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Modern WisdomFeb 29, 2024

#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive? on Modern Wisdom.

Guest: Macken Murphy

Notable books mentioned: For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls by Gregory Clark, The Genetic Lottery by Page Harden, The Moral Animal by Robert Wright

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For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls cover
Mentioned at 1:51:42
For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls
Gregory Clark

The host mentions Gregory Clark's book to highlight the complexities of human mating behavior and the influence of social status over generations.…

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The Genetic Lottery cover
Mentioned at 1:52:38
The Genetic Lottery
Page Harden

The host mentions 'The Genetic Lottery' by Page Harden to highlight her unique perspective as a left-leaning behavioral geneticist in a field often…

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The Moral Animal cover
Mentioned at 1:56:11
The Moral Animal
Robert Wright

The host mentions 'The Moral Animal' as a pivotal book that deepened their understanding of evolutionary psychology and its relevance to human beha…

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#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive?
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Episode summary, books & quotes

#751 - Macken Murphy - What Does Science Say Makes Someone Attractive? mentions For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls by Gregory Clark, The Genetic Lottery by Page Harden, and The Moral Animal by Robert Wright with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

For Whom the Bell Curve TollsThe Genetic LotteryThe Moral Animal
Guest: Macken Murphy
Episode summary
Macken Murphy is an evolutionary biologist at Oxford University, a writer and a podcaster. No one has ever said they want to be less attractive. But what does attractive actually mean? What do humans like to look at in other humans, and why? Thankfully science has some insights to help you understand why you like what you like. Expect to learn the role of symmetry in attraction, why the most average faces are actually the most attractive ones, how important muscles, waist-to-hip ratio, tattoos, beards, eye colour, height and voice are, how to work out what is a stated and what is a revealed preference and much more...
Book mentions3
Media mentions0
Topic and sentiment signals

Aggregated from transcript-derived mention metadata for better topical navigation and citation.

Top triggers
behavioral genetics and mating(1)evolutionary psychology insights(1)human mating behavior(1)
Mention sentiment
Deep Dive(2)Highly Recommended(1)
Audience signals
Individuals interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.Listeners interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.Individuals interested in psychology and self-understanding

Books Mentioned

For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls cover
For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls
Gregory Clark
Best for Individuals interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.Often cited around human mating behavior

“Gregory Clark wrote a book called for whom the bell curve tolls, which is a phenomenal title. He has tracked social status via a complex system of surnames in the UK for 700 years.”

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.
Key quote: “He has tracked the social status of people via a very complex system of surnames in the UK for like 700 years.”
The host mentions Gregory Clark's book to highlight the complexities of human mating behavior and the influence of social status over generations. Clark's work provides a unique perspective on how genetics and social class interplay in mating choices.
ASIN: B0FTW6RR7T
Buy on Amazon
The Genetic Lottery cover
The Genetic Lottery
Page Harden
Best for Listeners interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.Often cited around behavioral genetics and mating

“Page wrote the genetic lottery. She's the only well-known public facing behavioral geneticist that's ardently from the left.”

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Listeners interested in behavioral genetics and social dynamics.
Key quote: “page Harden, right? You know, page, uh, wrote the genetic lottery.”
The host mentions 'The Genetic Lottery' by Page Harden to highlight her unique perspective as a left-leaning behavioral geneticist in a field often dominated by different viewpoints. This book is referenced in the context of discussing how genetics can influence social status and mating behaviors over time.
ASIN: B09FRQG15S
Buy on Amazon
The Moral Animal cover
The Moral Animal
Robert Wright
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and self-understandingOften cited around evolutionary psychology insights

“I read the moral animal by Robert Wright. That book's from 1993, dude. And you can read it today. It's one of my top five books of all time.”

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Individuals interested in psychology and self-understanding
Key quote: “I fell in love with this subject. I read the moral animal by Robert Wright.”
The host mentions 'The Moral Animal' as a pivotal book that deepened their understanding of evolutionary psychology and its relevance to human behavior. They emphasize its lasting impact and how it helps readers comprehend their own motivations and preferences.
ASIN: B003VXI8DO
Buy on Amazon

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