It may kill some cats, but it keeps desire alive — In my Catholic school days, Sr. Carmelita used to beat into my impressionable head — "The couple that prays together stays together." Now that I have escaped religion's death grip, I realize two truisms I didn't see then. First, Sr. Carmelita meant well, but she probably shouldn’t have been doling…

Your voice can seduce or drive people away — Love is blind. Or so 2020’s hottest reality show claimed. In each episode, daters spoke behind closed doors and chose a partner based solely on conversations. But the show’s attempt to rule out superficial traits like appearances had one obvious flaw —someone’s voice is a huge part of sexual attraction. …

Did I wake up in a 1960s Madman nightmare? — Lately, I have been using matchmaker services instead of dating apps to find love. Typically, these services charge men anywhere from $1000–$8000 a month to introduce them to single women. (The women are selected after several lengthy interviews and do not pay a fee.) If that seems like a lot…

A recent study found men and women misjudge what the opposite sex most desires in a partner. — Economist Peter Backus once used the Drake equation to grimly calculate that he was more likely to find intelligent alien civilizations than an eligible woman on planet Earth. Well, not so fast alien hunters. A good woman (or man) is relatively easy to find if you focus on the right…

Research shows why we develop our oddest sexual desires. — It couldn't have been easy being Adolf Hitler's girlfriend. Not only did that lucky lady have to contend with Hitler's undescended testicle and penile hypospadias — a deformity that causes the urethra opening to be located on the shaft instead of the tip (and often causes a micropenis), but she…

Research shows we are horrible at predicting what we want. So why would dating apps be any better? — It's a Friday night, and Samantha and John are looking for love. But they are not out mingling. They are home, swiping on a dating app. Samantha is a confident, hotshot lawyer with a peccadillo for overusing Latin phrases to hide her imposter syndrome. …

Misunderstanding female anatomy is why squirting is confused with female ejaculation. — No other part of the female anatomy has been discovered, denounced, rediscovered, renamed, and frustrated researchers more than the elusive G-spot. It's been called Gräfenberg's Holy Grail of female pleasure, a magical sex "button," and the secret orgasmic key to unlocking ecstasy. But as any vulva owner can tell you…

Dating apps refuse to be transparent about consumer satisfaction, data privacy, and safety. It’s time we demand more. — Last week, I fired up Hinge after a two-month hiatus. Within five minutes, Don* appeared in the “standouts” portion of the app. The standouts are the gold star men who the Hinge team deems superior genetic specimens. For an extra fee, you can message these in-demand men. It just so…

From Cleopatra to Charity Girls, sluts have always been dangerous creatures. — On June 28th, 1887, on a warm summer evening, twenty-three-year-old Elizabeth Cass was strolling down Regent Street in London. New to the city, Elizabeth was heading towards a shop to buy a new pair of gloves. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her. As…