The Si Unit For Cuteness. Apr 2026

While "Buttons" are whimsical, the science of why we find things cute is surprisingly rigorous. Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz famously defined the (Baby Schema) , a set of physical features that trigger our caretaking instincts: Large eyes relative to the face. A high, protruding forehead. Chubby cheeks and a rounded body.

While the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) remains curiously silent on the matter, the scientific and humorist communities have stepped in to fill the void. The Proposed Unit: The Button

The Button joins a prestigious list of humorous measurements used to quantify the unquantifiable: The SI unit for cuteness - Rachel Neumeier The SI Unit for Cuteness.

): The absolute minimum threshold of "aww," perhaps a very tiny, well-behaved pebble. The Science Behind the Scale

According to popular math humorist Ben Orlin of Math with Bad Drawings , the fundamental unit of cuteness is the ( While "Buttons" are whimsical, the science of why

The SI Unit for Cuteness: Measuring the "Aww" Factor We measure distance in meters, mass in kilograms, and time in seconds. But in a world filled with golden retriever puppies and tiny knitted hats, how do we quantify the overwhelming urge to squeal?

Because cuteness often operates on an exponential scale, we use standard SI prefixes to handle the extremes: 1 kiloButton ( kBtk cap B t Chubby cheeks and a rounded body

): A level of cuteness that could potentially destabilize a small workplace. Think of a basket of kittens wearing bowties. 1 milliButton ( mBtm cap B t