Which Direction is the Dancer Spinning?

Got this from Freakonomics blog: Which direction is this dancer spinning? If you think clockwise, the right side of your brain is supposedly dominant. If counter-clockwise, your left side of the brain is dominant (maybe at least at this time).


In my case, I could see the dancer spinning clockwise (to the right), except when I tend not to focus - in which case I see a counter-clockwise spin. If I focus again, it would go back to a clockwise direction. I asked some other people who could see it spinning both ways as well.

From the comments I've in the Freakonomics website about this, in which posters cited the direction they see the dancer spinning and their college major and/or professional background (I commented as well), even some people from highly-technical fields (e.g. engineering) could see a predominantly, if not exclusively, clockwise spin. Interesting.

 

Why Are There More Good-Looking Women Than Good-Looking Men?

According to evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics, good-looking couples are 36% more likely to give birth to a girl than less-attractive couples. This explains why there are more beautiful women than there are handsome men.

Kanazawa's research, which was submitted to the Journal of Theoretical Biology, suggests that beauty is a trait more valuable for women than men - men value physical attractiveness more than women do when looking for a mate.

Hence, one of the explanations why beautiful women sometimes marry unattractive men: there are just more pretty women in the world.

*Incidentally, I just watched "Knocked Up" and "Evan Almighty".

 

Is It Really Dangerous To Stand Too Close to a Microwave?

I've been told, for more than a few times, to stay away from the microwave oven because of the radiation it emits which might be harmful to the body. Personally, I was skeptical of this idea, thinking (mistakenly, I suspect) that ultraviolet radiation is even more dangerous and yet people feel it is OK to be exposed to the sun for short periods of time (yes, i'm no SME). So I've been wondering about this but never actually took the time to find out.

Then I encountered an article that talks about the topic and cites the claim by FDA, no less. According to the article, FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health sets a standard for all microwaves in the market. No more than 5 milliwatts per square centimeter can be leaked at about two inches away from the oven in its whole lifetime. The level is said to be too low to be harmful to humans. By contrast, cellphones are said to operate at a peak power of up to 1.6 watts.

Facts might tell you to it isn't dangerous, but fears still might.