"This is your brain, reacting to the face of a happy stranger"

I attended my first dissertation defense today. TBB, who shares my advisor and who was in the first stats class I took, seven years ago, was presenting his research on how different parts of the brain react when a person is looking at photos of faces and evaluating the faces in terms of what emotions they seem to express. He's learned all about EEG technology (electrodes in a net all around the scalp, which doesn't hurt), as well as personality research, which is why his research took so long. So he talked for an hour, with Powerpoint, then the committee asked questions. I had to leave to pick up D, but I'm told the rest went well. After R. got home, I went to the happy hour GS had arranged for his research team (TBB and the other five of us), at the Mai Tai Lounge beneath the Thai restaurant next to my office. I mostly spoke with TBB, who is about to return to his postdoc in London, and then I gave him a ride to the place he's staying, on my way home.

SS is next, then it might be my turn! Not right away, though.