Love, Sex, and Babies

The science behind attraction.

by Jena Pincott

The Case for Having (or Pretending to Have) a Hot Ex

A study finds that people appear much hotter when standing next to a very attractive ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Read More

BPA and the Single, Spacey, Sex-Starved Male

Among the many subtle evils of BPA, a chemical used in food packaging, is its effect on manhood. What is it doing on a societal level? Read More

What Mind-Control Chemicals Are in Babies' Tears?

A recent study suggests that tears reduce male aggression in men towards women. Do the chemicals in babies' tears also manipulate us? Read More

At What Age Do Babies Stop Being Irresistibly Adorable?

A new study finds that there's a defined age at which children stop being universally irresistible. Read More

Are Chocolate Lovers Sweeter People?

A new study finds a connection between liking sweets and being sweet Read More

How Might Motherhood Protect Your Brain?

New evidence that hormones from pregnancy and parenting may protect the brain late in life -- under certain conditions Read More

The Real Reason Why the Rhythm Method Doesn't Work?

Do we drop our eggs at the whiff of a high-testosterone male? Read More

Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?

The surprising science of pregnancy. Read More

What Does Motherhood Do To Your Image?

How men and women are perceived differently when they become parents Read More

Who Thinks Pregnant Women Are Sexy?

A surprising number of men are sexually aroused by pregnancy. A new study reveals what makes a guy more likely to fetishize a woman's bump. Read More

Are Firstborns Really Brighter?

How can researchers explain why elder siblings score, on average, three points higher on IQ tests than their younger siblings? Read More

Is There a Mommy Gene?

Specific genes influence maternal behavior -- but what does that mean? Read More

For IQ, Does Fish Trump Fish Oil Pills?

The case for why pregnant women should eat fish, not fish oil supplements. Read More

Do Beautiful Babies Become the Most Beautiful Adults?

A new study examines whether attractiveness in infancy is predictive Read More

Assorted Trifles (From the Science of Love, Sex, and Babies)

Research is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to find. An assortment of studies on love, sex, and babies — fresh from the lab. Read More

Is Your Life Shorter if Your Mom Was Stressed?

Why prenatal stress sets a baby's life expectancy clock to tick faster -- or not Read More

How Could You Be Pregnant (For Months) and Not Know It?

A surprising number of women don't know their status until halfway through their pregnancy, or even later. There's an evolutionary explanation. Read More

Do Fish and Coconuts Reverse the Effects of Too Much Stress?

Why a fish-and-coconut diet might lead to happier, healthier babies Read More

Could a Parasite Take Over Our Minds?

When a common single-celled protozoa infects our bodies, it may also affect our brains and behavior Read More

Are Flame Retardants Making Us Dimmer?

Inflammatory new science on a common chemical. Read More

The Real Purpose of Eyebrows?

Who would we be without the hair above our eyes? Read More

Are Extroverts That Way Because of Their Fathers?

Have we evolved to rely more on our father's social cues than our mother's? Read More

Are Men Likelier to Cheat When Their Wives are Pregnant?

What can women learn from the world's Weiners? Read More

Why Do Women Get Physically Aroused and Not Even Know It?

Why physical arousal is not proof that a woman is really turned on Read More

Where Do Demanding, Unweanable Babies Come From?

Why dads make babies demanding and dependent Read More

How Big Is Your Limbal Ring?

Why the ring around the iris is so attractive Read More

Why Are Redheads More Sensitive?

Redheads may be hotheads, but they get colder faster. They also bruise more easily. And they feel more pain. Read More

Why Are Men Mad About Mammaries?

Why do men love breasts?

Let me count the theories:

1. Freudian (breasts remind men of their moms and the nurturing of childhood) 2. Evolutionary (breasts resemble buttocks, and prehuman ancestors always mounted from behind)3. Reproductive (breasts are an indicator of age, and big breasts in particular are a marker of high estrogen levels, associated with fertility). Read More

What Can Singles Learn from Baby Talk?

When you become a new parent you get a lot of advice on how to connect with your infant. To win her over, you’re told, talk the way she talks. If Baby says “bah-bah-bah,” you say, “bah-bah-bah” back. Read More

Do Brothers Stall Their Sisters' Sex Lives?

Why do girls with brothers mature more slowly? Read More

Jena Pincott writes about the quirky, hidden side of science—the shocking, subconscious, under-the-radar stuff. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?

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