Aaaahh! That’s a cute theory

File photo: Dr Tracy Dicks, a veterinarian at Tears in Noordhoek, said some of the kittens had shown no symptoms.

File photo: Dr Tracy Dicks, a veterinarian at Tears in Noordhoek, said some of the kittens had shown no symptoms.

Published Apr 16, 2013

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London - Researchers have launched a new branch of animal study - “the science of cute”.

According to Oriana Aragon, of Yale University in the US, big-eyed, fluffy, diminutive animals have a big effect on human emotions.

She found that simply watching kittens, baby penguins and newborn lambs can stimulate the “pleasure centres” in our brains, releasing a chemical called dopamine that is also triggered by drugs, caffeine and sugar.

We love wide eyes, round faces, soft jaws, small chins and big heads on small bodies. “Cute has a power over us,” says Aragon. - Daily Mail

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