Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers
Have you ever noticed how DNA’s spiraling structure mirrors the shape of seashells and flowers? How our circulatory system branches like tree roots? Nature doesn’t just surround us—we are nature. Our bodies, minds, and societies are woven into its rhythms, yet in today’s modern world, we’ve severed that bond, and the consequences ripple through our environment, politics, culture, and even spirituality.
Every other week, hosts Monica Olsen and Jennifer Walsh explore the profound connections between planetary health and human well-being. Through conversations with leading experts, they uncover how nature influences everything—from the way we design our cities to the way we govern, heal, and find meaning in our lives. As we face climate change, biodiversity loss, and deep societal shifts, rediscovering our place in the natural world isn’t just necessary—it’s transformative.
Join us on this biophilic journey. Follow and listen today, because nature holds the answers.
Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers
Solutions Rewind | Beauty, Biophilia, & Your Brain with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee
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Today, we’re revisiting a favorite from the Biophilic Solutions archive: a thoughtful conversation on beauty, the brain, and our relationship to nature with Anjan Chatterjee. In this episode, we explore whether our aesthetic preferences are culturally shaped or more universal, why nature brings deep calm to some people while evoking unease in others, and how researchers are beginning to measure the real cognitive and emotional impacts of biophilic design.
Dr. Chatterjee is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading voice in the emerging field of neuroaesthetics, the science of how the brain perceives and responds to beauty. His insights help unpack what’s actually happening neurologically when we encounter inspiring spaces, art, and landscapes.
As conversations around mental health, neurodiversity, and the built environment continue to evolve, this episode feels as relevant as ever. Whether you’re listening for the first time or returning with fresh ears, it’s a rich exploration of why beauty matters—and how it shapes the way we feel, think, and live.
Show Notes
- Anjan Chatterjee, M.D.
- Neuroaesthetics
Biophilia as Evolutionary Adaptation: An Onto- and Phylogenetic Framework for Biophilic Design (Frontiers in Psychology)
- Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson
- Buildings, Beauty and the Brain: Q&A with Anjan Chatterjee (CNS: Cognitive Neuroscience Society)
- What We Like About Built and Natural Spaces (Psychology Today)
- How Our Brains Decide What Is Beautiful (TED)
Key Words: Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroaesthetics, Neuroarchitecture, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Brain Health, Beauty, Art History, Architecture, Aesthetics, Nature, Psychology, Science, Research, Research and Development
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