‘Beer Goggles’ Not Real, According To Researcher

“Beer goggles” aren’t real.

Everything you once believed to be true is a lie. Well, not everything. But “beer goggles,” the thing that supposedly makes us more attracted to people while we’re drunk, that’s all a lie. According to new research, the part of the brain that controls sexual urges is not affected by alcohol.

A new study authored by Dr. Amanda Ellison of Durham University says, in a nutshell, that booze doesn’t make everybody more beautiful. It just makes us … well … hornier.

“We still see others basically as they are,” said Dr. Ellison, who said that our ability to assess and judge an individual’s attractiveness stays the same no matter how many we’ve had to drink.

“There is no imagined physical transformation – just more desire,” she notes.

Dr. Ellison continued by noting which parts of the brain are actually affected by alcohol, pointing out that contrary to what you might think (or may have experienced), booze doesn’t really do anything for the sexual desire part of your noggin.

“Hangovers are caused by dehydration: the brain shrinks and tugs on the meninges. But before that, alcohol switches off the rational and decision-making areas of the brain while leaving the areas to do with sexual desire relatively intact.”

While MSN Now jokes “We’ll need to do our own research to corroborate. Yes … research. Lots of research,” we’d have to see Dr. Ellison’s study before we can make out own conclusions. After all, maybe the sex part of the brain isn’t affected, but what about our vision?

Dr. Ellison’s recent findings fly in the face of previous studies which have suggested that booze actually does make people “more beautiful.” One, performed by the University of Roehampton in London (and outlined by CBS News), showed that alcohol influences (read: alters) our perception of facial symmetry, which is supposedly “key” to beauty.

What do you think? Are “beer goggles” real? Do you have any “beer goggles” stories you’d like to share?