True musical virtuosos are minimalists who put roll before rock
Musicians like Muddy Waters and Charlie Watts played fewer notes than showoffs like Jeff Beck, but they were the right ones
by Mike Edison
Beauty and aesthetics
Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness
Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen
by Jaipreet Virdi
Why do beautiful people also seem smart and likeable?
Psychologists have known about the ‘halo effect’ for ages. New research suggests the power of language can help explain it
by Chris F Westbury & Daniel King
When art transports us, where do we actually go?
Artworks have the capacity to transport us into other worlds. But where exactly do we go when we are immersed in art?
by Harri Mäcklin
What happens if we make the Mona Lisa more symmetrical?
The Golden Ratio and symmetry are two universal rules of beauty. The problem is they conflict with one another
by Manil Suri
How to take better photos
Anyone can learn the principles that are essential to capturing quality images. Follow these tips and see the difference
by Paul Pope
Empathy is, at heart, an aesthetic appreciation of the other
Empathy is an aesthetic practice that relies on our capacity to delight in, and respond with reverence to, the world around us
by Susan Lanzoni
How to curate (just about) anything
Sure, tidying up is a start. But it won’t get you to the kind of lived-in, personalised space that defines an ideal of home
by Glenn Adamson
How to think about the sublime
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason
by Nicole A Hall
Is the sublime a hopelessly old-fashioned Euro-Romantic ideal?
The sublime is not only for the Romantics, nor just about gender or overcoming nature. It’s in the thrills-and-chills of emotion
by Robert Clewis
You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful
New research reveals that physical attractiveness is more about personal compatibility than meeting universal standards
by Annett Schirmer
Hula hooping is not mindless, it is bodily problem solving
There are surprising similarities in the way mathematicians do their work and the way hoop dancers devise new tricks
by Elina Vessonen
How to appreciate buildings
It’s easy to become blasé about the built world. Tune in more deeply and architectural adventures await around each corner
by Colin Ellard
Body positivity is fixated on beauty – here’s how to fix that
Body positivity is stuck in the shallow. We should move beyond beauty and towards health, pleasure and acceptance
by Céline Leboeuf
You can be aesthetically sensitive and know nothing about art
Aesthetic sensitivity is not about being correct in your judgments of beauty, but rather how much you’re affected by it
by Guido Corradi
To master the art of close looking, learn to hold time still
Visual literacy is a skillset that’s rarely taught, but it begins with learning how to look – and how to hold time still
by Grace Linden