In a clever new study, beautifully titled “Stepping Out of the Caveman’s Shadow,” the authors investigate the question of whether our mate preferences – what we find sexy in another – are guided solely by the hard-wiring of the brain, or whether there are some cultural differences at play. The argument has intrigued researchers for years, and there’s now some good evidence that what we find attractive in a mate may have a lot do with how gender is constructed in the particular nation in which we’re raised.