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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 01/09/2026

Stay connected! For all updates on our research and the Institute, follow our social media channels 📨. Find us here on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/mpiae Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/mpi_ae Check out our new video series on YouTube: youtube.com/@mpi_ae

Foto mit dem Text: Stay Connected. Die Symbole für Instagram, LinkedIn und Youtube.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 28/08/2026

This study shows that individual brain rhythms play an important role in how we process speech. People with strong auditory-motor synchronization may benefit more from the interaction between auditory and motor brain systems, while others rely more on their auditory system and working memory.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 26/08/2026

Due to unforeseen developments that arose at short notice and could not have been anticipated when the call was announced, we have unfortunately had to discontinue the Open Call: INHABIT Artist-in-Residence 2027.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 20/08/2026

Call for Abstracts: The application period for our 3rd Annual Conference on #AestheticDevelopment on November 5 is now open! Submit your abstract here by September 15, 2026: s.gwdg.de/x46Dho

Illustration of a fantastical landscape featuring children reading, animals, and mythical creatures. The title reads "Call for Abstracts, 3rd Annual Conference on Aesthetic Development".

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 13/08/2026

How does dance convey emotion? A team involving researchers of the MPIEA have investigated which movement characteristics of upper-body gestures help express emotions while dancing and enable them to be recognized by others. Read the full paper: s.gwdg.de/uo4Eja

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 05/08/2026

In collaboration with the @mpicbs.bsky.social, Seung-Cheol Baek found that the brain represents acoustic cues and speech categories in parallel—rather than serially—for both phonemes and prosody, revealing a shared neural principle. Read the paper at @natcomms.nature.com: s.gwdg.de/Al4Vfq

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 02/07/2026

Thinking Design: Christine A. Knoop on developing Fechner's aesthetics “from below” beyond the classical lab. 📅 July 09, 2026 🕕 6:30 p.m. 📍 MPIEA ArtLab Foyer, Frankfurt am Main 🎟️ Free admission; the talk will be held in English. 🔗 More information: s.gwdg.de/BkxcYY

Das Poster enthält den Titel "Thinking Design" und kündigt eine Veranstaltung an, die von MPIEA und WDC26 präsentiert wird.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 11/06/2026

New study: A research team involving members of our Institute has shown that our brains process musical structures independently of their temporal regularity. Read the full paper here: doi.org/10.1111/ejn.70481

Photo of a hand holding headphones with musical notes in the background.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 08/06/2026

Is there a link between listening to music and mental health? @laurawesseldijk.bsky.social, Fredrik Ullén, and Miriam A. Mosing found that the connection is not as clear-cut. Read the full paper in Journal of Affective Disorders Reports: doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101066

Stylized picture of a person listening to music, surrounded by symbols such as rain clouds and the sun.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 27/05/2026

Why are women considered the “fairer sex” when, in most animal species, it is the males that are more striking? This question leads to a new study on factors influencing our assessment of attractiveness. Out now in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 26/05/2026

Thinking Design: Christopher Dell on musical spatial thinking—with insights into his current studies. 📅 June 08, 2026 🕕 6:30 p.m 📍 MPIEA ArtLab Foyer, Frankfurt am Main 🎟️ Free admission; the talk will be held in English More info: s.gwdg.de/RV4kGe

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 13/05/2026

How do we tell the difference between a human voice and a computer-generated one? A recent study shows that our perception depends not only on the quality of the voice, but also on the content and our own language skills. Out now in #SpeechCommunication: doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2026.103398

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 12/05/2026

Congrats, Laura! A very interesting topic. 👏

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 23/04/2026

Neuroscience, music, and exciting discussions at the CoBIC Scientific Opening Symposium: From April 20 to 21, 2026, renowned international speakers provided two days of fascinating presentations and scientific exchange. Many thanks to all guests and partners!

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 20/04/2026

What makes a design a classic? At our Library Talks with Viktoria Heinrich, we explored how objects like the Ulm Stool or Mayday lamp carry stories and become icons over time. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to such a great evening!

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 09/04/2026

The first talk of our #ThinkingDesign series is approaching: On April 23, Anke Haarmann from Leiden University (NL) will discuss “Epistemological #Aesthetics: How Practices of Design Lead to Insights.” Join us on at 6:30 p.m. in our ArtLab Foyer. More info: s.gwdg.de/gKAjol

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 07/04/2026

The #CoBIC Scientific Opening Symposium — two days of scientific exchange, fresh ideas, and collaboration with distinguished speakers. 📍 Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 📅 April 20-21, 2026 Click here to register: indico.ae.mpg.de/event/39/

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 02/04/2026

During our next #LibraryTalk, Design Historian Viktoria Lea Heinrich will talk about displaying design objects in museums and how to convey their history and meaning. Join us! 📅 April 16, 2026, 6 p.m. 📍 MPIEA Library, Frankfurt am Main 🗣️ Talk in German More: ae.mpg.de/LibraryTalks

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 30/03/2026

We’re excited to launch our discussion series Thinking Design! As part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, we explore how design shapes perception, generates knowledge and influences social processes. More info: ae.mpg.de/ThinkingDesign-en

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 20/03/2026

Unfortunately, the concert had to be canceled at the last minute for health reasons. Further information will be provided in due course.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 17/03/2026

At the “Creative Musical Dialogues Between Humans and Machines” concert, pianists David Dolan and Fredrik Ullén will improvise live with the AI system JHAIMI, which was developed by Oded Ben-Tal. 📍 Tuesday, March 31, 2026, MPIEA More info & registration: ae.mpg.de/musicaldialogues

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 16/03/2026

Welcome to Frankfurt, Oleg! We are super happy to have you here @ae.mpg.de and look forward to many exciting research projects! 🤩

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 12/03/2026

#FrankfurtHatHirn – Live took place yesterday evening at jugend-kultur-Kirche sankt peter in Frankfurt. Our booth and flash talks by Julia F. Christensen and Sophie Perizonius offered insights into our research on the human brain. Thanks to everyone making this event possible!

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 06/03/2026

We’re hiring!📢 We are offering a postdoctoral position at the Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology. More information here: ae.mpg.de/7teslajob

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Max-Planck-Gesellschaft @maxplanck.de · 17/02/2026

Live lebt! 🎶 #Musik in Konzerten aktiviert das #Gehirn stärker und löst mehr #Emotionen aus als z. B. in der gestreamten Version. Ein toller #Podcast mit Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann und Nikita Kudakov (alias Coodiny) @ae.mpg.de im ART-Lab in Frankfurt 🎧 www.swr.de/swrkultur/wi...

swr.de

Live-Musik – Warum Konzerte unersetzlich bleiben

Trotz Streaming-Boom erlebt Live‑Musik eine Renaissance, weil sie Körper, Gehirn und Gemeinschaft stärker aktiviert als jede Aufnahme.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 09/02/2026

An evening of conversations and inspiration.💬 At #LibraryTalks, we discussed with Thomas Meincke the intersections of his novels and music, collective writing processes with the audience, and an AI that recognizes itself in the title “I as Text.” Thanks to everyone involved!

Impressions from the LibraryTalks event.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 06/02/2026

What influences our concert experience? 🎵 Researchers at our Institute, with the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media and the @unicologne.bsky.social, have found that the aesthetic experience varies depending on the concert format. Read the Paper: doi.org/10.1057/s415...

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 05/02/2026

If you are in London, don’t miss this exciting event where human musicians and AI-inspired systems come together! Performance and research-led discussion with our Director Fredrik Ullén, David Dolan, and Oded Ben-Tal at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. More information 👉 s.gwdg.de/q8Zoc1

s.gwdg.de

When Scientific Research Meets Human Creative Spontaneity and AI on the Concert Stage

A unique evening hosted in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute, featuring concert pianist and cognitive neuroscientist Fredrik Ullén alongside David Dolan and Oded Ben-Tal.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 29/01/2026

#Author and #Musician Thomas #Meinecke works at the intersection of literature and music and will share insights into his writing process during our next Library Talk. Don't miss it! 📅 Feb 5, 2026, 6pm 📍MPIAE Library, Frankfurt am Main 🗣️Talk in German More: s.gwdg.de/h1uy03

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 28/01/2026

New paper alert! 🎉 Congrats to the whole team! 👏

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 28/01/2026

Congratulations! @giacomobignardi.bsky.social receives the Frank X. Barron Award for his superior contributions to the psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts as a student. The American Psychological Association honors his research on genetic effects on the perception of art🎶

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 21/01/2026

Distinguished visitors at the MPIEA: our Scientific Advisory Board is here! Six experts from leading universities worldwide are visiting to review our research and exchange ideas—joined by the Vice President of the @maxplanck.de. Looking forward to three exciting days!

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 20/01/2026

So, what exactly is a #researchreport? 🤔 A research report documents the progress and results of research projects and is usually published by an institute itself, not sold in bookshops. Our latest one is out now—a great snapshot of what’s happening at our Institute. 🤩 Read it online: ae.mpg.de/rr

Photo showing the new MPIEA research report.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 22/12/2025

At Christmas, we enjoy the little joys – like singing carols together. This fits perfectly with our Institute, where we explore why music and art move us. In this spirit, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyful start to 2026! 🎄✨

Visual of the sculpture of the word “Schön” in the four seasons.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 19/12/2025

Podcast-Empfehlung! Camila Bruder, Wissenschaftlerin am MPIEA, spricht in der Reihe „IQ - Wissenschaft und Forschung“ über KI-Stimmen in der Musik und die Berechenbarkeit von Pop-Hits. Die Folge ist ab Samstag, 20. Dezember in der ARD-Audiothek verfügbar. Zum Podcast ➞ s.gwdg.de/f5hyZ3

Illustration eines menschlichen und eines Roboter-Kopfes mit überlappenden Profilen und bunten Sprechblasen.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 12/12/2025

New paper out: An international research team, including researchers from the MPIEA, explored how children’s attachment security and empathy influence their emotional experiences while listening to fairy tales. Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1007/s42761-025-00339-4

The pages of an open book with sparkling effects.

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Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics

Max Planck Neuroscience @mpneuro.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Open science breakthrough: @arc-cogitate.bsky.social has launched an open-access iEEG dataset of 38 people, including work from @ae.mpg.de. This high-resolution resource tests competing theories & is available to researchers worldwide: bit.ly/49gRhne

Drawing of how intracranial recordings become a public dataset.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 03/11/2025

It’s almost time! The 2nd Annual Conference on #AestheticDevelopment takes place on November 20, 2025, at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt am Main. Registration to attend the conference is open until November, 10 ⏰. More information: s.gwdg.de/5XdgmU

Visual with the title and date of the 2nd Annual Conference on Aesthetic Development.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 27/10/2025

What does it mean to be ripe—and why do we find it so beautiful? Philosopher #LeonJoskowitz explores how #ripeness, #taste, and #perception shape our #senseofbeauty. 📅 Nov 6, 2025 | 🕕 6 p.m. 📍 MPIEA Library, Frankfurt am Main 🗣️ Talk in German More: www.aesthetics.mpg.de/newsroom/ver...

Poster Library Talks with date and location of the event and the German title

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 23/10/2025

🗣️ Can you tell an #AIvoice from a human one? Researchers from our Institute and the University of Applied Arts Vienna #dieangewandte found that while synthetic #TextToSpeech voices often fool us, they’re still rated as less attractive than human ones. Learn more: doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2025.100211

Illustration of a human and a robotic head with overlapping profiles and colored speech bubbles.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 20/10/2025

Today, our Institute hosted a distinguished delegation from the #UniversityOfSeoul, led by President Yongkul Won, during their visit to @goetheuni.bsky.social. The visit focused on Germany’s model of cooperation between university and non-university #ResearchInstitutions. @maxplanck.de

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 16/10/2025

Nikita Kudakov and his project partners have successfully advanced to Phase 2 of the @maximize-incubator.bsky.social start-up program of @maxplanck.de! Get involved: Are you a singer, rapper, or DJ and would like to enhance your live performance? Read more → s.gwdg.de/K2dgbC

Group photo of the team behind start-up project Great Gig Group.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 14/10/2025

Hindemith „bewusst“ oder „gefühlsbetont“ erleben: Das Max-Planck-Institut für empirische Ästhetik lädt zu zwei Konzerten mit Vortrag und einer begleitenden Studie ein. Wann? 21. und 25. November, 2025 Wo? MPIEA, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt am Main Mehr Informationen: ae.mpg.de/hindemith

Visual der Hindemith Tage 2025 mit Informationen zur Veranstaltung des Max-Planck-Instituts für empirische Ästhetik

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 07/10/2025

📢 Call for Abstracts! The 2nd Annual Conference on #AestheticDevelopment takes place on Nov 20, 2025, at the MPIEA. We invite submissions on how children engage with and develop through the arts. 🗓 Deadline: Oct 12, 2025 🔗 indico.ae.mpg.de/event/29/abstracts/ #Aesthetics #Conference

Visual with a Call for Papers for the 2nd Annual Conference on Aesthetic Development.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 01/10/2025

Today is a special day for us—it's #InternationalMusicDay! We investigate why and how people create art and how they perform, experience, and evaluate it, with a particular focus on #music. Learn more about our diverse #research 👉 ae.mpg.de/en

Person wearing EEG cap plays keyboard with sheet music on a tablet stand.

Woman in silver sari plays tanpura with eyes closed, audience silhouette in foreground.

Two pianists perform on grand pianos with cables and electronic equipment around them.

Rapper in red jacket performs on stage under red lights, crowd raises hands.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 24/09/2025

We look forward to welcoming the next generation of scientists!

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Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics

Max Planck School of Cognition @mps-cognition.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

The new application cycle for our fully funded international graduate program has just started. You can now apply via our website, sign up for a Q&A, or participate in the Applicant Support Program cognition.maxplanckschools.org/en ! 👍🏻🧠👏🏾#passionforscience, #maxplanckschools

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 22/09/2025

#Sexlessness: Why do some people never have #sex, even later in life? A new study, conducted by @amsterdamumc.bsky.social and the University of Queensland alongside researchers of our Institute, explores this fascinating question. Check out the @pnas.org paper here: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2418257122

A large, blue-grey, abstract silhouette of a person in front of a background of numerous red-orange figures.

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 19/09/2025

We’re excited to welcome Kaj Duncan David as our new INHABIT artist-in-residence! The renowned composer and performer explores connections between human and synthetic sounds to craft musical dialogues—something he’ll further develop at our Institute. Find out more: ae.mpg.de/INHABIT

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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics @ae.mpg.de · 16/09/2025

Congratulations to @davidpoeppel.bsky.social of the MPIEA, the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Career Award! The Society for the Neurobiology of Language honored his research, which has advanced our understanding of how the brain processes language. s.gwdg.de/rnHI4J #SNL2025 #Neuroscience

Two men on stage, a screen in the background, the man on the right is presenting the other man with an award.

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