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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.

Language:
English Language

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.

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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