The Science Of Cute

Experts from science and technology magazine How it Works have uncovered the science of cute, explaining why an adorable puppy can make even the hardest soul melt.

The Science Of Cute

How it Works / Via offers.imaginesubs.co.uk

Have you ever wondered why certain creatures are guaranteed to induce an audible 'aww' but others aren't?

While we're likely to find fluffy ducklings in a nest or kittens playing with a ball of wool adorable, a baby crocodile doesn't really push our cute buttons. So what's happening in our brains when we see something cute?

Experts from science and technology magazine How it Works have uncovered the science of cute, explaining why an adorable puppy can make even the hardest soul melt. Here are a number of theories behind the biology of the 'aww factor':

The baby schema: a tried-and-tested set of physical characteristics which provoke our innate desire to take care of something:

•Big forehead

•Bobble head

•Chubby cheeks

•Large eyes

•Soft textures

•Round body

What happens in our brain when we see something cute?

1.The mesocorticolimbic system, the part of the brain that is associated with the processes of motivation and reward, is stimulated when we see something cute

2.This causes a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine and makes us feel all warm and fuzzy

3.Our brains commit that rewarding feeling to memory, letting us know to do it again

4.The emotional response triggered by the cuteness also stimulates the motivation to care for the animal, hence the urge to pick it up and give it a big cuddle

5.This reaction is so ingrained in our brain that it can be triggered by other cute little creatures or inanimate things at any time

Cute creatures have an evolutionary advantage

•Creatures like insects, reptiles and fish that are generally not considered cute are the ones who, once born, charge headfirst into the big wild world without a second look at their parents

•Species who need nurturing and protecting are considered much cuter than those who follow a gung-ho approach to infancy

•Scientists think that having adorable babies is essential for some species' survival. Humans and animals need to care for their offspring and bond with them in order to prolong the existence of their species

How it Works / Via offers.imaginesubs.co.uk