Finally, science has validated what those posters have been telling us for years. Apparently, beer goggles do turn ‘bow’ into ‘wow’.

A team of scientists at London’s Roehampton University have killed a considerable bar tab investigating why people who are intoxicated by alcohol seem less critically receptive to the physical appearance of others, or for the rest of us: “Beer goggles – why?”

The team identified the main reason Cinderella, whom you met at the bar after your seventh flaming Lamborghini, turned into a pumpkin over night, and it’s down to her bilateral symmetry. Yes, you heard right. Now pay attention, here comes the science bit:

Symmetry means one aspect or plane of a thing corresponds closely to another aspect, and no, not just the carpet matching the curtains. It seems evolution has hard wired us to seek out the finest, closest symmetry in others we deem ‘attractive’.

Add alcohol in excess, and the proximate position of her eyes, or the fact that he has a third nipple become far less noticeable. What the team found is that getting hammered doesn’t in fact decrease your ability to distinguish symmetry, but your ability to detect asymmetry. Like I said, bow into wow.

[Source: io9]