Ep 59: On Halloween, Mortality and The Art of Expression

In this weekend's podcast, Dr. Teo Wan Lin shares her research exploring the concept of psychology affecting human faces and perception- via facial expressions influenced by thought and emotion.  Evolutionary psychology shows that our own mental biases of beauty are also affected by perceptions independent of physical markers of beauty. Aging is a physiological process seemingly encoded in all living creatures, the effects of which are summed up in mortality- a final state that reflects our own transcience. Humankind’s perennial quest for immortality reflects a desire linking our physical states to the realm of art and imagination, the historical evolution of which, Dr. Teo posits, is better documented by philosophers rather than doctors.  Listen till the end to hear about the dark side of beauty. Told in the form of an ancient biblical tale of a most beautiful creature and his fall from heaven, it cautions how a change of heart can transform the countenance of even an angelic being into one destined to represent the face of evil eternally. Have a spooky Halloween weekend! Want more of our podcast? Episode Recaps and Notes:https://www.scienceofbeauty.net/; Instagram: @drteowanlin; Youtube: http://bit.ly/35rjbve Teo WL. On thoughts, emotions, facial expressions, and aging. Int J Dermatol. 2021 May;60(5):e200-e202. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15443. Epub 2021 Feb 9. PMID: 33559158.