For Cupid, One Look Is Enough

Love at first sight is not just a saying, it’s a scientific fact, according to two West German researchers.

Christiane Doemer, a scientist at the independent Max Planck Institute, said Monday that she and a colleague had proved the truth of the saying with a series of tests.

“We observed 300 18- and 19-year-olds with a hidden video camera in a spontaneous one-to-one situation,” she said.

“We found that within 30 seconds--and frequently even sooner--you could tell from the couple’s body language whether or not they would hit it off.”

“A key factor was the looks the pair gave each other,” Doemer added. “How long they lasted, who turned away first, who gave the first look, and so on.”