Stubble is hot. You know this. And now science confirms it. To be clear: We're not talking about a soul patch or an elborate Riff-Raff style swirling goatee. Just plain old stubbly, scruffy, ungroomed facial hair.

Let's talk about facial hair, you guys. What does it all mean? Well, according to science, men with beards:

If you happen to be surfing the web and stumble upon a blog called Put Your Beard In My Mouth — a site filled with photos of beards, bearded dudes, and Ke$ha putting said beards into her mouth — you should know that it's not some kind of crazy site made by a fan obsessed with beards and the pop singer. It's no…

Non-Italian non-murderer Amanda Knox is slowly but surely readjusting to free life stateside after spending nearly 4 years in Italian prison. She dressed up as a mustachioed cat burglar for Halloween. She's speaking English again. And now it looks like she's got herself an American-style boyfriend, complete with a…

Being both religious and cool is difficult in a society that increasingly scoffs faith, and being religious and cool is especially difficult if your religion demands that you do totally uncool things, like eschew beards and tattoos or wear religious garments under all of your outfits. So, how do young Mormons cope?

Welcome back to Guysourcing, where a panel of helpful gentlemen answer your questions. This week's question was the following: "What factors influence your facial hair style? How often do you change it? How long does it take for you to get used to a new one? Do you change it based on the preferences of the…

Let's investigate. Exhibit A: A still from My Idiot Brother, a Sundance 2011 film also starring Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones and Hugh Dancy, among others. Exhibit B, another still, is below. What's the verdict?

Over the weekend, 150 men from eight countries gathered in the Austrian Alps for the European Beard And Moustache Championship. Check out HuffPo's gallery of the contestants primping and showing off their 'staches, and do try to contain yourselves, ladies.

• A poll from IllicitEncounters.com found that women are much better at hiding their extramarital affairs than men. "We find men can be surprisingly reckless when it comes to disguising their affairs," said Sara Hartley, spokeswoman for the company.

Us women have a lot to obsess about when it comes to appearance; everything from our eyelashes to our toenails is up for improvement. Men, on the other hand, only really have one major issue: hair.

Apparently 60% of women in an Australian survey prefer dudes with facial hair. They may be onto something.

Last month women in fake beards crashed a French company's shareholders' meeting, a move that's apparently growing more common in response to France's mostly male boardrooms. Our question: were the beards trustworthy? [BusinessWeek]

Never trust a man with a soul patch, we always say. Now, this and much other tonsorial wisdom is available in handy chart form, courtesy of designer Matt McInerney. Good news for Santa: pointy beards are a-okay. [pixelspread, via BuzzFeed]

Can't grow a beard, yet find yourself craving that crucial extra layer of scratchy cheek-insulation? Try a beard-a-clava. [Wifeofbrian's Etsy]

Though they're clean-shaven on Mad Men, most Sterling Cooper men have grown off-season beards. Michael Gladis, a.k.a Paul Kinsey, explains: "On the show, everybody wants to imitate Jon Hamm, but in real life, everybody wants to emulate me." [N.Y. Magazine]

Students at UK universities are forming men's groups to address "confusion as to what being a man means." Activities include beard-growing contests and a fun-sounding "sober pub crawl." [Guardian]

"Hipster grifter" Kari Ferrell has given a jailhouse interview to ABC News, in which she says the reason her story has received so much media attention is "because I am pretty, intelligent and very well spoken."

Delicate modern sex kittens don't like being dragged by the hair and raped. Well, not by a man with a scratchy beard! [Vintage_Ads]

Kris Saknussemm has been studying sexual fetishes for 20 years, which, he admits, "is itself a kind of fetish." In a list compiled for Nerve, he divulges his favorites — beyond high-heels, whips or horseplay.

NBC has discovered that the beard is back! Please apply to 2004 and inform the world. [MSNBC]