WEIRD STUFF

Women prefer men who look like their brothers -- Study

A large-scale study analysing more than 40,000 interactions on a popular dating platform has found that women are more likely to be attracted to men whose faces resemble their brothers.

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology used artificial intelligence to assess facial features and personality traits. The results revealed a striking pattern: familiarity matters.

While scientists can't say for certain why this happens, they point to the "parental investment theory," which argues that women tend to prioritise trust and security when choosing a partner. A familiar-looking face may subconsciously signal safety.

Men, however, showed the opposite tendency. They preferred women whose faces were noticeably different from their own -- a pattern consistent with evolutionary theories that favour genetic diversity and discourage inbreeding.

Personality also played a major role -- especially when money and status entered the mix.

Women rated high-status men more favourably when their personalities matched. Men, on the other hand, were less likely to favour high-status women with similar traits.

Researchers suggest this reflects a "status imbalance," shaped by long-standing gender norms that influence romantic choices.

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Dancing can treat depression

Ground-breaking new research suggests that dancing can be just as powerful as antidepressants when it comes to easing depression. Scientists at Australia's James Cook University found that aerobic activities -- including jogging, swimming and especially dancing -- deliver the strongest relief for both depression and anxiety.

Even something as simple as a daily walk can help lift dark moods.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reviewed 63 studies involving more than 70,000 people. Researchers concluded that exercise deserves to be treated as a frontline option for mental health care, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with traditional treatments.

All movement proved beneficial -- but aerobic exercise stood out, with dancing leading the pack in reducing depressive symptoms. Group workouts were especially powerful, particularly among young adults aged 18 to 30 and postnatal women.

In many cases, the impact of exercise matched -- and sometimes even surpassed -- medication and talk therapy.

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Experts sound alarm on space births

As humanity prepares for long-term missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists are raising urgent questions about sex, fertility and childbirth beyond Earth.

In a recent paper, an international team of experts warned that human reproduction in space is no longer a distant hypothetical. It's a pressing issue that must be addressed before permanent space settlements become reality.

Right now, very little is known about how zero gravity and intense cosmic radiation affect male and female fertility -- or how embryos and babies would develop in space. Researchers fear that exposure to radiation could trigger severe developmental abnormalities, potentially making space-born babies physically unfit to survive Earth's gravity.

Dr Fathi Karouia, a NASA research scientist and senior author of the study, said:

"As human presence in space expands, reproductive health can no longer remain a policy blind spot."

He added that global cooperation is critical to close knowledge gaps and create ethical frameworks for future astronauts.

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