The Atlantic: Humans, the playwright Aristophanes argued, once had four arms, four legs, and two faces. Our current, more streamlined look—current in ancient Greece, and current, still, today—came about because of pride. Those extra-ancient, multi-limbed humans had become arrogant, Aristophanes had it, and the gods, being gods, resented that. Zeus More
The Economist: BEAUTY opens many doors. Study after study has concluded that the comely earn more, are better liked, are treated more indulgently and are even given more lenient sentences in court than their plainer counterparts. The door it opens widest, though, is the romantic one. As both common sense More
The New York Times: WE turn to screens for nearly every decision. Where to eat. Where to vacation. Where to eat on vacation. Where to get treatment for the food poisoning you got at that restaurant where you ate on vacation. Where to write a negative review calling out the More
TIME: My parents had an arranged marriage. This always fascinated me. I am perpetually indecisive about even the most mundane things, and I couldn’t imagine navigating such a huge life decision so quickly. I asked my dad about this experience, and here’s how he described it: he told his parents More
Pacific Standard: It’s every average-looking man’s dream. After being rejected by that handsome hunk, that beautiful woman you’ve been admiring from afar will realize her error in judgment and finally notice you. A lovely scenario, but newly published research suggests it’s highly unlikely. In two studies, “rejection by an attractive More
NPR: Whether you get dumped in person or over the Internet, another potential soulmate is only a click away. It so happens that the first online dating site is celebrating a big anniversary. Match.com turned 20 years old yesterday. I think it’s difficult to overstate the impact of match.com in More
