THAT health and beauty are linked is not in doubt. But it comes as something of a surprise that who is perceived as beautiful depends not only on the health of the person in question but also on the average level of health in the place where she lives. This, though, is the conclusion of a study just published in Biology Letters by Urszula Marcinkowska of the University of Turku, in Finland, and her colleagues—for Ms Marcinkowska has found that men in healthy countries think women with the most feminine faces are the prettiest whilst those in unhealthy places prefer more masculine-looking ones. Ms Marcinkowska came to this conclusion by showing nearly 2,000 men from 28 countries various versions of the same female faces, modified to look less or more feminine, and thus reflect the effects of different levels of oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen promotes features, such as large eyes and full lips, that are characteristically feminine. Testosterone promotes masculine features, such as wide faces and strong chins. In this section Sex, writhes and videotape Nothing succeeds like success Magic dust Pumped up Faces and fortunes Something glowing on Reprints As the chart shows, the correlation is remarkable—and statistical analysis shows it is unconnected with a country’s wealth or its ratio of men to women and thus the amount of choice available to men. The cause, though, is unclear. Previous studies have shown that women with feminine features are more fertile. A man’s preference for them is thus likely to enhance his reproductive success. Ms Marcinkowska speculates that testosterone-induced behavioural characteristics like dominance, which might be expected to correlate with masculine-looking faces even in women (they certainly do in men), help in the competition for resources needed to sustain children once they are born. But why that should be particularly important in an unhealthy country is unclear. economist
Showing posts with label Faces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faces. Show all posts
May 7, 2014
THAT health and beauty are linked is not in doubt. But it comes as something of a surprise that who is perceived as beautiful depends not only on the health of the person in question but also on the average level of health in the place where she lives. This, though, is the conclusion of a study just published in Biology Letters by Urszula Marcinkowska of the University of Turku, in Finland, and her colleagues—for Ms Marcinkowska has found that men in healthy countries think women with the most feminine faces are the prettiest whilst those in unhealthy places prefer more masculine-looking ones. Ms Marcinkowska came to this conclusion by showing nearly 2,000 men from 28 countries various versions of the same female faces, modified to look less or more feminine, and thus reflect the effects of different levels of oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen promotes features, such as large eyes and full lips, that are characteristically feminine. Testosterone promotes masculine features, such as wide faces and strong chins. In this section Sex, writhes and videotape Nothing succeeds like success Magic dust Pumped up Faces and fortunes Something glowing on Reprints As the chart shows, the correlation is remarkable—and statistical analysis shows it is unconnected with a country’s wealth or its ratio of men to women and thus the amount of choice available to men. The cause, though, is unclear. Previous studies have shown that women with feminine features are more fertile. A man’s preference for them is thus likely to enhance his reproductive success. Ms Marcinkowska speculates that testosterone-induced behavioural characteristics like dominance, which might be expected to correlate with masculine-looking faces even in women (they certainly do in men), help in the competition for resources needed to sustain children once they are born. But why that should be particularly important in an unhealthy country is unclear. economist
THAT health and beauty are linked is not in doubt. But it comes as something of a surprise that who is perceived as beautiful depends not only on the health of the person in question but also on the average level of health in the place where she lives. This, though, is the conclusion of a study just published in Biology Letters by Urszula Marcinkowska of the University of Turku, in Finland, and her colleagues—for Ms Marcinkowska has found that men in healthy countries think women with the most feminine faces are the prettiest whilst those in unhealthy places prefer more masculine-looking ones.
Ms Marcinkowska came to this conclusion by showing nearly 2,000 men from 28 countries various versions of the same female faces, modified to look less or more feminine, and thus reflect the effects of different levels of oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen promotes features, such as large eyes and full lips, that are characteristically feminine. Testosterone promotes masculine features, such as wide faces and strong chins.
In this section
Sex, writhes and videotape
Nothing succeeds like success
Magic dust
Pumped up
Faces and fortunes
Something glowing on
Reprints
As the chart shows, the correlation is remarkable—and statistical analysis shows it is unconnected with a country’s wealth or its ratio of men to women and thus the amount of choice available to men. The cause, though, is unclear.
Previous studies have shown that women with feminine features are more fertile. A man’s preference for them is thus likely to enhance his reproductive success. Ms Marcinkowska speculates that testosterone-induced behavioural characteristics like dominance, which might be expected to correlate with masculine-looking faces even in women (they certainly do in men), help in the competition for resources needed to sustain children once they are born. But why that should be particularly important in an unhealthy country is unclear.
economist
May 6, 2014
It's written on their faces: the moment of truth. These ping-pong athletes will soon know either eternal glory or gruesome defeat. As the World Team Table Tennis Championships move into the final rounds on May 5 in Tokyo, Japan, ping-pong warriors across the globe continue their intense battles with those little white bouncing balls. With paddles at the ready, nothing can break these would-be champions' concentration. You'll have to hold your breath just looking at their fierce faces. 
Britt Eerland of the Netherlands watches the ball during her round robin match. 
Eva Odorova of Slovakia watches the ball during her round robin match of the World Team Table Tennis Championships against Katarzyna Grzybowska of Poland. 
Xu Xin, top, of China returns the ball during his round robin match of the World Team Table Tennis Championships against Grigory Vlasov, bottom, of Russia. 
Xu Xin of China plays against Zolt Pete of Serbia during their round robin match. 
mashable
It's written on their faces: the moment of truth. These ping-pong athletes will soon know either eternal glory or gruesome defeat.
As the World Team Table Tennis Championships move into the final rounds on May 5 in Tokyo, Japan, ping-pong warriors across the globe continue their intense battles with those little white bouncing balls.
With paddles at the ready, nothing can break these would-be champions' concentration. You'll have to hold your breath just looking at their fierce faces.
Britt Eerland of the Netherlands watches the ball during her round robin match.
Eva Odorova of Slovakia watches the ball during her round robin match of the World Team Table Tennis Championships against Katarzyna Grzybowska of Poland.
Xu Xin, top, of China returns the ball during his round robin match of the World Team Table Tennis Championships against Grigory Vlasov, bottom, of Russia.
Xu Xin of China plays against Zolt Pete of Serbia during their round robin match.
mashable
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