Masks have tested our facial recognition capabilities

I am reminded of the time in my college days when, heading home on foot through a dangerous neighborhood one hot summer night, I came upon two would-be robbers approaching from a darkened alley. The man in front was of slight build, but he appeared to be pointing a gun at me from underneath his T-shirt. His companion, a towering man with a lumbering gait, menacingly carried an empty glass bottle in each hand.

The situation was easy enough to size up. The smaller man in front declined to make eye contact, which told me he did not believe he was convincing enough as a "gunman". His partner in crime, though tall and well armed, lacked any self-confidence whatsoever, or he would have been walking in front. Instead, he hung back about 3 meters, as if hoping to hide in the shadows, and likewise looked toward the ground instead of directly at me.

The eyes said it all.

I laughed at the approaching "gunman" and said, "That's not a gun. It's your finger!" He pulled his obviously empty hand from beneath his T-shirt and became even more sheepish. His tall friend froze in his tracks. They went home none the richer.

Reading the eyes truly is a useful skill.

However, I still much prefer, especially in a world of literal and figurative masks, to aesthetically appreciate these "orbs" of wonder.

After all, a sparkling pair is worth a thousand smiles.