Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Curvy females attract more men LONDON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A study shows men find women with curves like Marilyn Monroe more attractive than waifs like Kate Moss. Advertisement Devendra and Adrian Singh, psychologists at the University of Texas, said their research showed, while beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, that admiration of an hourglass figure -- as defined by the waist-hip ratio -- appears to be hot-wired in the male brain, The Telegraph said. Their study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, categorized thousands of references to female beauty appearing in literature from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Modern science has determined a small waist and bigger hips in women is associated with higher levels of the hormone that affects fertility. Lost in transportation, Los Angeles style Advertisement LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Some 12,000 "lost" items of all shapes and sizes are waiting to be claimed in Los Angeles' Metropolitan Transportation Authority's lost and found department. Many possessions that are reported lost on Los Angeles' buses and trains are never turned in. Those that are returned usually come with an unusual story, said Lorna Riley, the MTA employee in charge of recording each item. "You never know what to expect," Riley told the Los Angeles Daily News. The bizarre items in the lost and found inventory include a prosthetic leg stolen from its owner -- who wanted to take a quick nap; a human jawbone lost by a science professor; and a suitcase containing a cremated woman's remains, the newspaper said. Most items that are not claimed within 30 days are turned over to Nationwide Auction Systems in Industry, Calif. Some items are donated to a homeless shelter. The MTA will notify anyone of a found item when it contains contact information, Riley told the Daily News. New York develops new playground NEW YORK, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- New York City is developing a playground near the South Street Seaport that will feature water, ramps, sand and objects designed to stimulate the imagination. Advertisement The playground will also have "play workers" present to guide and assist the children with the equipment, The New York Times reported. Developers said the playground is based on theories that children need social and fantasy play in addition to the physical skills that traditional playgrounds focus on. City officials said they hope the new playground will serve as a model for similar attractions around the city and in other parts of the country. "This is a very exciting idea in its physical presentation and its potential to change the way we think of playgrounds," said Adrian Benepe, New York's parks commissioner. Benepe said the new park could "once again put New York City on the cutting edge of playground design and development." A cappella brings out worst in mob SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- San Francisco police are interviewing people in connection with a New Year's Eve mob attack on Yale University's all-male a cappella singing group. The 16 singers -- known as the Baker's Dozen -- were on a West Coast tour and were invited to a party in an upscale neighborhood. Soon after arriving, they launched into a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," which didn't sit too well with some uninvited guests, the San Francisco Chronicle said. Advertisement Anti-gay epithets were shouted and several punches were thrown before the singers decided to bolt. Around the corner from the home, they were intercepted by a van full of young men who reportedly went on a beating frenzy, the report said. Police arrived and broke up the disturbance, and several singers -- including the son of New York banker Sharyar Aziz -- sought medical attention. Aziz's son's jaw was broken in two places and he had to undergo reconstructive surgery in New York. His jaw will remain wired shut for eight weeks. Aziz said he's hired lawyers to make sure "the individuals behind this heinous assault (are) apprehended," the newspaper said.
