Reader’s Scigest 14-02-14
Hot Wheels
Good news for Bradley Wiggins; the fastest cyclists are the most good looking, according to a study by evolutionary biologist Erik Postma. He conducted a survey in which 816 women and men rated the attractiveness of 80 cyclists taking part in the 2012 Tour de France. The eight best performers scored 25 percent higher on average than the eight worst performers. Postma suggested that an attractive face signals good endurance which was vital in the past when males would hunt to provide food for the family.
GoodbiPod
Sales of Apple’s iPod have dropped by over a half compared to last year – a new extreme in a sales decrease that has been occurring since 2009. Apple has attributed the decline to new technologies such as smart phones and streaming services such as Spotify – technologies that include Apple’s own iPhone, which sold 51 million copies over the Christmas period, compared to a paltry 6 million iPod sales. With no new designs being released since 2012, it may soon be the end of the renowned MP3 player.
No laughing matter
Comedians tend to have high levels of psychotic traits, according to recent research. Along with a control group of those in non-creative jobs, over 500 comedians completed an online questionnaire devised to test four personality aspects including unusual experiences, distractibility, introvertism and impulsive behaviour. Comedians scored highly on all of these aspects relative to the control group and were found to be particularly introverted and depressive or, conversely, extroverted with manic-like attributes.
Photograph: Rex Boggs on Flickr
