# Japanese research: Behold the power of cute!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 18, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984 "2014-11-18T18:43:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984/1 "2014-11-18T18:43:19Z")

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Not just adorable, but good for you!:

> **[The power of cute: How looking at pictures of baby animals can help improve...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210614/The-power-cute-How-looking-pictures-baby-animals-help-improve-concentration-levels.html)**
>
> New research has revealed that looking at cute images of baby animals doesn’t just make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but can actually improve your work performance and help you concentrate.

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**Author:** ![Recusant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984/2 "2014-11-18T19:45:34Z")

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Thank you! Thank you so much. For YEARS I’ve been hearing things described as what I assumed was Kauai, and was totally baffled. “That’s a picture of penguin” I’d think. “Penguins don’t live anywhere near Kauai. Even the Galapagos kind are thousands of miles away.” I am deeply grateful to finally have that cleared up.

Though now I find myself wondering why so many of my fellow Americans would assume I’d think of a Japanese term instead of a part of our common country…

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984/3 "2014-11-19T02:16:33Z")

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My pleasure. And just look at that baby cheetah…!

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984/4 "2014-11-19T02:24:44Z")

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I can haz focus?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-research-behold-the-power-of-cute/704984/5 "2014-11-19T21:17:27Z")

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> [@Recusant](#):
>
> Though now I find myself wondering why so many of my fellow Americans would assume I’d think of a Japanese term instead of a part of our common country…

Well, for one thing, it seems to be a bit of a shibboleth for anime lovers.

I’m also not sure it hasn’t leaked into general geek culture from there.