Body parts that reveal your intelligence

If you want to know how clever someone is, just look them in the eye. At least that's what scientists now suggest...

Joanna Rowe at the University of Louisville reckon she's found what some of the world's most intelligent people, including Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie and Stephen Fry, have in common: blue eyes. And that those folk with dark eyes are better at physical activities.

Researchers believe there are many ways to discover someone's characteristics, from forehead shape to finger length. Here, we examine the many insights that can be gleaned from the body's organs...

Head If you want to know how brainy someone is, check out the size of their head. A team of psychologists from the University of Western Ontario in Canada found that greater width, length and circumference all indicated greater intelligence. But pointy heads - people with taller as opposed to wider heads and the name sometimes used to describe intellectuals - may not be bright at all.

Eyes Large eyes are generally considered more favourable, according to Chinese face-reading beliefs. They are associated with intelligence and astuteness.

Nose A woman with a hooked nose is good-natured and clever, according to the ancient study of physiognomy which suggests physical attributes shape personality. A straight nose of normal length makes a woman beautiful, wise, witty and diligent. A woman with a small nose is said to be cunning, shrewd, mischievous and lustful.

Fingers The length of your index and ring fingers predicts how clever you are, according to research at the University of Bath. Boys with shorter index fingers excel at maths, while girls with index and ring fingers of the same length were also brainier.

Bodyhair Being hirsute is a sign of intelligence in men, according to Dr Aikarakudy Alias of Chester health centre, Illinois. He found 50 per cent of men with high IQs were hairy compared with one in 10 of the male population.

Big Toe Greek and Roman statues in the classical tradition often have short big toes. This feature has been considered a sign of heightened intelligence in many cultures through the ages.

Forehead If this is broad, the person will be generous, intelligent and wise. And when it is short, it denotes he will be poor and likely to die young. A curved forehead means the person may be rich and spiritual.

Earlobe Large and thick earlobes are a sign of intelligence, and are associated with wealth and a long life according to Siang Mien, Chinese face-reading. Those with angular ears are more shrewd and vivacious.

Lips Men with thin lips are more intelligent, according to astrology website www.aryabhatt.com. But if your lips are wide you will be unlucky. And ladies watch out: if he has a big protruding lower lip, he may be unfaithful.

Boobs It's a case of the bigger, the better. A study of 1,200 women in Chicago found big boobs equalled big brains. "Busty women averaged 10 IQ points more than less well-endowed ladies," said Dr Rossdale, herself a 32A.

Stomach It's good news if you're a vegetarian. By sticking to a veggie diet your IQ will be around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat, according to research from the University of Southampton.

Height Tall people are brighter and earn more money on average than their shorter counterparts, according to researchers at Princeton University, New Jersey. As early as three, tall children performed better in tests. Stanford University found a link between being taller and IQ in a study of 14,000 children.