stare at some meat and relax (?)

or at least be less aggressive!

This is the claim on some psychologists interested in the idea that traits that might have been adaptive for our ancestors earlier in our evolution can still be detected in us today.

In this case the original hypothesis actually was quite the opposite: that people would behave more aggressively upon seeing images of meat, the reasoning being that such aggression in the presence of an important food source should have been adaptive in our ancestors, and hence favored by natural selection as a trait in us.

The methodology of the study is interesting, but also maybe iffy?  The fact people actually become less aggressive is also explained by the researchers as adaptive after all - I'll let you read the short blurb on this and be the judge!

AY