No, that’s not a beautiful, spiral galaxy. Not according to science. It’s a spiral galaxy. The “beautiful” is something human minds/emotions add to it. As a result of pleasant perceptions/experiences.
Gall darn that science — it’s so cold! Yet that very same cold distance is what makes science such a sharp tool. A tool sharp enough to cut through reality-distorting feelings and biases.
No, the good scientist doesn’t follow his heart. Not while conducting research. At other times, sure, he and she are human. So they can and do find beauty in the universe.
[image thanks to NASA]
I’m dating myself here, but I’m going to go ahead and do it. I’m going to quote lyrics from a song I remember hearing decades ago.
“Half Breed” by Cher
[CHORUS:]
Half-breed, that’s all I ever heard
Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word
Half-breed, she’s no good they warned
Both sides were against me since the day I was born
That’s the old. Now the news. A study on “mixed-race” people generated these results:
“A random sample of black, white, and mixed-race faces was collected and rated for their perceived attractiveness. There was a small but highly significant effect, with mixed-race faces, on average, being perceived as more attractive.” [source]
So it appears there is an upside, at least today, for being of racially divergent parents. As to the why of the attractiveness, Dr Michael Lewis of Cardiff University’s School of Psychology speculates . . .
“The results appear to confirm that people whose genetic backgrounds are more diverse are, on average, perceived as more attractive than those whose backgrounds are less diverse. This can be taken as evidence for heterosis [hybrid vigour] among human population groups.
Of course, a downside to looking different can still exist, even when the different looks are perceived as attractive. Consider the fact that for ages men have perceived “the opposite sex” — women — as attractive, but haven’t necessarily treated them with dignity, respect and equal rights.
One final thought. I find the results intriguing in that they may reflect what could be described as an extension of an anti-incest instinct. By mixing new genes into a gene pool you can make it healthier.
So go ahead. Love Cher and all those other mixed-breeds. In all sense of the word.
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