Whatta You Lookin' At?

All Eyes on Me

When people look at spots near our face, we tend to assume they're looking right at us, and if they're looking at our face, we assume they're making eye contact. That guy on the subway may not be so creepy after all.

One Last Shot

The gaze of a novice hockey goalie tends to jump around before a shot, but master goaltenders lock their eyes on the puck and the shooter's stick.

Scene Stealer

When viewing objects in front of complex backgrounds, Asians fixate more on the surroundings than do Americans. Compared with America's stress on individuality, context is king in Asia, and those social forces may be directing Asians' attention to scenery.

Pay per View

A British company has developed a small, inexpensive eye tracker that can be attached to store displays or billboards to count how many times they're viewed by passersby. Real-world ads could be sold by the eyeball, just like their online counterparts.

Below the Belt

When viewing photos of copulating couples, women spend more time looking at genitals than guys do, perhaps due to less porn exposure, whereas men look at women's faces, hoping for signs of arousal.

Smileys in Translation

You can tell when Americans are happy by their smile, but Japanese tend to look for emotional cues in the eyes. That's why Japanese emoticons emphasize the orbs: Compare :-) with (^_^) and :-( with (;_;).

Undivided Attention

If someone asks you a difficult question, look away before answering—studies show it will improve your concentration. Brains have a hard time ignoring others' faces, so block the distraction. Now convince your partner you're not being rude.