Beauty and TECHNOCORRECTIONS

Mind Hacks has some great links as you look for something to do in this slow short week at work. Here's an Economist article on the connections between beauty (defined as physical symmetry--yeah, I know) and outcomes such as better jobs and so on. Most of this is familiar, especially to those of us less symmetrical, but the article is most interesting in proposing an actual tie between beauty and general intelligence, the first time I've seen that. It also indicates that, yes, there is a payoff between investing in clothes, cosmetics, etc., to make yourself look good and higher incomes, but, no, the income gain isn't enough to offset the investment, despite what you always hear on "What Not to Wear." (Is it wrong that I know the last names of both Stacy and Clinton?) Why is this corrections sentencing? Well, keep it in mind when you hear the bromide that environment has no effect on how well someone does in life and what courses might be available to them.

And here's a TECHNOCORRECTIONS piece they found on efforts to link a person's genes to drugs necessary to have the greatest impact on their subsequent relief from depression.

The idea is that it might be possible to predict which medications might be better for a particular patient. That has appeal, because many people have to try more than one medication in the quest to find one that is both tolerable and effective.

If a person metabolizes a drug much more rapidly than most people, then that person might need a higher than expected dose, or might need to take the medication more frequently than the usual recommendation. If a person metabolizes the drug much more slowly than most people do, then that person might be more susceptible to adverse effects; this might call for a lower dose than what most persons would take.

If I have to tell you how that makes more likely the combo of both the pharmaceutical and bioengineering efforts to remedy other psychological ailments more related to what we do in corrections sentencing, go sit in the corner until I tell you you can come out.