Facial expressions arise from brain networks that encode slow, context-rich meaning and fast muscle control on different time scales, keeping smiles and threats socially precise.

Photo-Illustration by Chloe Dowling for TIME (Source Images: Klaus Vedfelt—Getty Images, Tim Robberts—Getty Images, Kelvin Murray—Getty Images, Robert Recker—Getty Images, Howard Kingsnorth—Getty ...

Humans are social beings, hardwired to navigate complex interactions through signals that communicate our internal states. Of all the channels we use to perceive emotion, the human face is arguably ...

Human empathy can even extend to dogs: empathetic people interpret dogs' facial expressions more intensely. A study by the University of Helsinki and Aalto University explored how empathy and other ...