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Good Sexual Intercourse Lasts Minutes, Not Hours, Therapists Say:

Satisfactory sexual intercourse for couples lasts from 3 to 13 minutes, contrary to popular fantasy about the need for hours of sexual activity, according to a survey of U.S. and Canadian sex therapists.

Mouse Calls During Courtship Help Search For Emotion-controlling Genes:

Scientists have long known that emotions and other personality traits and disorders run together in families. But finding which genes are most important in controlling emotions has proven difficult. Humans and mice have similar numbers of genes, but mice are valuable because their genes can be deleted or added. Many researchers have begun to study mouse behaviors to try to link genes with complex behaviors. A new study found that male mice make high-frequency vocalizations during sexual interactions with female mice. These high-frequency calls are associated with approach behaviours, and with genes that control positive emotions.

The Untrained Eye: Confusing Sexual Interest With Friendliness:

New research from Indiana University and Yale suggests that college-age men confuse friendly non-verbal cues with cues for sexual interest because the men have a less discerning eye than women -- but their female peers aren't far behind.

The Lean Gene: Thinness Is An Inheritable Trait:

Your friend can eat whatever she wants and still fit into her prom dress, but you gain five pounds if you just look at that chocolate cake. Before you sign up for Weight Watchers and that gym membership, though, you may want to look at some recent research from Tel Aviv University and save yourself a few hundred dollars.

More under the fold:

Techniques To Help Retired People Feel Comfortable Using Computers:

How can pensioners (retired people) with little if any computer skills successfully cope with a digital information system? According to Dutch researcher Henk Herman Nap, the design of an accessible system needs to incorporate large letter types and keys, the mother language, and a touch screen and ABCDE keyboard as input devices.

Are Women Voters More Likely To Vote For Female Candidates?:

The research, conducted by University of Wisconsin's Kathleen Dolan, examined the National Election Study (NES) data, which provided information about voters' reactions to female candidates and whether gender affinity was related to the election booth decision. The findings provided interesting results.

Insomnia Linked To Depression In Young Adults:

A new study confirms the persistent nature of insomnia and the increased risk of subsequent depression among individuals with insomnia.

Amateur Singers, Singing Teachers Less Likely To Identify Serious Vocal Problems:

Even as American Idol reminds us of the best (and worst) that singing has to offer, a new study cautions that amateur singers and singing instructors are less sensitive than their professional peers to the subtle changes to their voices that could have a serious negative impact on their vocal health.

New Animal Research Method Allows For Nonlethal And Noninvasive Study In Rodents:

The gathering of data for research involving an animal usually involves invasive procedures or death for the experimental animals. But critical data may now be collected through a nonlethal procedure, according to a new paper for the forthcoming issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. In the paper "Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorbtiometry (DXA) Can Accurately and Non-Destructively Measure the Body Composition of Small, Free-Living Rodents," Kalb Stevenson and Dr. Ian G. van Tets reveal that they have discovered that they can take a wide range of measurements accurately with a portable DXA device. These body composition measurements in small rodents--water, protein, minerals, lean, and fat--are critical for dietary and environmental research.

New Species Of Fish Discovered That Would Rather Crawl Into Crevices Than Swim:

A fish that would rather crawl into crevices than swim, and that may be able to see in the same way that humans do, could represent an entirely unknown family of fishes, says a University of Washington fish expert.

Some Migratory Birds Can't Find Success In Urban Areas:

New research finds fresh evidence that urbanization in the United States threatens the populations of some species of migratory birds.