Have you ever wondered about the people you see in a large international airport? Their notions about everything are so different than our own, and yet in many ways, the same. That would include notions of cultural beauty.

The women dress different. Even their makeup palettes mark them as foreign. What does it mean to be beautiful in the Ukraine or in Italy? Why is milk-white skin prized in one country, while big hair is the height of beauty in another?

Notions of Cultural Beauty

Journalist Esther Honig thought it would be interesting to compare these cultural notions of beauty and to that end, sent off a photo of her own face to various Photoshop experts in 23 countries, asking them to “make her beautiful.”

The result is a fascinating study in aesthetics.

You may find yourself nodding in recognition—you’ll completely “get” why some of the portraits reflect the cultural beauty notions of the countries they represent, while other portraits may leave you completely confused. Fun thing to do with your daughter: cover up the names of the countries on the website cited above, or at the bottom center of the video below and try to guess which cultural beauty belongs to which country.

People Being Jerks

Do you believe in divine justice? Love to watch it in action? You’ll get a kick out of these gifs of people being jerks and getting their own comeuppance as a result.

Are you more about compassion? Watch the gifs  with your child. Ask her what she feels as she watches them. Are they funny? Sad? Why do we feel satisfaction when we watch justice dispensed?

Astronomy Photo of the Day

Did you know that NASA has an astronomy photo of the day? This is cool stuff, even geek stuff, perfect for the budding astronomer. Each photo comes with a short explanation.

When we took a look at today’s photo (December 17) we got this awesome closeup of M31: The “Andromeda Galaxy” along with a great explanation for how it got its name.

And sometimes the “photo of the day” is really a video, as in this clip called Spiraling Supermassive Black Holes accompanied by some classic Edvard Grieg.

Self-Destructing Notes, Anyone?

It happens all the time—you or your child thinks out loud: there should be a website for that. Well, now there is. Here’s a list of 29 great websites you really need. Once you see the list you’ll be thinking, “Where have you been all my life?”

Who hasn’t, for instance, wished for a website that allows you to create notes that self-destruct? Sounds like you really need Privnote. Perhaps you’d better bookmark this one for that next time you want to write a note that self-destructs after it’s read. (It really works!)

Classic Film for Beatles Buffs

Last but not least is Josh Raskin’s animated film, I Met the Walrus, a serious treat for Beatlemaniacs. The film depicts in animation a conversation between John Lennon and a 14 year-old boy, Jerry Levitan, who broke into Lennon’s hotel room in 1969 with a reel to reel tape recorder. The original 30-minute recording was whittled down to 5 minutes and animated for your viewing pleasure. It’s a classic.

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Editor’s note: This post was originally published July 17, 2014, and has been completely revised and updated for accuracy and scope.

Found what you just read useful? Why not consider sending a donation to our Kars4Kids youth and educational programs. Or help us just by sharing!