This report goes in the, "we could have told you that a long time ago" file.
In Vienna, Austria and Tallahassee, Florida researchers are studying the personality traits of cars ?
And guess what they've discovered?
They found out that cars indeed have personalities, and that some are dominant while others are submissive.
And what do you suppose is one of the most submissive cars on the market today. You guessed it…the Volkswagen Beetle.
According to the Associated Press:
"Slice, a shape analysis researcher, said the narrow body, wide-eyed
circular headlights, tall windshield and curve of the bug's hood match
the facial features of a smiling woman or child.
"This is the
classic cute car — not dominant, not aggressive," said Slice, an
associate professor of scientific computing at FSU. "I don't think
anyone could be mean to someone else in a Volkswagen Beetle."
Slice
and fellow researchers at Austria's Vienna University, where he's a
guest professor, are exploring the widely held belief that cars project
personalities because they look like human faces when viewed head-on."
So why study something that most of us already know?
"Facial features offering clues about a person's sex, age, emotions and
intentions helped early humans "know whether the guy that just stepped
out of the bushes is going to take your head back for a trophy or
invite you to lunch," Slice said.
"Possibilities are if you see an aggressive car in your rear view
mirror you may be more like to pull over and yield to it," he added "By
the same token, if you see a submissive or more immature car trying to
get into traffic you may be more likely to yield to it and help the
innocent little car get into traffic."
