The authors talk of determining attractive human faces, and present the startling conclusion that virtual faces far outshine their human counterparts.<p>In reality, what they've found is that <i>static images</i> of virtual, averaged human faces are perceived as more beautiful than photographs of humans. But images are just that, <i>images</i>. In my experience, faces are defined not so much by their static features, but by their animation. The face of a person is a window into their feelings, and expressions tell so much more about someone's personality that a static, neutral image can convey.<p>Were it possible, I'd love to see the same study attempt to capture gestures and expressions. One might find very different conclusions.