Yeah, I admit it; I know, it sounds weird to me, too.

是，我承認這聽起來很怪。

But apparently, some number of scientists, not working to land a man on Mars or find a cure for cancer, have some time to look into this matter, and it turns out, it is very interesting.

但顯然有些科學家沒有努力將人類送上火星，或尋找癌症的療法，而是花時間在這個問題上，但結果非常有趣。

So, off we go.

讓我們開始吧。

Beauty standards and perceptions of attractiveness vary across cultures, but one thing is clear: Being called cute is something entirely different.

不同文化對美的標準和對吸引力的感覺也不盡相同，但有件事情很明確：被說可愛就不在此限了。

What does it mean to be cute?

可愛是什麼意思？

Is there a scientific explanation why our brains perceive some people as cute and others as beautiful, hot, sexy, and so on?

是否有科學解釋為何我們的大腦認為有些人很可愛，有些漂亮性感之類的？

And finally, why does the Western world mostly see Asians as the former instead of the latter?

最後，為什麼大多數西方人視亞洲人為前者而非後者？

I'm sure you've got lots of questions, so stay tuned, because we're about to answer all of them with the help of science.

我相信你有許多疑問，所以請繼續看下去，因為我們即將在科學的輔助下解答，

But, first and foremost, don't forget to subscribe to our channel and turn on post notifications so that you don't miss any of our daily updates.

不過首先最重要的是別忘記訂閱我們的頻道，打開郵件提醒，以免你錯過我們每日的更新。

Okay.

好的。

Kittens and puppies are cute, right? And don't even get me started on panda cubs or little piglets.

小貓和小狗很可愛對吧？別讓我繼續舉例小熊貓或小豬。

Actually, when it comes down to it, the babies of any animal species are generally going to be cuter than the adults, and the same goes for humans.

事實上，只要是任何一種動物的幼兒普遍來說都比成年的可愛。

As for why we find babies so darn cute; it's mostly because of their size.

人類也是如此，這就是為麼我們覺得小寶寶如此可愛，因為他們體型小。

Small and helpless things trigger an instinct to nurture and protect, which helps our species survive.

小而無助的東西觸發人們想養育和保護的本能，這幫助我們的物種存活。

There are other traits in babies that our brain, for whatever reason, finds adorable.

還有其他小寶寶的特徵不知如何的就是令我們的大腦覺得可愛。

They have a disproportionate head-to-body size and short limbs.

他們有不相稱的頭身比例和短小四肢。

In fact, if babies were proportioned more like mini adults, we probably wouldn't be as inclined to coo at them.

事實上 ，如果小寶寶有成人的比例，我們大概就不會想對著他們咕咕說話了。

They also have flatter, more rounded faces, and, of course, smooth hairless skin.

他們也有吸引人的圓臉，當然了，還有光滑無毛的肌膚。

Aging into childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and, finally, full-on adult mode means the loss of these cute features.

成長為兒童、青少年到全然的成年人意味著這些可愛特徵的越來越少 。

Our faces become more angular, the bridge of our nose becomes more defined, and we lose our pinchable pudginess as our muscles take on more definition in our long limbs.

我們的臉變得更有稜有角，鼻樑變得立體，當細長的四肢上的肌肉越來越明顯時，我們富有彈性的肌肉流失 。

However, the retention of these baby-like features into physical maturity is more common for certain ethnicities.

然而，某些種族的成年人特別興盛保持這些幼兒般的生理特徵。

East Asian people⏤that is, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Taiwanese, and Singaporean, just to name a few⏤tend to hold on to these features into adulthood, a phenomenon called neoteny.

亞洲人，也就是日本人、中國人、韓國人和越南人、泰國人、台灣人以及新加坡人等等，在成年後保留這些特色的現象叫作幼態延續。

Studies have found that neotenous faces are often perceived as more social and feminine, whereas non-neotenous faces are seen as more intimidating.

研究發現幼態持續的臉被視為較善於社交和陰柔，而非幼態持續的臉則較有壓迫感。

Neoteny is prominent among East Asian ethnicities because of a mutation that first appeared around 35,000 years ago in the gene known as EDAR.

由於一種在 35,000 年前出現的 EDAR 突變基因，幼態持續在東亞人種佔多數。

The EDAR gene controls the development of our hair, skin, and teeth.

EDAR 基因控制我們毛髮、肌膚和牙齒的成長。

This mutation causes people to have thicker hair shafts, more oil glands, which helps keep skin looking youthful for longer, and less breast tissue in females.

這種突變導致人們髮幹變厚和油腺增加，這幫助肌膚更持續看起來年輕，女性的乳房相關問題也較少。

Over thousands of years, a preference to choose mates that exhibit these features has resulted in a much higher number of people with them.

千年以來，由於擇偶條件所偏好，愈來愈多人身上顯現出這些特徵。

So, basically, about 93% of Han Chinese people, 70% of Japanese and Thai people, and 75% of Native Americans carry this variation of the EDAR gene today.

使的現今大約 93% 中國人、70% 日本人和泰國人以及 75% 的在地美國人帶有 EDAR 基因。

The EDAR mutation has also been linked to a reduced presentation of sexual dimorphism in the populations that carry it.

EDAR 基因也和兩性異形趨於不明顯的人口有關聯。

Sexual dimorphism is what makes males and females of the same species look different.

兩性異形使同一物種的雌雄長得不同。

So, less sexual dimorphism means men with neotenous faces tend to look more feminine.

意味著有幼態持續臉龐的男性看起來較陰柔。

And because European and North American preferences are, and have been, vastly different over generations, sexual dimorphism is higher among these ethnicities.

由於歐洲人和北美人幾代以來都偏愛兩性異形明顯，所以他們人種中兩性異形明顯比例也較高。

There are traditional masculine features, like broad shoulders and an angular face, as well as feminine ones, such as bodily curves, that have attracted members of the opposite sex for enough generations to result in such distinct features and a large number of people who have them.

包含傳統的男性特徵，例如寬闊的肩膀和有稜有角的臉，以及吸引無數世代男性的身材曲線的女性特徵導致了如此明顯而很多人都有的特徵。

The recent surge in the worldwide popularity of Korean pop music, abbreviated as K-pop, with groups like BTS has put this cultural difference in the spotlight.

進來韓國流行音樂在全球興起的浪潮簡稱 K-pop，例如團體 BTS 就在聚光燈下展現了這個文化差異。

Rather than exhibiting the sort of macho features of Western standards of male beauty, sensational K-pop stars like Jimin have smooth faces, slim bodies, and an overall feminine appearance.

他們並無表現出西方審美標準的男性魅力，引起轟動的 k-pop 偶像們，例如朴智旻就有張圓滑的臉、纖瘦的身材和總體而言陰柔的外表。

But Jimin and other K-pop stars aren't just heartthrobs in South Korea.

但朴智旻和其他的韓星不單單是南韓的萬人迷。

They've got armies of adoring fans all across the globe.

他們在世界各地擁有大批崇拜的粉絲。

Some people are even ready to turn to plastic surgery to achieve the feminine features that K-pop has shown can be very attractive in a guy.

有些人甚至想轉而整形以達到韓國流行男生具有強大吸引力的陰柔特色。

Perhaps something's changing, and East Asian standards of beauty are starting to replace the Western ones.

也許事情正在改變，而亞洲的審美標準正在取代西方的呢。

Who knows? Maybe not too far off in the future, the Jimin's will replace the Hemsworth's as the leading male roles of major Hollywood blockbusters.

誰知道呢？也許未來不久後，朴智旻將取代克里斯 · 漢斯沃將成為好來塢主要的主角大咖。

After all, male beauty comes in all sorts of flavors and there are lots of people who think we should see a little more of that on the big screen.

畢竟，男性審美有各種各樣的喜好，有很多種類是我們認為應該在大銀幕上多看到一點的。

How about you?

你覺得呢？

Of course, this topic makes for a great discussion; so, now, it's your turn.

當然了，這個話題引發激烈討論。所以現在輪到你了。

What criteria do you think makes someone cute as opposed to beautiful or sexy?

你覺得一個可愛的人相對於漂亮或性感，需要哪些條件？

Let us know down in the comments, and remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so keep it respectful down there.

記住，人人都有權有自己的立場，所以請尊重別人。

If you found this video interesting and informative, give it a like and share it with your friends.

如果你覺得影片很有趣和信息豐富，請按讚並分享給你的朋友。

Hit that subscribe button and stay with us on the Bright Side of life.

按下訂閱按鈕，並與我們一起看見美好的一面。