Research highlighted recently in New Scientist suggests that for the fellas, 'braininess boosts likelihood of sex':
To many women, a smart man will appeal because he is likely to be clever enough to keep his family afloat. But he may also pass on "good" genes to his children, say Prokosch and his colleagues at the University of California, Davis.
Surprised?
I'm not. I've long been a sucker for intelligence... Further, while a different cocktail of motivations, hormones, and uh, physical qualities influence male preference, I suspect long-term mate selection favors the same trait in women--manifested in a myriad of ways. What do readers think?
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Isaac Asimov wrote a piece for TV Guide back when Star Trek (the original) was on television. I think the title was "Smart is Sexy!" and it recounted Asimov's stunned reaction when he heard his daughter Robyn mooning over Mr. Spock. Apparently the pointy-eared alien was charming to the girl despite his cerebral manner and emotionless logic. "He's so smart!" gushed Robyn, delighting her father, who had never before been led to believe that a high IQ was catnip to the fair sex.
this reader loves smart women ;>
Sheril, I think every one of your readers (and Abbie's, and Maria's, and Shelley's, and Jessica's, and Dr. Free-Ride's, and so on and so forth...) is saying "DUH" to this. Smart is sexy.
Miss Sheril,
I've been advocating that Smart is sexy since I was in 6th grade. That it took the rest of the world 20 years or so to catch up is . . . disappointing, but I think I can live with it. Of course, there's nothing that says smart has to equal geeky wardrobe (what ever the heck that is). Besides, if smart weren't sexy, the incomparable Red Head wouldn't have married me, thus ensuring that I'll do no more harm to the general public.
It's a whole package, but I find great 'turn on' in an intelligent, thoughtful and balanced male.
I return realizing Susan has said what I should have said. Just, you know, being a straight guy, I don't normally think of guys as sexy. But it applies both ways.
Intelligence is the single most attractive quality in a lady to me, even over any physical characteristic. As I jokingly refer to it, I'm a sucker for girls with big books.
Brian X,
Yes, we already knew smart is sexy, but it's nice to be able to send readers to research supporting the obvious ;)
Philip H.,
Fortunately for you and the incomparable Red Head, you've each got the intellectually and physically attractive thing going...
Susan,
I agree and maintain that Kurt Vonnegut and Carl Sagan were incredibly sexy.
Brian D,
I love boys with big books too..
Along those same lines, skeptic and musician George Hrab has this great song called brainsbodyboth (click on title to give it a listen on that page and lyrics here). The song is a celebration that intelligence enhances a woman's attractiveness.
I think we need to consider age groups. In the teens, smart doesn't seem to translate to sexy very often. As age goes up, the general desirability of smartitude goes up too. A friend pointed out, though, that I have an 'old soul', so I realized the desirability of smart women at an early stage. Unfortunately, for the most part it wasn't until my 30s that women had caught up to me in this. (That, or they were waiting for me to finish my PhD and post doc?)
Too bad the research design was so stupendously simplistic. It has virtually no meaning. And this is the example one sets for scientific research? If that's the case, no wonder we're in trouble.
Speaking of smart and sexy, I love the new photo of you and Chris on your homepage :)
-Darlene
Thanks Darlene, that shot was from Innovation 2008 :)