Cambridge University study finds art enhances abstract thinking
Art museums could change thinking process - study
Just now
Share
Save
Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Share
Save
Jo Underhill
Almost 190 people were part of the research at Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge
Visiting an art museum could change how we think about our lives, according to researchers.
A University of Cambridge study found people's ability to think in abstract ways was boosted by admiring art.
The results were measured after a group of 187 people were encouraged to judge the beauty of artwork at a Cambridge gallery.
Study author Dr Elzė Sigutė Mikalonytė said abstract cognitive processes were being lost "in a world of screens and smartphones".
Engaging with artistic beauty helped people escape the "mental trappings of daily life", researchers also concluded.
Jo Underhill
The study leaned on more subtle pieces of work to see what thoughts they provoked
The study participants were shown a clay exhibition at Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge for the research.
One group was asked to rate the beauty of each ceramic object, while the other simply looked at the art.
Senior study author Prof Simone Schnall said ceramics were "ideal" for the research.
"A glorious painting by an old master would be too striking," she said.
"We needed art that is subtle in form, requiring a focused contemplation of the nature of beauty."
The group who were asked to judge the art's beauty demonstrated more abstract thinking, compared with the group who simply looked at it.
However, they did not report feeling any happier.
Dr Mikalonytė said the tests were designed to analyse how a person was thinking.
"It's becoming much rarer to zone out and just let the mind wander, but that's when we think in ways that broaden our horizons," she said.
"Admiring the beauty of art may be the ideal way to trigger the abstract cognitive processes increasingly lost in a world of screens and smartphones."
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Blood test to detect early signs of deadliest cancer trialled in UK – and doctors are calling for people to take part
A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms. 2 Currently, the UK doesn't have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes - a known risk factor for the disease. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It's also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who's leading the trial, said: "There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. "If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. "Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. "This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future." According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. 'Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children' Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: "The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. "Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. "When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. "We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. "Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children." Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: "We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. "Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. "The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer." 'Exciting time for early detection research' 2 Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: "Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. "We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk." Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: "This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. "Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery."
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Hostile foreign powers could dim the SUN and weaponise weather to attack the West, UK fears
British minister are preparing for a dire scenario in which foreign actors could weaponise sun dimming technology. According to a ministerial letter, whose details were reported by the Telegraph, the Government is looking to understand the risks and implications of an 'independent or third party actor' using advanced technology to reflect light away from specific parts of the planet. While this technology is being developed with the aim of drastically reducing global warming in a last ditch effort, experts fear hostile nations like Russia could use solar engineering to put their enemies into an environmental disaster. Kerry McCarthy, the UK's climate minister, wrote in the letter: 'The UK is a longstanding leader on climate action and an active international collaborator in scientific research. 'The Government recognises the need to understand the risks and impacts of [solar radiation modification] approaches that could be deployed by an independent or third-party actor. 'Robust scientific evidence is essential for informing responsible and inclusive governance.' Most, though not all, methods of solar radiation modification involve shooting reflective aerosols into the atmosphere. Reflective particles then bounce the sun's light out of the atmosphere, before it has a chance to get trapped and heat it up. Though these technologies are being developed for climate adjusting purposes, Matt Ince, the associate director at Dragonfly Intelligence, told the Telegraph that rogue nations could use them to create 'novel' problems for their enemies. He said: 'In a context where we've had, for example, Russia increasingly expanding its use of hybrid warfare activities, it's possible – not immediately, but down the line – that they may look to broaden and diversify the types of activities that they're conducting, to include more novel types of activity of which solar geoengineering may be one. 'Not least because of its relative affordability and the feasibility of conducting it, but also because it would allow a relative degree of plausible deniability. 'We've seen migration patterns being intentionally influenced by the Russian state as a way of trying to push more pressure on to European countries.' But other experts were less certain that states would use the technology for nefarious purposes. Lt Gen Richard Nugee, an MoD expert on climate change and sustainability, said: 'No country has yet tried to weaponise the technology, quite possibly for a couple of reasons. 'It is seen to be very expensive for no defined and guaranteed output, and also it is not possible to predict the outcome – there are too many variables.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
New Generation Thinkers 2025 selected to shape programming on BBC Radio 4
Six of the UK's most promising early career researchers in the arts and humanities have been chosen as this year's New Generation Thinkers, a scheme supported by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC. Each year, a nationwide search identifies outstanding academics and helps them bring their research ideas to a broader audience on BBC radio. Selected from hundreds of applicants, these six researchers represent some of the brightest emerging minds in their fields. The New Generation Thinkers will collaborate with four Radio 4 teams across the UK, who work on programmes such as Free Thinking and Thinking Allowed, weekly science programmes, Front Row and Woman's Hour. The 2025 group of New Generation Thinkers have a wide range of research interests, including: the role which language plays in healthcare; Second World War espionage; evolving perceptions of crime and justice from Medieval times until the present day; how marriage, labour and climate impact migration; and women's contributions to television and film. Matthew Dodd, Commissioning Editor, Arts, BBC Radio 4, says: "As the biggest speech radio station in the UK, Radio 4 is thrilled to introduce six brilliant early-career academics to such a broad audience. Their commitment to reaching the wider public with their research will enrich Radio 4's programming, delivering new perspectives that inspire and challenge.' Professor Christopher Smith, AHRC Executive Chair says: 'New Generation Thinkers communicate fascinating ideas to the public, expanding our cultural, social and philosophical horizons while prompting important conversations. 'With subjects as diverse as climate change, war and healthcare, and methodologies as varied as film making and storytelling, these early careers researchers will explore important ideas that have shaped, and continue to shape, our world. 'I look forward to see what these six brilliant, original thinkers can produce with the resources of the BBC at their fingertips.' About the 2025 cohort Ashleigh Percival-Borley Ashleigh Percival-Borley is a British Army veteran of the war in Afghanistan and military historian at Durham University who brings a distinctive perspective to Britain's wartime past. Combining first-hand experience with academic insight, she specialises in the cultural history of the Second World War, with a focus on British secret intelligence and the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Her research explores how wartime espionage has been remembered, represented, and mythologised through personal testimony, film, and popular culture. Ashleigh has delivered lectures for NATO, spoken at the National Intelligence History Conference, and given a TED Talk on the feminine paradox of being a woman soldier and the emotional legacy of conflict. A skilled communicator, she has already taken part in a Free Thinking discussion in May looking at ideas about peace, which is available on BBC Sounds. Dr Beth Malory Dr Beth Malory works closely with healthcare professionals, researchers from different fields, policymakers, and charities to better understand the role language plays in healthcare experiences. Dr Malory is a lecturer in English Linguistics at University College London (UCL). Her research explores how the language used around reproductive and sexual healthcare shapes people's experiences of diagnosis and public understanding of health conditions. She is particularly interested in how language affects the way people think and feel about pregnancy endings, such as pregnancy loss or termination, and sexually transmitted diseases. Dr Malory works closely with healthcare professionals, researchers from different fields, policymakers, and charities to better understand the role language plays in healthcare experiences. Whilst completing her PhD at Lancaster University, Dr Malory held research roles and visiting lectureships at several universities, including Lancaster University, the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Manchester, and Liverpool Hope University. Since joining UCL as a lecturer in 2022, she has led a series of projects exploring the role of language in experiences of pregnancy loss, in partnership with national charities, including Tommy's and Sands. She is also involved in large interdisciplinary projects on pandemic preparedness and response. Dr Laura Minor Dr Minor is a Lecturer in Television Studies at the University of Salford, UK. Her research primarily focuses on women's contributions to television—both behind the camera and on screen—along with representations of social class in British popular culture. Dr Minor serves as Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded project What's On? Rethinking Class in the Television Industry, collaborating with industry partners Channel 4 and the BBC. Edinburgh University Press published her first book, Reclaiming Female Authorship in Contemporary UK Television Comedy, in 2024. Dr Reetika Revathy Subramanian Dr Reetika Revathy Subramanian is the creator of Climate Brides, a multimedia project and podcast investigating how climate change is deepening the drivers of child marriage in South Asia. Why people move, who stays behind, and how marriage, labour, and climate change shape these choices are central questions explored by Dr Subramanian, Senior Research Associate at the School of Global Development, University of East Anglia. With a background in journalism in India and a PhD in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge, Dr Subramanian works at the intersection of academic research and creative storytelling—drawing on podcasts, comics, and women's work songs to surface grounded, everyday narratives. Dr Sarah Louise Smyth Dr Sarah Louise Smyth is currently writing a book about filmmaker, writer, journalist, and playwright Nora Ephron, due to be published by Edinburgh University Press in 2026. Dr Smyth is a Lecturer in Film in the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies at the University of Essex. Her research focuses on women's representation and authorship in contemporary film and television. Dr Smyth's Nora Ephron project is part-funded by a BA/Leverhulme Small Grant, awarded for research on Ephron's early screenplays held in the USA. The findings of this research will help write the history of Ephron in Hollywood—one of the most popular and successful women filmmakers of all time. Dr Smyth completed her PhD in Film at the University of Southampton in 2019, funded by the AHRC project Calling the Shots: Women and Contemporary UK Film Culture. Since then, she has published research on topics such as women's filmmaking in Britain, women's genre filmmaking, and women's television production. In 2024, she co-edited a special dossier on women's television authorship and adaptation for the journal New Review in Film and Television Studies. She currently serves on the Steering Group of the Women's Film and Television History Network UK/Ireland. Dr Stephanie Brown Dr Stephanie Brown is a co-creator of Medieval Murder Maps, an interactive website offering unique insights into violence and justice in medieval England. Her upcoming book, Murder and Mercy: Homicide and Capital Punishment in Nineteenth-Century Wales, argues that not everyone had an equal chance of being shown mercy, and will be published by Routledge. Dr Brown is a historical criminologist at the University of Hull, exploring change and continuity in crime, punishment, and policing from the Middle Ages to the modern day. She is an expert in the law, context, and history of homicide, suicide, and abortion. Her research uncovers how society's views of violence, gender, ethnicity, and class shape who is seen as a 'criminal' and how the law is applied in England and Wales. She also explores contemporary issues, including how the media reports crime and what the public thinks about justice. FK About the New Generation Thinkers scheme Every year, the BBC and AHRC hold a nationwide search for the best new arts and humanities academics with ideas that will resonate with a wider audience. These New Generation Thinkers represent some of the best early career researchers in the country. They will benefit from training and development with AHRC. They will also spend a year being mentored by producers from BBC radio, where they will appear and take part in discussions during the year. The New Generation Thinker scheme has been running since 2011 with over 100 academics having passed through it. New Generation Thinkers alumni include Shahidha Bari, Laurence Scott, Nandini Das, Noreen Masud, Alexandra Harris, Daisy Hay, Islam Issa, Joanne Paul, Jonathan Healey, Oskar Cox Jensen, Tiffany Watt Smith, Daniel Lee, Lucy Weir, Victoria Donovan, Eleanor Barraclough, Jade Cuttle, Ellie Chan, Leah Broad, Diarmuid Hester, Elsa Richardson, Preti Taneja, Christopher Harding, Christina Faraday, Sandeep Parmar, Jake Morris-Campbell and Catherine Fletcher, who have gone on to publish for broad audiences outside of academia. Other alumni who have curated exhibitions, appeared as expert guests on TV or hosted radio broadcasts and podcasts include Fern Riddell, Xine Yao, Sean Williams, Dina Rezk, John Gallagher, Jade Munslow Ong, Joan Passey, Susan Greaney, Naomi Paxton, Sophie Coulombeau, Louise Creechan, Christienna Fryar, Alexandra Reza, Jake Subryan Richards, Danielle Thom, Fariha Shaikh, Will Abberley, Shona Minson, Becca Voelcker, Tom Simpson and Lisa Mullen.
