Eye SignalsDiagram A Diagram BHess conducted a pupil response experiment by showing five pic-
tures to respondents: a naked male, a naked female, a baby, a
mother and baby, and a landscape. Predictably, men's pupils
dilated most at the naked female, gay men dilated most at the
naked male but women's pupils dilated most at the picture of the
mother and baby with the naked male picture coming in second.
Tests conducted with expert card players show that fewer
games were won by the experts when their opponents wore dark
glasses. For example, if an opponent was dealt four aces in a game
of poker, his rapid pupil dilation could be unconsciously detected
by the expert, who would 'sense' he should not bet on the next
hand. Dark glasses worn by the opponents eliminated pupil
signals and, as a result, the experts won fewer hands than usual.
Pupil decoding was used by the ancient Chinese gem traders
who watched for the pupil dilation of their buyers when negoti-
ating prices. Centuries ago, prostitutes put drops of belladonna,
a tincture containing atropine,
into their eyes to dilate their
Pupils and to make themselves
appear more desirable.
David Bowie has different-
coloured eyes - one blue and
one hazel - and one is perma-
nently dilated; this condition is
called Heterochromia and it
affects 1% of the population.
Bowie's eye variations are the
result of a punch-up over a girl-
friend at the age of 12