What Our Faces Reveal About Us episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 52 MIN

What Our Faces Reveal About Us

from KQED's Forum · host KQED

What’s in a face? For the ancient Greeks, the shape and features of a person’s face revealed their character, virtue and intelligence. Though these attitudes are outdated, they linger today as our faces are scrutinized in selfies and social media. In her new book, “The Face,” historian Fay Bound-Alberti shares the history and science of how we see and make sense of one another’s faces—while she struggles to recognize the faces of others. She’ll share why the human face has influenced politics, culture and our obsession with beauty and perfection. Guests: Fay Bound-Alberti, professor of modern history, King's College London; author, "The Face: A Cultural History" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 11, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

What Our Faces Reveal About Us

0:00 52:11

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of KQED's Forum?

This episode is 52 minutes long.

When was this KQED's Forum episode published?

This episode was published on June 11, 2026.

Can I download this KQED's Forum episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!