Aestivation:

I will be aestivating for some weeks. So probably I won't be much around ...

Cuckoos and their victims: An evolutionary arms race

Cuckoos and their victims: An evolutionary arms race (2015)

[h/t James Thompson]

Taking Sex Differences Seriously

Taking Sex Differences Seriously, Steven Rhoads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar6edKXt7Yc&feature=youtu.be&t=2m42s

Understanding the Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunctions in Women: an Evolutionary Perspective

Understanding the Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunctions in Women: an Evolutionary Perspective -> pdf
Menelaos Apostolou (2015)


Abstract

Epidemiological studies indicate that almost one in two women face some kind of sexual dysfunction. Given the importance of sexual functioning for successful reproduction, such a high prevalence is enigmatic. Selection forces should have reduced to a low frequency, or have eliminated completely from the gene pool, any alleles that predispose for sexual dysfunctions. Epidemiological studies indicate that this did not happen, and the present paper attempts to examine the reasons why. Based on anthropological and historical evidence, it is argued that in ancestral societies sexual motivation was a much weaker predictor of successful mating in women, than it is today in post-industrial societies. Accordingly, balancing selection has favored a female type of sexual behavior which is characterized by low sexual motivation. This low level of sexual motivation is not optimal in post-industrial societies where mate choice is not regulated, resulting in women, who have such predispositions, to be classified as suffering from a dysfunction. Predictions are derived from the proposed model, and matched with available evidence.

Das Konstrukt der Intelligenz

Das Konstrukt der Intelligenz
Detlef H. Rost (2015)

The Illiberal Persecution of Tim Hunt

The Illiberal Persecution of Tim Hunt
Brendan O'Neill | June 13, 2015

[h/t hbd chick!]

How Sexually Dimorphic Are Human Mate Preferences?

How Sexually Dimorphic Are Human Mate Preferences?
Daniel Conroy-Bea, David M. Buss, Michael N. Pham, Todd K. Shackelford (2015)


Abstract

Previous studies on sex-differentiated mate preferences have focused on univariate analyses. However, because mate selection is inherently multidimensional, a multivariate analysis more appropriately measures sex differences in mate preferences. We used the Mahalanobis distance (D) and logistic regression to investigate sex differences in mate preferences with data secured from participants residing in 37 cultures (n = 10,153). Sex differences are large in multivariate terms, yielding an overallD = 2.41, corresponding to overlap between the sexes of just 22.8%. Moreover, knowledge of mate preferences alone affords correct classification of sex with 92.2% accuracy. Finally, pattern-wise sex differences are negatively correlated with gender equality across cultures but are nonetheless cross-culturally robust. Discussion focuses on implications in evaluating the importance and magnitude of sex differences in mate preferences.

[See also: The Distance Between Mars and Venus: Measuring Global Sex Differences in Personality (2012)]

Unhealthy Apologies:

How many more Nobel prize winners or space engineers need to be publicly shunned until they realize: "Never apologize, the mob simply doesn't care!"

To draw a picture where the holy spirit fu**s Jesus in his *ss who fu**s god in his *ss is freedom of expression (you know everyone is Charlie Hebdo), but when a Nobel prize winner makes a relatively harmless joke 'everybody' is horrified. His career needs to be destroyed and he needs to be excluded from the "club of the virtuous".

The Unholy Trinity: The Dark Triad, Sexual Coercion, and Brunswik-Symmetry

The Unholy Trinity: The Dark Triad, Sexual Coercion, and Brunswik-Symmetry 
Figueredo, A. J., Gladden, P. R., Sisco, M. M., Patch, E. A., Jones, D. N. (2015)


Abstract

Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism (the Dark Triad) have each been hypothesized as predictors of socially deviant behavior including sexual coercion, but the three traits also covary significantly with one another. The purpose of this study was to examine several alternative Multisample Structural Equation Models (MSEMs) exploring the relations between the Dark Triad and Sexually Coercive Behavior, testing whether any or all of the three specific “Dark Personality” traits uniquely contributed to predicting sexually coercive behavior. Self-report questionnaires measuring Primary and Secondary Psychopathy, Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Sexually Coercive Behavior were administered to a sample of undergraduates. The relative fit of each of the MSEMs to the data was examined by means of hierarchically nested model comparisons. The most parsimonious yet explanatory model identified was one in which a single common factor composed of the three Dark Triad indicators explained the relationships among the Dark Triad traits and Sexually Coercive Behavior without any direct contributions from the specific Dark Triad indicators. Results indicate that the three Dark Triad traits, controlling for the common factor, do not differentially predict Sexually Coercive Behavior. These results are interpreted with respect to the principle of Brunswik-Symmetry.

The Improbability Principle

The Improbability Principle, David Hand (2014)
https://youtu.be/rFA_OHjNVVk?t=2m49s

Human Height Is Positively Related to Interpersonal Dominance in Dyadic Interactions

Human Height Is Positively Related to Interpersonal Dominance in Dyadic Interactions
Gert Stulp, Abraham P Buunk, Simon Verhulst,Thomas Pollet; (2015)


Abstract

Across cultures, taller stature is linked to increased social status, but the potential reasons why this should be are unclear. One potential explanation is that taller individuals are more likely to win a dyadic confrontation with a competitor (i.e., they are more dominant), which leads to higher social rank. Although some previous studies have shown that perceptions of status or dominance are related to height, and are therefore consistent with such an explanation, there is surprisingly little research testing whether height actually has any influence on the behavioural outcomes in real-life social interactions. Here, we present three naturalistic observational studies demonstrating that height predicts interpersonal dominance during brief dyadic interactions. Study 1 investigated the likelihood of giving way in a narrow passage (N = 92); Study 2 investigated giving way in a busy shopping street, plus the likelihood of colliding with another individual (N = 1,108); and Study 3 investigated the likelihood of maintaining a linear path while walking, and potentially entering another individual’s personal space (N = 1,056). We conclude that human height is positively related to interpersonal dominance, and may well contribute to the widely observed positive association between height and social status.

Imagining the future, imagining death

Imagining the future, imagining death
Peter Frost (June 2015)

"Imagined reality often foretells the real thing—not because the imaginers have a special knack for prediction, but because they end up playing an active role in shaping the future."