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Algorithms Can Make You Pretty

Posted by timothy on from the too-late-for-me dept.

caffeinemessiah writes "The New York Times has an interesting story on a new algorithm by researchers from Tel Aviv University that modifies a facial picture of a person to conform to standards of attractiveness. Based on a digital library of pictures of people who have been judged 'attractive,' the algorithm finds the nearest match and modifies an input picture so it conforms to the 'attractive' person's proportions. The trick, however, is that the resultant pictures are still recognizable as the original person. Here's a quick link to a representative picture of the process. Note that this is a machine-learning approach to picture modification, not a characterization of beauty, and could just as easily be used to make a person less attractive." Note: As reader Trent Waddington points out, the underlying research was mentioned in an earlier story as well.

6 of 288 comments (clear)

  1. duped... by slew · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's the original...

    Here's the source...

  2. Re:The question is... by mangu · · Score: 1, Informative

    in some weird way as always question my sexuality due to the anxiety such images put in my brain

    Then take a look at the female version of Goatse and see if it causes the same anxiety.

  3. Re:Maybe I'm just weird... by kryptobiotic · · Score: 2, Informative

    There really was a lot more difference in most of the women's faces as compared to the men so it isn't just that you are more sensitive to women's faces. If you subtract the 2 images in GIMP you can more easily see what changed. Naomi Weinstein and Martina Eckstut had large changes to the size and location of their eyes. Alison Bruce who I found very pretty was basically unchanged. James Franco was also untouched and the only real change to Woody Allen was the frames on his glasses. Micheal Cera's eyes moved and although his pictures were smaller I thought the change was quite noticeable. The programmer Tommer Leyvand probably had the biggest change for the men. His eyes were moved to be on a more horizontal line and his face got noticeably thinner.

  4. Re:THE QUESTION IS... by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 2, Informative

    goatSHE was hot thou..

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  5. Re:There is a simpler, proven method by Bogtha · · Score: 2, Informative

    And here is the corresponding scientific study.

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    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  6. Re:I'm Already Pretty by Aladrin · · Score: 2, Informative

    Some call a single imperfection on the face, like a mole, a 'beauty mark'. I don't subscribe to that myself, but it does make a face a bit more interesting.

    I also prefer the 'after' picture. She not ugly beforehand, but I find the 'after' picture to be prettier.

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    "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM