This piece is slightly old, but it's amusing: over at Inkling Magazine, they're examining why beards may not be the best thing for a job that requires sterile conditions. Among the findings they cite are the results of a strange but apparently effective 1907 French study, which involved swabbing women's lips before and after being kissed by either a bearded or non-bearded man. The swabs after the bearded kiss picked up more bacteria. If beards are breeding grounds for bacteria, why do many scientists have them? I can't speak for anyone else, but I think I have a perfectly good reason for my beard - think about it this way: how many U.S. politicians can you think of with beards?