By Crystal Becerril > Senior > English and Journalism > Boston University; Photo by AR > Sophomore > Graphic Design > UMBC
Superficial judgments aside, “beer goggles” are a term we all know. The person you see one night—the one you find amazingly attractive shortly before a sloppy encounter—may not be the one you see the next day, after the vodka-redbulls stop pumping.
Despite warnings from friends and your initial belief that no one at the bar was especially striking, the coffee patron shots seem to be calling your name.
“One time I made out with a guy at this small club. Neither one of us could even remember the other’s name,” said Boston University student Nancy Singer* “I had this image of a guy with brown hair in a gray cardigan.”
Scientists have linked alcohol with the area of the brain that judges attractiveness. According to the Journal of Vision, “Ethyl alcohol is often involved as a neuropharmacological factor in [social] situations and alcohol has been shown to alter facial perception to make some faces appear more attractive.”
That means that after a few drinks, our brains actually perceive more symmetry—something linked to rule attraction– in a face. The inevitable outcome is a change in judgment and a skewed view of reality.
“My friends told me the next day that he actually had dyed black hair with highlights and a black t-shirt on,” said Singer. “A bit different than I imagined, I guess.”
Everyone has a different view on this situation: some might see it as a sign to lower alcohol intake, some might see it as an embarrassing story for later, while others might aim to reach this drunken point.
“I’ve been tricked a few times,” said Jerry Smith, a New England Tech student. “I think it’s something that just happens and I’ve laughed at it after.”
Either way, we now know that our slipups aren’t just our own flaws, but science.
