Some people have succeeded in teaching a machine (computer) how to judge human beauty to a reasonable extent.  This can only be possible if most people share a similar sense of beauty and the computer picks up the pattern.  I will be addressing the shortcomings of a study in this regard.

In a previously addressed study by Albert Magro, he showed that the widespread appeal of the Barbie doll is best explained by Barbie exaggerating many of the derived features in humans.  Magro followed up this study with a more elaborate one where he used 18 sets of line drawings representing ancestral, intermediate and derived shapes, and had them rated by men, women, children, adults and people of European, sub-Saharan African and East Asian ancestry.^{(1, pdf [6.7 MB])}

A formal criticism of Stephen Marquardt’s Phi (Golden ratio) mask is about to be published.  The electronic version was posted online a few days ago.  Here is the article in its entirety.  It is written for a scientific/medical audience, but its contents have been discussed in a more layperson-friendly manner at this site before.

Another useless study has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, with the title “Body mass index and waist: hip ratio are not enough to characterize female attractiveness.”⁽¹⁾  Duh!  Amazingly, even the editor and peer-reviewers allowed this title.

A while back I mentioned a desire to sell some artwork.  I have come up with some samples.

In a previous article that addressed a literature review of correlates of facial beauty such as averageness, femininity and fluctuating asymmetry (random component of bilateral asymmetry), I posted toward the end a series of pictures of nude women, and asked which of them would be rated as having the most attractive physique by most people.  The pictures were taken from the photography of Akira Gomi.

Some British fashion models, allegedly including a few big names, are attempting to join a trade union to improve their working conditions.  Many models are tired of having to conform to excessive thinness requirements, long working hours without breaks, often having little chance to eat between photo shoots, being made to sign unfair contracts, being exposed to hazards such as body paint and peroxide, and feeling unable to opt out of nude photo shoots because of fear of losing work.

Some comments on the relatively smaller feet of women.