If we see someone attractive, we say he or she is "easy on the eyes." Now new research suggests that beautiful faces, paintings, objects or patterns are attractive because they are easy on the mind.

Previous research showed that people tend to find typical things more attractive, from watches to birds to faces. In fact, researchers found that the secret to creating an attractive face was to "average" many faces into a digital composite. One idea is that evolution adapted us to like typical-looking faces because they suggest good health in a prospective mate. But this notion does not explain why we would like typicality in cars, fish or other things we are not trying to mate with.

This article was originally published with the title Venus in Repose.

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