Many human desires can be traced back to a biological/reproductive advantage. We enjoy eating high-energy foods, a behaviour which would have been as beneficial to our ancestors as it is detrimental to the health of modern desk jockeys. Similarly, we find certain members of the opposite sex attractive, and this is probably because they posess attributes which are favourable to reproduction.

Why do many people find beauty in wild and barren landscapes that are poorly suited to human survival? It seems logical that we would be attracted to rivers, lakes and verdant landscapes because they contain resources useful for survival, so why do we find beauty in high mountains and deserts?