Smart people are sexier

A person''s sex quotient lies in his or her brain, according to a study that suggests that being smart is sexy, and the smartest males get the most partners.

Through a study on Australian birds, a team of researchers have lent support to the idea that our big human brain evolved because it is a sexually attractive organ, not just a useful one.

According to the above theory, signs of intelligence - such as creating art, music, and humour - could have made the brainiest people luckiest in love.

The theory was hugely discussed in the book ''The Mating Mind'' by an evolutionary psychologist, Geoffrey Miller, almost a decade ago.

Jason Keagy, of the University of Maryland in the US, said that testing the theory in humans was very difficult, and thus he chose to observe satin bowerbirds at Wallaby Creek in NSW instead.

He claimed that Bowerbirds are intelligent.

''''But they''re not as complex as humans," Stuff.co.nz quoted him as saying.
Keagy could get an accurate record of the male birds'' sexual success by videotaping their every movement.
''''They can''t really lie to us," he said.

Known for their fascination with blue objects, bowerbirds have a strong aversion to red.

In the first IQ test, the researchers placed three red objects under a clear plastic container in their bower, and found that the smartest males could remove the cover and carry away the offending objects in 20 seconds.

''''It looks pretty simple, but some weren''t able to do it,'''' said Keagy.

In a second braintwister, he glued a red object down and observed that some bowerbirds kept on trying in vain to pull it out, while the brighter ones quickly twigged this was impossible and covered it with leaves.

The males who failed the plastic container test were spurned.
''''No females were mating with them,'''' said Keagy.

However, the smartest birds attracted up to 20 female partners a season.
''''This is the first evidence [in any species] that individuals with better problem-solving abilities are more sexually attractive,'''' he said.

He claimed that greater intelligence could allow male bowerbirds to woo more females because they can build more elaborate bowers, are better dancers or are more responsive to subtle cues from the females during courtship.

Alternative theories to the mating mind include that our large brain evolved because it was advantageous for hunting or living in social groups, and cultural creativity was simply a fortuitous by-product of the struggle to survive.

The study has been published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

Drooling over women comes naturally to men

Flirting with a pretty woman is a mouth-watering prospect for men - literally.

That''s the conclusion of a new study, which found that blokes feel good while flirting with an attractive lady, reports The Daily Express.

In the research, boffins found that just being in the presence of a pretty member of the opposite sex causes a temporary boost in levels of testosterone and cortisol - both hormones associated with alertness and wellbeing.

However hanging around with other men has the opposite affect - reducing the levels of both substances in the body.

Researchers at the University of California reported the findings in the biological journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society.

Psychologist Dr James Roney, who led the research, said: "Both testosterone and cortisol increased among men who spoke with women but declined among men who interacted with other men."

The amount of sexual experience a man had was irrelevant to the hormonal reaction, tests found.

The research included 149 male students aged between 18 and 24 with a third interacting with a male researcher of 25 and the others talking to one of seven young female undergraduates aged 18 to 22.

Top white lie to shun sex: I''m too tired

The humble headache has had its day as far as excuses to avoid sex are concerned, for now the reigning white lie to snub a romp is ''I''m too tired'', says a new survey.

''I''ve got a headache'' has lost its lustre and fallen to number three in the list behind ''''I''m not in the mood''.

Other white lies to make the top five included ''I''ve got to get up early in the morning'''' and ''I''m pre-occupied with work''.

The conclusion was made after studying 4,000 adults.

The not-so-kinky research also revealed that one in five Brits regularly make excuses to avoid having sex.

Seven out of 10 said they were often too exhausted to enjoy sex. And four out of 10 said the recession had played havoc with their sex life, the study found, reports The Telegraph.

A spokesman for www.OnePoll.com, which carried out the study, said: ''The humble headache has had its day as far as excuses are concerned.

''Tiredness plays a much bigger part in our reasons not to climb between the sheets these days and enjoy some quality time together.

''''And its hardly surprising when we are all working longer hours than ever before and have so many things to worry about.

''''Fears over whether will be able to pay our mortgages or even whether we will have a job in a month''s time are bound to affect our bedroom performance.

''''It was intriguing to see just how the recession has affected our passion levels too.''''

The report also found men are more likely to make excuses than women with 27 per cent admitting they often avoided sex compared to 18 per cent of women.

Top Ten Sex Excuses

1. Too tired

2. I''m not in the mood

3. I''ve got a headache

4. I''ve got to get up in the morning

5. I''m pre-occupied with work

6. I''m angry with you

7. I can hear one of the children

8. You need a shower

9. I''ve got a bad back

10. Too soon in our relationship.

Women have sex to relieve boredom

Women indulge in sex not for love and passion, but for various other “unromantic” reasons including relieving themselves of boredom, out of pity for a man and even to cure a migraine headacheâ says a new book.

‘Why Women Have Sex’ by Cindy Meston and David Buss has highlighted 200 reasons as to why women have sexual intercourse.

While attraction ranks way down in the list, it seems that women go to bed with their partners as a way of relieving boredom, keeping the peace, curing a headache and even as a thank you for a nice dinner.

“Research has shown that most men find most women at least somewhat sexually attractive, whereas most women do not find most men sexually attractive at all,” the Telegraph quoted the authors, who are both psychology professors at the University of Texas, as saying.

The researchers interviewed 1,006 women as research for the book, and found some very surprising answers.

One revealed that she did it for a spiritual experience, as she thought it to be “the closest thing to God”.

Others listed “cure for stress headache”, “to make my sexual skills better” and “for a clearer complexion”.

However, the majority (84 per cent), admitted that they had sex to ensure a quiet life or to bargain for their partners to carry out household chores.

“I have sex to relieve the boredom. Because it’s easier than fighting. Plus it gives me something to do,” said one of the interviewee.

While another admitted: “I had sex with a couple of guys because I felt sorry for them.”

One of the surveys carried out by the authors revealed that one in ten women admitted having sexual intercourse in return for presents, or lavish meals.

Responses included “he bought me a nice dinner” or “he spent a lot of money on me early on”, “he gave me gifts early on” and “he showed me he had an extravagant lifestyle”.

Relax, gear up for longer sessions

Sessions of extended lovemaking are a dream for many. Many who send in letters seeking advice seem to look for an opportunity to stay beneath the sheets for hours together. Besides these group of men and women, there are others who get the chance but fail in keeping the extended bit of time going. When such rare occasion does arise one needs to make it a point to keep it enjoyable as well as enduring if the session needs to be unending.

So what do you do to keep yourself in good form? My advice is that

even the most virile and energetic must rest and rejuvenate. Here are a few tips:

Next time you ready yourself for a marathon love making session, make sure you eat something that releases energy slowly. Grains and low GI carbohydrates are suggested. Plus, make sure you are well hydrated.

Try your best to delay orgasm. Do this by choosing positions that provide less stimulation. Positions can be altered when you you feel like you are losing it. And, important, an orgasm is never the end of a session. A short rest before you resume is advised.

Engage in cuddling, fondling, massage, general touching, and kissing. A rest does not have to be totally sexual in nature. Couples can make love for hours by exploring new ways of loving.

If you thought alcoholic drinks can be a relaxant, fine. But then keep your wine glass away after two or three drinks. Alcohol lowers a man's ability to achieve and maintain erections, that's why. It is also common knowledge that alcohol has sedative effects. It could make you to fall asleep so easily.

Try things in a more innovative way. Sex toys like vibrators, beads or other sex paraphernalia can add to the fun if used in the proper way.

Last but not the least, sex play for hours could cause dryness. So it would be good if you keep a quality lubricant handy. A brand that tastes nice and is non-greasy is advised.

Spicing it up with sexperiments

How many of you know that there's more to a rocking sex life than just simple, great sex? In fact, marvelous sex includes different kinds of sex, even the ones you haven't dared to experiment with.

It has been found that couples in long-term relationship often opt for this kind of act as they miss the excitement and lust filled initial-days of their relationship. With time, a couple's love life loses its zing and to get it back one needs to try new things. This is when they try pushing the regular comfort zones.

So what does experimenting mean? Trying a new position or a new room in the house might be included. Couples can even try out making love on the terrace or in the balcony or at some public place. But make sure no embarrassment happens.

The wow feeling is the bonus when you experiment. The we've never done that before" excitement is enough to bring back the fun.

No matter how long you've been in a relationship, you need to have some out of the world sexual experience at least once a while. So try pushing the boundaries, as this will heighten the trust between you partners. It can also help in creating an exceptional comfort level and minimise the possibilities of casual flings outside the relationship.

Whats more, go on a vacation when both of you are ready. Venture into some romantic locale and get things going. Vacation sexcapades can be a good catalyst to reignite the passion in a relationship.

Also make sure you leave your laptop behind, and switch off the cell phone. Gadgets such as these can be major irritants.

Confidence, not size or position, matters

Unsatisfied couples who come to me often complain of lack of knowledge about sexual positions. There are some others who take looks and physique of their mate very seriously and end up dissatisfied. Let me tell you, a great physique or some kinky positions may not give you quality bedroom time. What is more important is knowing your partner well.

Many couples in India are misinformed or under informed about sex. A conservative family background, embarrassment about talking sex even with partner et al prove to be bane.

It is often found that people assume your partner will know what you want if they really love you. Wrong. If you really love your partner, take the initiative to speak up and actually talk about what you want and what the two of you could improve upon in the bedroom. Also expecting your lover to be superhuman and all knowing is not done.

If you are someone who get a yawn just about when you look at your bed, then probably you are bored with your sex life. Hectic schedules and family responsibilities leave hardly any time for sex, let alone innovative sex. But if you want to do more than sleep in the bedroom, you should give some thought to doing it differently.

Monotony brings in boredom. When boredom creeps in, sex becomes monotonous. Try varied acts each time. There are many ways to go about it. Crotchless panties, dirty talk, kinky stuff, sexy massages, innovative positions and all can bring steamy sex back to your bedroom.

Never make sex a one-sided effort. Women think men should initiate sex. They also think men are natural aggressors and its their role to desire lovemaking more than women do. Wrong again. Dont let one person do all the work. Initiate sex more often, and when your partner least expects it. You may even try seduction during a boring car ride.

People tend to worry more about looks and physique when it comes to sex. This can stand in the way of really enjoying sex. Have in mind not every one is meant to look like a supermodel. Men have a problem. They tend to think they are not big enough where it matters most. It is always good to trust your partner to like you just the way you are, the way you like them. The bottomline is: Confidence grows with good sex, Feel good yourself in bed. Your partner will shed all inhibitions.