TOP 100 SCIENCE SITES
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| Report: Climate science panel needs change at top By SETH BORENSTEIN 2010-08-30T21:37:46ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists reviewing the acclaimed but beleaguered international climate change panel called Monday for a major overhaul in the way it's run, but stopped short of calling for the ouster of the current leader.... hosted.ap.org |
Agony aunt tears up the rules of the dating game Dr Petra Boynton claims science has exploded some of the myths about dating and relationshipsAt this week's British Science Festival in Birmingham, psychologist and self-proclaimed agony aunt, Dr Petra Boynton, exploded some of the myths that surround dating. She believes that science can go some way to helping us understand and even improve how we date.But how much can science really explain? And should we listen to it?"Let's take the idea that being single is abnormal. The evidence shows that you can expect to be single for at least a third of your life," says Boynton, citing research conducted by sociologist Dr Laumann at the University of Chicago.According to Boynton: "People are anxious that they're past it at 22. If you look at the UK General Household Survey, the average age for men to get married is 34 and for women is 29."How about not sleeping with someone on the first date? Sociologist Anthony Paik surveyed 642 adults and asked how they got together in the first place and how happy they were now. He found that although the relationship quality was higher for those who first had sex when they were in a serious relationship with their partner, this difference can be accounted for by the selection process we use when we're picking a serious partner.And internet dating? Boynton says "a lot of online dating sites pride themselves on the number of successful matches they make. If you look at the research coming out of dating websites themselves, there's only about a 1 in 10 chance of meeting someone and going on a date with them if you're internet dating."Match.com asked Ipsos Mori to interview 1,000 former members and found that of the 160 who had left their website, 17% stated that they left the website because they had found a partner. Match.com of course makes the assumption that this was a representative sample.The problem with believing these statistics is that they're not available to independent researchers to validate.Given the lack of good news for singletons so far, can science step in to teach us how to date? Unfortunately not. Researchers might be able to explode many of the myths of dating, but the methodology used is far from perfect.Most research relies on surveys, where the group responding may have a viewpoint that is not representative of the general population.They also might not remember facts correctly or might have been inappropriately chosen. Women are more likely to answer than men. When researchers ask people to recount stories of their lives, memories can be selective.There is also (understandably) little interest from funders of research to look into our dating habits. And those companies that do the surveys, such as internet dating websites, have an agenda. They just want you to sign up.There are many interesting questions that might provide us with a deeper scientific understanding of etiquette and success in our ever-changing dating world. We are told that body language is important in working out how people are thinking and knowing whether someone is attracted to us. How can we apply that knowledge to the things we type on our dating website profiles? More importantly, can research be used to help those who are less able to empathise, such as those with autism spectrum disorder?Alas, dating remains as clear as mud. The message for singletons? Just get out there and date – there are no rules.Monica Desai is a British Science Association media fellow British Science Festival 2010British Science FestivalReproductionBiologyRelationshipsMonica Desaiguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Gauging High-Speed Spin Inside a Lilliputian World A modified microscope is making it possible to observe dynamic processes inside individual atoms on a time scale one million times faster than has previously been possible. feeds.nytimes.com |
In a Takeout Container, a Trek to the Stratosphere A seven-minute edit of a handmade craft’s recorded trip 100,000 feet into the air, posted on a video-sharing site, becomes a viral success. feeds.nytimes.com |
US envoy: Climate deal still possible in Mexico By 2010-10-22T10:57:45ZBEIJING (AP) -- A global agreement to curb carbon emissions is possible at an upcoming U.N. climate conference but hinges on the efforts and political will of countries, the U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern said Friday in Beijing.... hosted.ap.org |