Monica Burke

When it comes to attraction between men and women, looks are definitely an important factor. This leads to the age old question, "What makes someone beautiful?" If beauty is in fact in the eyes of the beholder then how does the beholder define beauty? In an article from MSNBC, psychologist Ben Jones said, "We tend to think about things like attraction as reflecting a private decision or a personal choice, but our work shows that people's attractiveness judgments can be influenced in pronounced ways by what other people appear to think of those individuals.

Video games have established themselves as a permanent fixture in American society. These addicting games have won over teens and adults alike. However, they have also been proved to help some surgeons step up their game outside the gaming sphere. Published in the February issue of the Archives of Surgery, surgeons who play video games excel in the skills needed to perform laparoscopic surgeries.

The PLUG independent music awards took place in New York City on Feb. 10. This awards show is all about breaking the rules of conventionalism. Unlike the Grammy Awards or the Billboard Music Awards, the PLUG awards aim for giving recognition to the independent genre.

In Hollywood, the season of awards shows is upon us. Recently, the nominees for the crowning glory of award shows were announced. The Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 25. Nominated for leading actor are stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio for his role in "Blood Diamond," Will Smith for "The Pursuit of Happyness" and Forest Whitaker for his role in "The Last King of Scotland.

One of America's youngest sweethearts has been caught up in the critical storm of Hollywood's scrutiny. The film "Hounddog," which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, has critics both shocked and outraged. Fanning, who is known for roles in movies such as "Uptown Girls," "War of the Worlds," and "Charlotte's Web," stars in the movie "Hounddog.