More to a Smile Than Lips and Teeth
By CARL ZIMMER
Published: January 24, 2011
“In the middle of a phone call four years ago, Paula Niedenthal began to wonder what it really means to smile. The call came from a Russian reporter, who was interviewing Dr. Niedenthal about her research on facial expressions.
“At the end he said, ‘So you are American?’ ” Dr. Niedenthal recalled.
Indeed, she is, although she was then living in France, where she had taken a post at Blaise Pascal University.
“So you know,” the Russian reporter informed her, “that American smiles are all false, and French smiles are all true.”
“Wow, it’s so interesting that you say that,” Dr. Niedenthal said diplomatically. Meanwhile, she was imagining what it would have been like to spend most of her life surrounded by fake smiles.”
From the New York Times, read the rest of the article here.
Funny how the smile just keeps on appearing. I wish I’d read this article before making Still Smiling but I love how it reiterates some of the design made while filming.
Also, isn’t the Smile Analyzer awesome? I think I need one for everyday use.