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Math 4: Symmetry: What's the Big Deal? 33 Views
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Description:
Symmetry. It's the reason Two-Face never got that primo modeling contract he was after. No wonder that guy was always in such a rotten mood.
Transcript
- 00:12
Time to take a long hard look at our faces… [Girl walks in front of a mirror]
- 00:16
… from a mathematical perspective.
- 00:19
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder… [Boy with love hearts for eyes]
- 00:21
… but turns out, it might have a little something to do with math. [Burger on a plate]
- 00:24
Specifically: symmetry.
Full Transcript
- 00:25
That’s because the human face is symmetrical.
- 00:28
Well…usually.
- 00:29
So what does that mean?
- 00:31
Well, if you drew a line down the middle of your face, the left side would match the right. [Line through the middle of the girls face]
- 00:35
It’s basically like the human face was designed by a lazy person with Photoshop. [Guy sat behind a computer with rubbish on the desk]
- 00:39
And guess what?
- 00:40
We tend to find symmetry pretty attractive!
- 00:42
No explanation, then, for why these paintings are worth so much money.
- 00:46
So, what’s the connection between symmetry and attraction? [A girl and a boy sat on a bench with love hearts coming off them]
- 00:50
Blame the brain.
- 00:51
Sorry brain…we blame you for a lot… [Their heads open]
- 00:53
But in this case, there's actually no one else to blame.
- 00:56
Our brains are hardwired to find symmetry attractive. [Photos of people with symmetrical faces stamped attractive]
- 00:59
Scientists think this is because a symmetrical appearance is seen as an indicator of health,
- 01:04
and a sign of a good potential mate.
- 01:06
And it’s not just faces!
- 01:08
As a rule, human beings prefer things that are symmetrical to things that aren’t. [Man walks into a bedroom]
- 01:11
Whether it’s in our clothes…
- 01:13
… furniture…
- 01:14
… or hair. [Arrow points to the mans hair and he looks happy]
- 01:15
Though there's one big exception to the symmetry rule: pizza.
- 01:18
Don't you hate it when your dad’s anchovies creep into your delightful Hawaiian paradise? [Anchovies crossing the split pizza]
- 01:23
Anyway, turns out human beings aren’t the only ones who love mirrored beauty. [Boy falls to the floor]
- 01:27
Mother Nature is all about that symmetry.
- 01:29
Seriously, just look around and you’ll see symmetry everywhere!
- 01:32
Leaves, butterflies, flowers, spider webs… [Symmetry demonstrated on random objects]
- 01:35
Yup.
- 01:36
Mother Nature and symmetry…the original power couple.
- 01:39
So, when it comes to finding the fairest of them all, you might actually be looking for [Magnifying glass over a girls face]
- 01:43
the most symmetrical of them all!
- 01:45
Though a magic mirror is still probably the easier option…
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