“Beer Goggles” Are a Legit Excuse, Says Science

We’ve all gone gaga for a few not-so-hot dates under the influence of a potent martini. Turns out, there’s a scientific reason for “beer goggles.” In a recent study, sixty-five college students, some sober and others three sheets to the wind (voluntarily, of course), rated a series of photographs for attractiveness and symmetry. Not surprisingly, a few beers made students more generous with their attraction ratings. Intoxicated students were less able to identify symmetry, so they interpreted asymmetrical faces to be more symmetrical (and thus more attractive) than they really were.
MORE: “Beer Goggles” Hide Symmetry