Cybersentics Book Club
Sun, Apr 19
|Gray Area Theater
What if emotions have a universal physical language — one that can be measured, transmitted, and felt across bodies and cultures?
Time & Location
Apr 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Gray Area Theater, 2665 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
About the event
In 1976, musician and neuroscientist Manfred Clynes proposed exactly that, arguing that each emotion is expressed through a precise, biologically programmed dynamic form he called a "sentic shape."
This month, Cybersentics Book Club discusses the idea that emotions have fixed, measurable shapes that transcend culture and can be induced through touch alone. Though contested, Clyne's framework casts a long shadow, most notably informing Rosalind Picard's work on affective computing.
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Reading:
Clynes, M. (1976). Sentics — The Touch of Emotions. Anchor.
@grayareaorg