Frown = sad. Smile = happy.

Think your smartphone easily translates these symbols into feelings?

You’ll be amazed to learn how consistently the brain interprets every facial expression – from raised eyebrows to wrinkled noses.

Discover Magazine reported recently that instinctually, “we just know what certain facial expressions mean, we don’t have to think about it.”

Researchers from Ohio State University say they’ve pinpointed the region of the brain that goes to work whenever we are confronted with raised eyebrows, wrinkled noses, taut lips and other facial contortions. Located in the back, right-hand side of the brain, the small area is called the posterior superior temporal sulsus (pSTS), and researchers say it helps us process facial expressions.

New information they gained: This region of the brain acts the same across the board, “for this part of the brain at least, we process happy smiles and disgusted frowns the same way as everyone else.”

What will this research mean to to people with conditions like autism, who have difficulty processing emotions, possibly due to reduced activity in the pSTS?

Learn more in Nathaniel Scharping report at: https://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2016/04/19/where-the-brain-processes-facial-expressions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20AllDiscovermagazinecomContent%20%28All%20DISCOVERmagazine.com%20stories%29#.VxeE1pMrLzI