retrato composto que produce
01:17
is beautiful.
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é fermoso.
01:22
Galton's surprising finding
raises deep questions:
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O sorprendente descubrimento de Galton
formula grandes preguntas:
01:25
What is beauty?
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Que é a beleza?
01:28
Why do certain configurations of line
and color and form excite us so?
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Por que certas configuracións de liñas
e cores e formas nos estimulan?
Durante a maior parte da historia humana,
01:36
For most of human history,
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estas preguntas foron respondidas
empregando lóxica e especulación.
01:37
these questions have been approached
using logic and speculation.
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Agora ben, nas últimas décadas,
01:44
But in the last few decades,
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01:45
scientists have addressed
the question of beauty
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os científicos abordaron
a cuestión da beleza
01:48
using ideas from evolutionary psychology
and tools of neuroscience.
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empregando ideas da psicoloxía evolutiva
e ferramentas da neurociencia.
01:54
We're beginning to glimpse
the why and the how of beauty,
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Estamos comezando a entrever
o porqué e o como da beleza,
01:58
at least in terms of what it means
for the human face and form.
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polo menos en termos do que significa
para a cara e forma humanas.
02:03
And in the process,
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E no proceso,
02:04
we're stumbling upon some surprises.
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estamos atopando algunhas sorpresas.
02:08
When it comes to seeing
beauty in each other,
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Cando se trata de ver a beleza nos outros,
02:11
while this decision is certainly
subjective for the individual,
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a pesar de que esta decisión
é certamente subxectiva para o individuo,
02:16
it's sculpted by factors that contribute
to the survival of the group.
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é moldeada por factores
que contribúen á supervivencia do grupo.
02:20
Many experiments have shown
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Varios experimentos amosaron
02:23
that a few basic parameters contribute
to what makes a face attractive.
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que só uns poucos parámetros contribúen
a facer unha cara atractiva.
02:28
These include averaging, symmetry
and the effects of hormones.
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Estes inclúen o efecto da media,
a simetría e os efectos das hormonas.
02:34
Let's take each one of these in turn.
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Miremos cada un destes por quendas.
02:38
Galton's finding
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O descubrimento de Galton
02:40
that composite or average faces
are typically more attractive
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de que as caras medias ou compostas
son tipicamente máis atractivas
02:45
than each individual face
that contributes to the average
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que cada cara individual
que contribúe á media
02:48
has been replicated many times.
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repetiuse numerosas veces.
02:51
This laboratory finding fits
with many people's intuitions.
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Este descubrimento de laboratorio
encaixa coa intuición de moita xente.
02:56
Average faces represent
the central tendencies of a group.
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As caras medias representan
as tendencias centrais dun grupo.
03:01
People with mixed features
represent different populations,
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As persoas con trazos mesturados
representan diferentes poboacións,
03:06
and presumably harbor
greater genetic diversity
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e presuntamente comportan
unha maior diversidade xenética
03:09
and adaptability to the environment.
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e capacidade de adaptación
ao medio ambiente.
03:12
Many people find mixed-race
individuals attractive
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Bastante xente pensa que
os individuos multirraciais son atractivos
03:16
and inbred families less so.
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e que as familias endogámicas o son menos.
03:20
The second factor that contributes
to beauty is symmetry.
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O segundo factor
que contribúe á beleza é a simetría.
A xente pensa que as caras simétricas
son máis atractivas que as asimétricas.
03:25
People generally find symmetric faces
more attractive than asymmetric ones.
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03:30
Developmental abnormalities
are often associated with asymmetries.
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As anomalías de desenvolvemento
asócianse coa asimetría.
03:36
And in plants, animals and humans,
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E nas plantas, animais e humanos,
03:39
asymmetries often arise
from parasitic infections.
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as asimetrías a miúdo xorden
de infeccións de parasitos.
03:43
Symmetry, it turns out,
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A simetría, parece ser,
03:45
is also an indicator of health.
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é tamén un indicador de saúde.
03:50
In the 1930s,
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Nos anos trinta,
03:52
a man named Maksymilian Faktorowicz
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un home chamado Maksymilian Faktorowicz
03:55
recognized the importance
of symmetry for beauty
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recoñeceu a importancia
da simetría para a beleza
03:58
when he designed the beauty micrometer.
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cando deseñou o calibrador de beleza.
04:02
With this device,
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Con este aparello,
04:03
he could measure minor asymmetric flaws
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podía medir pequenos defectos de asimetría
04:06
which he could then make up for
with products he sold from his company,
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que despois podería corrixir
con produtos que vendía a súa empresa,
04:11
named brilliantly
after himself, Max Factor,
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chamada brillantemente,
co seu nome, Max Factor,
04:14
which, as you know,
is one of the world's most famous brands
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que, como xa sabedes,
é unha das marcas máis coñecidas do mundo
04:18
for "make up."
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para “corrixir”.
04:20
The third factor that contributes
to facial attractiveness
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O terceiro factor que contribúe
a sermos facialmente atractivos
04:24
is the effect of hormones.
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é o efecto das hormonas.
04:27
And here, I need to apologize
for confining my comments
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E aquí, necesito desculparme
por limitar os meus comentarios
á heteronormatividade.
04:32
to heterosexual norms.
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04:35
But estrogen and testosterone
play important roles
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Non obstante, estróxeno e testosterona
xogan papeis importantes
04:40
in shaping features
that we find attractive.
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para determinar os trazos
que atopamos atractivos.
04:43
Estrogen produces features
that signal fertility.
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O estróxeno produce trazos
que indican fertilidade.
04:48
Men typically find women attractive
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Os homes normalmente atopan
atractivas ás mulleres
04:51
who have elements
of both youth and maturity.
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que teñen elementos de xuventude
e madurez.
04:56
A face that's too baby-like might
mean that the girl is not yet fertile,
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Unha cara parecida de máis á dun bebé pode
significar que a moza non é aínda fértil,
polo que os homes atopan
atractivas as mulleres
05:01
so men find women attractive
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05:03
who have large eyes,
full lips and narrow chins
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que teñen ollos grandes, beizos grosos
e queixo estreito
05:07
as indicators of youth,
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como indicadores de xuventude,
05:09
and high cheekbones
as an indicator of maturity.
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e pómulos altos como indicador de madurez.
05:14
Testosterone produces features
that we regard as typically masculine.
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A testosterona produce trazos considerados
como tipicamente masculinos.
05:20
These include heavier brows,
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Estes inclúen cellas poboadas,
05:22
thinner cheeks
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meixelas delgadas
05:24
and bigger, squared-off jaws.
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e mandíbulas grandes e cadradas.
05:26
But here's a fascinating irony.
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Pero aquí está a fascinante ironía.
05:29
In many species,
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En moitas especies,
05:30
if anything,
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pola contra,
05:32
testosterone suppresses the immune system.
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a testosterona reprime o sistema inmune.
05:37
So the idea that testosterone-infused
features are a fitness indicator
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Así que a idea de que as características
influenciadas por ela indican boa saúde
05:41
doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.
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en realidade non ten moito sentido.
05:44
Here, the logic is turned on its head.
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Aquí, a lóxica contradise.
05:47
Instead of a fitness indicator,
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En vez dun indicador de boa saúde,
05:49
scientists invoke a handicap principle.
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os científicos alegan
un principio de desvantaxe.
05:54
The most commonly cited
example of a handicap
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O exemplo máis citado dunha desvantaxe
05:58
is the peacock's tail.
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é a cola do pavo real.
06:00
This beautiful but cumbersome tail
doesn't exactly help the peacock
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Esta bonita pero voluminosa cola
non lle axuda realmente ao pavo real
06:04
avoid predators
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a evitar depredadores
06:06
and approach peahens.
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nin a acercarse ás femias.
06:09
Why should such an extravagant
appendage evolve?
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Por que debería unha extremidade
tan extravagante evolucionar?
06:13
Even Charles Darwin,
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Incluso Charles Darwin,
06:16
in an 1860 letter to Asa Gray wrote
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nunha carta de 1860 para Asa Gray escribiu
06:19
that the sight of the peacock's tail
made him physically ill.
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que a visión dunha cola de pavo real
o poñía fisicamente enfermo.
06:24
He couldn't explain it
with his theory of natural selection,
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Non podía explicala
coa súa teoría da selección natural,
06:27
and out of this frustration,
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e da súa frustración,
06:28
he developed the theory
of sexual selection.
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xurdiu a teoría da selección sexual.
06:33
On this account,
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Por este motivo,
06:34
the display of the peacock's tail
is about sexual enticement,
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a exposición da cola do pavo real
débese á atracción sexual,
06:39
and this enticement means
it's more likely the peacock will mate
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e esta atracción significa que é
máis probable que o pavo real se aparee
06:45
and have offspring.
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e teña crías.
06:47
Now, the modern twist
on this display argument
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O xiro contemporáneo no debate
sobre a exposición da cola
06:51
is that the peacock is also
advertising its health to the peahen.
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é que o pavo real está tamén anunciando
a súa a saúde á femia.
06:58
Only especially fit organisms
can afford to divert resources
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Só os organismos en boa forma
poden desviar recursos
07:03
to maintaining such
an extravagant appendage.
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a manter tal extravagante extremidade.
07:06
Only especially fit men can afford
the price that testosterone levies
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Só os homes en boa forma poden permitirse
unha baixada de testosterona
07:11
on their immune system.
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no seu sistema inmune.
07:13
And by analogy, think of the fact
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E por analoxía, pensade no feito
07:16
that only very rich men can afford
to pay more than $10,000 for a watch
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de que só os homes ricos poden permitirse
pagar máis de 10.000 dólares por un reloxo
07:23
as a display of their financial fitness.
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como unha manifestación de boa economía.
Hoxe en día, moita xente escoita
este tipo de afirmacións evolutivas
07:27
Now, many people hear these kinds
of evolutionary claims
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07:29
and think they mean that we somehow
are unconsciously seeking mates
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e pensan que dalgunha forma estamos
inconscientemente buscando parellas
07:35
who are healthy.
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que estean saudables.
07:37
And I think this idea
is probably not right.
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E eu penso que esta idea é equivocada.
07:42
Teenagers and young adults are not exactly
known for making decisions
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Adolescentes e mozos adultos
non destacan por tomar decisións
07:47
that are predicated on health concerns.
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baseándose na preocupación pola saúde.
07:50
But they don't have to be,
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Pero non teñen por que ser así,
07:52
and let me explain why.
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e deixade que explique o porqué.
07:55
Imagine a population
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Imaxinade unha poboación
07:57
in which people have three different
kinds of preferences:
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na cal a xente ten tres tipos
de preferencias diferentes:
08:01
for green, for orange and for red.
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polo verde, polo laranxa e polo vermello.
Desde o seu punto de vista,
08:05
From their point of view,
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08:07
these preferences have
nothing to do with health;
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estas preferencias non teñen
nada que ver coa saúde;
08:09
they just like what they like.
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simplemente gústalles o que lles gusta.
08:12
But if it were also the case
that these preferences are associated
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Pero se tamén fora o caso
de que estas preferencias se asociasen
08:16
with the different likelihood
of producing offspring --
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coa diferente probabilidade de ter fillos
08:19
let's say in a ratio of 3:2:1 --
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--digamos nunha ratio de 3:2:1--
08:23
then in the first generation,
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entón na primeira xeración,
08:24
there would be 3 greens
to 2 oranges to 1 red,
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habería 3 verdes, 2 laranxas e 1 vermello,
08:27
and in each subsequent generation,
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e en cada xeración posterior,
08:30
the proportion of greens increase,
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a proporción de verdes increméntase,
08:34
so that in 10 generations,
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polo que en 10 xeracións,
08:35
98 percent of this population
has a green preference.
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o 98% desta poboación terá
unha preferencia polo verde.
Entón, un científico que chegara e collera
unha mostra desta poboación
08:39
Now, a scientist coming in
and sampling this population
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08:43
discovers that green
preferences are universal.
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descubriría que as preferencias polo verde
son universais.
08:47
So the point about this little
abstract example
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O destacable deste pequeno exemplo
é que mentres que as preferencias
por trazos físicos específicos
08:51
is that while preferences
for specific physical features
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08:56
can be arbitrary for the individual,
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poden ser aleatorias para o individuo,
09:00
if those features are heritable
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se eses trazos son hereditarios
09:05
and they are associated
with a reproductive advantage,
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e se asocian cunha vantaxe reprodutiva,
09:09
over time,
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co tempo,
09:10
they become universal for the group.
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convértense en universais para o grupo.
09:15
So what happens in the brain
when we see beautiful people?
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Entón, que pasa no cerebro cando vemos
persoas que son fermosas?
09:22
Attractive faces activate
parts of our visual cortex
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As caras atractivas activan
partes do noso córtex visual
09:26
in the back of the brain,
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na parte traseira do cerebro,
09:28
an area called the fusiform gyrus,
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unha área chamada xiro fusiforme,
09:30
that is especially tuned
to processing faces,
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que está especificamente deseñada
para procesar caras,
09:33
and an adjacent area called
the lateral occipital complex,
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e unha área adxacente
chamada complexo lateral occipital,
09:37
that is especially attuned
to processing objects.
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que está especificamente deseñada
para procesar obxectos.
09:40
In addition,
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Ademais,
09:42
attractive faces activate parts
of our reward and pleasure centers
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as caras atractivas activan partes
dos nosos centros de recompensa e pracer
09:47
in the front and deep in the brain,
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na parte frontal e profunda do cerebro,
09:50
and these include areas
that have complicated names,
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e estas inclúen áreas
que teñen nomes complicados,
09:53
like the ventral striatum,
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como o corpo estriado ventral,
09:55
the orbitofrontal cortex
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o córtex orbitofrontal
09:57
and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
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e o córtex prefrontal ventromedial.
10:00
Our visual brain that is tuned
to processing faces
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O noso cerebro visual que está deseñado
para procesar caras
10:04
interacts with our pleasure centers
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interactúa cos nosos centros de pracer
10:07
to underpin the experience of beauty.
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para apoiar a experiencia da beleza.
10:11
Amazingly, while we all
engage with beauty,
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Incriblemente, mentres todos
entramos en contacto coa beleza,
10:15
without our knowledge,
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sen o noso coñecemento,
10:17
beauty also engages us.
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a beleza tamén o fai con nós.
O noso cerebro responde
ás caras atractivas
10:20
Our brains respond to attractive faces
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incluso cando
non estamos pensando na beleza.
10:23
even when we're not thinking about beauty.
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10:26
We conducted an experiment
in which people saw a series of faces,
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Levamos a cabo un experimento no cal
persoas observaban unha serie de caras,
10:30
and in one condition,
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e cunha condición:
10:32
they had to decide if a pair of faces
were the same or a different person.
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tiñan que decidir que par de caras
eran da mesma ou de diferente persoa.
10:39
Even in this condition,
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Incluso con esta condición,
10:42
attractive faces drove neural activity
robustly in their visual cortex,
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as caras atractivas amosaban florecente
actividade neuronal no seu córtex visual,
10:48
despite the fact that they were thinking
about a person's identity
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a pesar do feito de que estaban pensando
na identidade da persoa
10:52
and not their beauty.
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e non na súa beleza.
10:55
Another group similarly found
automatic responses to beauty
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Outro grupo atopou de forma similar
respostas automáticas á beleza
10:59
within our pleasure centers.
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dentro dos nosos centros de pracer.
11:02
Taken together, these studies suggest
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Xuntando ambos os estudos, estes suxiren
11:06
that our brain automatically
responds to beauty
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que o noso cerebro
responde automaticamente á beleza
11:10
by linking vision and pleasure.
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xuntando visión e pracer.
11:13
These beauty detectors, it seems,
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Estes detectores de beleza, ao parecer,
11:16
ping every time we see beauty,
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saltan cada vez que observamos beleza,
11:18
regardless of whatever else
we might be thinking.
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a pesar de calquera outra cousa
que esteamos pensando.
11:23
We also have a "beauty is good"
stereotype embedded in the brain.
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Tamén temos o estereotipo
"a beleza é boa" incrustado no cerebro.
11:29
Within the orbitofrontal cortex,
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Dentro do córtex orbitofrontal,
11:31
there's overlapping neural activity
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hai actividade neuronal solapada
11:33
in response to beauty and to goodness,
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en resposta á beleza e á bondade,
11:39
and this happens even when people
aren't explicitly thinking
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e isto ocorre incluso cando as persoas
non están pensando explicitamente
11:42
about beauty or goodness.
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na beleza ou na bondade.
11:45
Our brains seem to reflexively
associate beauty and good.
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Parece que os nosos cerebros asocian
instintivamente a beleza co ben.
11:50
And this reflexive association
may be the biologic trigger
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E esta asociación instintiva pode ser
o detonante biolóxico
11:54
for the many social effects of beauty.
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dos moitos efectos sociais da beleza.
11:58
Attractive people receive
all kinds of advantages in life.
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A xente atractiva recibe
todo tipo de vantaxes na vida.
12:03
They're regarded as more intelligent,
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Considéranse como máis intelixentes,
12:06
more trustworthy,
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de maior confianza,
12:07
they're given higher pay
and lesser punishments,
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reciben un maior salario
e menos sancións,
12:11
even when such judgments
are not warranted.
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incluso cando tales xuízos
non están xustificados.
12:15
These kinds of observations
reveal beauty's ugly side.
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Este tipo de observacións revelan
o lado escuro da beleza.
12:19
In my lab, we recently found
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No meu laboratorio, atopamos recentemente
12:21
that people with minor facial
anomalies and disfigurements
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que as persoas con pequenas anomalías
e desfiguracións faciais
12:26
are regarded as less good, less kind,
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considéranse menos boas, menos amables,
12:30
less intelligent, less competent
and less hardworking.
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menos intelixentes, menos competentes
e menos traballadoras.
12:35
Unfortunately, we also have
a "disfigured is bad" stereotype.
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Por desgraza, nós tamén temos
o estereotipo de "desfigurado é malo".
12:42
This stereotype is probably
exploited and magnified
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Este estereotipo é
probablemente explotado e magnificado
12:49
by images in popular media,
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polas imaxes nos medios de comunicación,
12:51
in which facial disfigurement
is often used as a shorthand
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que con frecuencia usan
as desfiguracións faciais como recurso
12:55
to depict someone of villainous character.
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para representar personaxes malvadas.
12:59
We need to understand
these kinds of implicit biases
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Necesitamos entender
este tipo de prexuízos implícitos
13:02
if we are to overcome them
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se queremos superalos
13:04
and aim for a society
in which we treat people fairly,
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e aspirar a unha sociedade
na cal tratemos ás persoas xustamente,
13:08
based on their behavior and not
on the happenstance of their looks.
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baseándonos no seu comportamento e non
na coincidencia da súa aparencia física.
13:16
Let me leave you with one final thought.
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Permitídeme que vos deixe
unha reflexión final.
13:21
Beauty is a work in progress.
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A beleza é un tema pendente.
13:24
The so-called universal
attributes of beauty
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Os denominados
atributos universais de beleza
13:27
were selected for during the almost
two million years of the Pleistocene.
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foron seleccionados durante os case
dous millóns de anos do Plistoceno.
13:33
Life was nasty, brutish
and a very long time ago.
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A vida era dura, brutal, pero hai
moito que pasou.
13:40
The selection criteria
for reproductive success from that time
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Os criterios de selección
para o éxito reprodutivo usados daquela
13:45
doesn't really apply today.
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non funcionan hoxe en día.
13:47
For example,
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Por exemplo,
13:49
death by parasite is not one
of the top ways that people die,
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a morte por parasitos non é
unha das principais causas de morte,
13:53
at least not in the technologically
developed world.
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polo menos non no mundo
tecnoloxicamente desenvolvido.
13:57
From antibiotics to surgery,
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Dos antibióticos á cirurxía,
14:00
birth control to in vitro fertilization,
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do control de natalidade
á fertilización en vitro,
14:03
the filters for reproductive success
are being relaxed.
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os efectos do éxito reprodutivo
suavízanse.
14:07
And under these relaxed conditions,
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E baixo estas condicións suavizadas,
14:10
preference and trait combinations
are free to drift
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as preferencias e as combinacións
de trazos teñen liberdade para desviarse
14:14
and become more variable.
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e converterse en máis variadas.
14:17
Even as we are profoundly
affecting our environment,
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Ao tempo que nós estamos alterando
gravemente o noso medio natural,
14:22
modern medicine
and technological innovation
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a medicina moderna e
a innovación tecnolóxica
14:26
is profoundly affecting
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están alterando gravemente
14:28
the very essence of what it means
to look beautiful.
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a esencia do que significa verse fermoso.
14:33
The universal nature of beauty is changing
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A natureza universal da beleza
está mudando
14:35
even as we're changing the universe.
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ao tempo que nós estamos
cambiando o universo.
14:40
Thank you.
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Grazas.
14:42
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anjan Chatterjee - Cognitive neuroscientist
Anjan Chatterjee seeks to answer a tantalizing question: Why is beauty so gripping?

Why you should listen

In his recent book, The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art, cognitive neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee investigates neural responses to beauty, explaining that the faces and places we find aesthetically pleasing may promote evolutionary success.

With numerous publications to his name in areas such as attention, spatial cognition and neuroethics, Chatterjee is the former president of the Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Society and the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics, and he is also a founding member of the Board of Governors of the Neuroethics Society. In 2016, Chatterjee was awarded the Rudolph Arnheim Award for contributions to psychology and the arts. Currently at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, Chatterjee's cutting edge work in neuroaesthetics bridges art and neuroscience in complex and fascinating ways.

More profile about the speaker
Anjan Chatterjee | Speaker | TED.com