Scientists Prove Your Face Does Have a "Good" Side

Your "good" side is more science than pose. Scientists at Wake Forest University showed research subjects photographs of 20 male and female faces take from opposite angles. The participants uniformly found the left side of the face more appealing than the right. Since the brain's right hemisphere is better at signaling emotion than the left-and controls the left side of the face-facial expressions tend to be stronger on the left. Perhaps that's why iconic paintings like Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring lead with the left side.

I've now become obsessed with the science of expression. It turns out I'm not alone. The New Yorker magazine recently created a short video, using clips from classic Ben Stiller flicks such as There's Something About Mary, Zoolander, and Along Came Polly. In the video, the actor's face is analyzed by dividing it into two halves. Staff writer Tad Friend examines how the right side of Stiller's face expresses his romantic, sincere, leading man side; the left side, naturally, is made for comedy. The video brings up some interesting ideas, but it's also just a great excuse for a laugh.

Copyright 2012 Reader's Digest Association | By Alison Caporimo

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