Today emoticons are so pervasive that behavioral science has taken an active interest in how people use them. Among the evidence (recently surveyed by Roni Jacobson at the great new Science of Us ...

Emoticons act as proxies for facial expressions, and there are a lot of studies showing that many facial expressions can be interpreted correctly by all human cultures.

Emoticons have graced gadgets, T-shirts and more. Witness the emoticon’s lasting impact, and smile if you can. Left: Father of the emoticon Scott Fahlman shows off his happy handiwork.