{{short description|American scholar}} thumb '''Beau Lotto''' is a visiting scholar at New York University. His research explores how the brain adapts to uncertainty at the cellular, computational and perceptual levels with the aim of understanding the fundamental principles of biologically-inspired innovation.
==Early life and education== {{unsourced|section|date=November 2025}} Lotto was born in Seattle and earned his bachelor's degree in anatomy and physiology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1991. He then moved to Scotland, where he earned his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Developmental Neuroscience from University Medical School, Edinburgh in 1994. He remained in Edinburgh for his first Postdoctoral Fellowship (with Professor David Price), and then moved to Duke University for his second Fellowship, where he was mentored by Professor Dale Purves.
==Career== He was a Lecturer and then Reader at University College London<ref>{{cite web |title=lotto-beau |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-evolution/experts/experts-profile/lotto-beau |website=UCL |language=en |date=13 March 2019}}</ref>{{dubious|date=November 2025}} and is now a visiting scholar at New York University{{citation needed|date=November 2025}}.<ref name=iri /> Beau and his lab have published over 70 peer reviewed articles{{dubious|date=November 2025}}{{citation needed|date=January 2026}}. While at the Institute of Ophthalmology, his lab created the first app for the blind that was available on the app store. His lab has received funding from a wide range of institutions including the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, the BBSRC, EPSCR and MRC.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lottolab officially opens at Science Museum |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2011/nov/lottolab-officially-opens-science-museum |website=UCL News |language=en |date=16 November 2011}}</ref>
In 2001, he founded The Lab of Misfits LLC, a neuroperception creative studio. Lab of Misfits has held a two-year residency at London's Science Museum, where it became one of the UK's first ‘open labs,’ where anyone from the public could conduct real science.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ananthaswamy |first1=Anil |title=Deviate attempts to alter the way we perceive the world |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431231-000-attempts-to-alter-the-way-we-perceive-the-world/ |website=New Scientist}}</ref> The Lab creates 'Experiential Experiments’ that engage the public for partnered organizations including Cirque du Soleil,<ref>{{cite web |last1=November 2018 |first1=Mindy Weisberger 09 |title=Here's Your Brain on Cirque du Soleil: Performers Spark Awe, Scans Show |url=https://www.livescience.com/64047-neuroscience-awe-cirque-du-soleil.html |website=Live Science |language=en}}</ref> L’Oreal and Asurion.<ref name=iri>{{cite news |last1=Dillon |first1=Frank |title=Beau Lotto: How to rewire our brains to spark innovation |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/beau-lotto-how-to-rewire-our-brains-to-spark-innovation-1.4177488 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref>
The Lab of Misfits, in collaboration with educator David Strudwick, also created the science education programme called {{Proper name|iScientist}}, which uses science to teach children from ages 6 to 16 years old Compassion, Creativity, Choice, Community and Courage.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arnold |first1=Carrie |title=Low-Grade Science: Primary School Students Conduct and Publish a Study on Bees |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/low-grade-science-primary-school/ |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref> The program resulted in the world's youngest peer reviewed scientist at 8 and 10-years-old, and the - then - youngest mainstage TED speaker at 12-years -old when Amy joined Beau on stage.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why science is like play |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/11/opinion/lotto-ted-science-play/index.html |work=CNN}}</ref>
Lotto is also CEO and Founder of the augmented reality company Ripple Inc., which holds five patents{{dubious|date=November 2025}} in Augmented Reality (AR), with two further patents pending.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Starr |first1=Michelle |title=AR messaging app lets you leave notes in the real world |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/ar-messaging-app-lets-you-leave-notes-in-the-real-world/ |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> Ripple has produced GPS-based AR apps in the industry, including Traces<ref>{{cite web |title=Neuroscientist Dr Beau Lotto launches immersive messaging app Traces |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/08/05/neuroscientist-dr-beau-lotto-launches-immersive-messaging-app-traces |website=The Drum |language=en}}</ref> and Frienji.
In addition to three mainstage TED talks,<ref>{{cite web |title='We're all delusional' – Neuroscientist and TED speaker Beau Lotto on why context is everything and why brands need to take notice |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/07/24/were-all-delusional-neuroscientist-and-ted-speaker-beau-lotto-why-context-everything |website=The Drum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TED Talks: Beau Lotto Explains How Optical Illusions Show How We See |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Ted_Diane/beau-lotto-ted-optical-illusions-show-brain-creates/story?id=14714884 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> {{citation needed span|date=November 2025|Lotto has spoken at the G8, Google's Zeitgeist, Wired, Davos, Canne Lions Creativity Festival, Burning Man and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He has contributed to television, radio and podcast programs by the BBC, National Geographic*, HBO, Wharton on Business Radio,* and PBS. He is a frequent keynote speaker at major corporations including J&J, Warner Music, Universal, Viacom, Sainsburys, Microsoft, Google, Apple, where he speaks about the fundamental barriers to thriving in uncertainty and how to overcome them.}}
==Honors== He received the Josef Albers Prize for ‘Disruptive Innovation’ at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York,<ref>{{cite web |title=HONOREES ANNOUNCED FOR FOURTH ANNUAL TRIBECA DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION AWARDS |url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/press-center/press-releases/honorees-announced-for-fourth-annual-tribeca-disruptive-innovation-awards |website=Tribeca}}</ref> and was the first Creator in Residence at Viacom.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Viacom is experimenting with new tech to engage viewers |url=https://digiday.com/media/fans-first-inside-viacoms-emerging-tech-innovation-lab|website=Digiday |date=21 July 2016}}</ref>
==Books==
*Lotto, Beau. ''Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently''. New York: Hachette Books<ref>{{cite news |title=Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto review – why we need brain control |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/22/deviate-the-science-of-seeing-differently-by-beau-lotto-review |work=the Guardian |date=22 April 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title="DEVIATE: The Science of Seeing Differently" by Beau Lotto |url=https://www.creativitypost.com/article/deviate_the_science_of_seeing_differently_by_beau_lotto |website=The Creativity Post |language=en |date=3 May 2020}}</ref> *Purves, Dale and Lotto, Beau. ''Why We See the Way We Do: An Empirical Theory of Vision''. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Atkins |first1=Edward J. |title=Books Reviews - Why We See What We Do Redux. A Wholly Empirical Theory of Vision. 2011. By Dale Purves and R. Beau Lotto. Published by Sinauer Associates, Inc.262 pages. C$60 approx. |journal=Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences |date=2011 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=665 |doi=10.1017/S0317167100118530 |language=en |issn=0317-1671|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bridgeman |first1=Bruce |title=Why We See What We Do Redux: A Wholly Empirical Theory of Vision by Dale Purves and R. Beau Lotto |journal=The Quarterly Review of Biology |date=1 March 2012 |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=64 |doi=10.1086/663928 |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/663928?mobileUi=0&journalCode=qrb |issn=0033-5770|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==Public art installations==
Beau (with Mark Lythgoe and Mark Miodownick) were the first scientists to exhibit at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank in London when they were asked to take part in the Dan Flavin Retrospective.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exploring light and colour |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2005/dec/exploring-light-and-colour |website=UCL News |language=en |date=21 December 2005}}</ref> His illusions, created with Dale Purves, have been exhibited in 30 science museums around the world, and published in multiple books on illusions. His work has been included in arts events at the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, as well as a solo show at the Wellcome Trust Collection. He currently has a live public art installation at ‘Silicon Roundabout’ on Old Street in London called Ommatidium commissioned by Transport for London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ommatidium sculpture offers kaleidoscopics view of the sky |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2015/11/04/samuel-wilkinson-ommatidium-kaleidoscope-sculpture-traces-app-design-installation-old-street-london-design-festival-2015/ |website=Dezeen |language=en |date=4 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Meg |title=A Crystal-Covered Canopy That Represents The Internet In Physical Form |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3053340/a-crystal-covered-canopy-that-represents-the-internet-in-physical-form |website=Fast Company |date=9 November 2015}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotto, Beau}} Category:Living people Category:British male writers Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:New York University faculty Category:Year of birth missing (living people)