Dec 22, 2009-- When we smile, does the whole world smile back at us? Ruth Kaiser, founder of the Spontaneous Smiley Project, says yes. Kaiser, who grew up when the smiley face was just gaining popularity -- the iconic yellow smiley was invented in the 1960s and paired with "have a happy day" in the 70s -- sees smiley faces in everyday life: macaroni salad, playground equipment, tree branches, and sourdough bread. Kaiser, a Californian artist and preschool director, wanted to share her peculiar knack for spotting smiles in inanimate objects, but wasn't sure how. (4017 reads)