Science Confirms the Obvious
At Aussie college, science students conduct experiments, art students “experiment”

What's the revenge? Less likely to get chlamydia, of course.

Think back to your college years. Did you spend more time at the lab bench than at the bar? Was getting a date harder than organic chem? If you carried protection was it for your pocket? We thought so.

A study published in the current issue of the journal Sexual Health found that science students were more likely to be virgins than their artsy classmates.

Researchers in Australia surveyed 185 men and women, ages 16 to 25, at the University of Sydney on their sexual history and STD knowledge. Responses to questionnaires revealed that “art students were younger [and] more likely to be sexually active” than science students (who, presumably were too busy doing homework to get out and get busy).

And on average across groups, males were less likely to have had sex than females.

As for the reasons behind the disparity between art chicks and science geeks, lead author Bernadette Zakher, of the university’s Department of General Practice, reserved comment, saying that the survey did not delve deeply into demographics or sexual history, “There isn’t enough information for conjecture.”

Nature podcast editor Adam Rutherford has a few ideas. “I just hate it when stereotypes are right,” he posted on the UK’s Guardian website. “The research does not go into the potential causes of this lack of bedroom activity by my boffin brethren, nor does it detail the worthy sacrifice of cheap carnal thrills for rational agility and mental development, which I have convinced myself lies at the root of this problem. That, and the personal hygiene issues.”

He blames a dearth of sexy role models for today’s blossoming men of science, citing, for instance, Charles Darwin’s marriage to his cousin and positing that Sir Isaac Newton “almost certainly died a virgin.”

The main purpose of Zakher’s research was to look at young people’s attitudes toward chlamydia screening. “The important findings,” she says, “are that young people are not aware or concerned about chlamydia infection despite their risk for acquiring it.” As if talking to girls wasn't already scary enough.

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13 Comments

OMG Revenge of The Nerds was like my fav movie of all time!

jess
www.privacy.de.tc

I am only half-kidding when I write this.
Hot teanage girls have the power to change America.
If, just once a year, or something like that, the guy with the highest math and science grades were to win a sexual episode with a hot girl in his grade, then you just watch how seriously and competitively average guys will start taking academics. Also, watch how it changes the self-esteem, posture, hygiene and grooming of the winner... and by extension his peers. Pretty soon, they'll all be socializing more. Now, instead of (or as well as) the captain of the football team getting all the girls, it will be the winners of the regional math and engineering contests.
Think of how that would change America, from the grass roots up.
And before you accuse me of suggesting that we whore these girls out, I maintain that it's happening already. They offer their bodies as rewards to the successful athletes, and then 10 years later, become trophy wives to nerds who've grown up and become successful and rich.
I'm just saying, that we have a culture of hero-worship, and the hero always gets the girl. But at a young and important age, our heroes are athletes and soldiers.
We need new Heroes in America, ones that will lead innovation, generate jobs and wealth, fix the planet and improve our quality of life. And right now, these boys are socially awkward and bullied. Teenaged girls, you have the power to transform America, by blowing one nerd at a time!

i agree completely with you lugger but i dont think it will work too well because it depends also on personality. But i cant say too much else. However i have a problem with Mr. Rutherford saying that there are no more sexy role models in the world i am sure there are some and he mentioned some of the most notable and old scientists in the world. but something a little closer like ben franklin he is the womanizer and very well known for it.

Sex shouldn't be an award for anything in school. That's just crazy...

it's crazy, but would be sweeeet. plus condom sales would skyrocket....

Someone in the Atlanta paper said today... 'I'd be more proud of that Athens college (UGA) if they'd ring the bell for academic wins'. (guess they ring it after a football win?)
Well, it's not getting laid, but it would be a start to show we think there is honor in education.
The reality appeared in the next article... '$17.7 million for Tech coach'. 'A year after he signed a seven-year contract worth about $1.6 million annually, Johnson received a new deal from GA Tech that was made official Thursday. It added another year and increased his pay to an annual average of about $2.45 million.' Nice 53% pay raise, guy!
That's right - Georgia's premier technical school. Guess even in geeksville the jocks still get the girls and the glory.

"lugger 11" -
hey let's also think about the fact that just as the stereotyped "numbskulled" athletes you speak of, you also see women as trophies. maybe you too are finding that those of the opposite sex who 'sex themselves up' are also more attractive. pwhoar. how could that be?
It's clear a person would first gravitate to the healthiest, most attractive person if they wanted sex. athlete= fit. and probably confident. pretty simple. In addition to this, you find yourself attracted to women who announce they're sexuality - in fact your definition of these women seems to be just that. so it clearly is not an 'intellect first!' type deal, no matter what darwin might tell you. but by "fittest", i think he meant it.
If science "nerds" want the ladies, they should work on not seeing women as unattainable objects, and rather as people. Also exercise a little and grab something aside from simply scholarly confidence while you're at it.

.

Try this, if you like, boys and girls.

pheromones

Put science to work in your love life!

Makes me wonder about the people that conducted the research.

The hottest girl I ever met (besides my wife) was working on a degree in molecular engineering, with a sub specialty in laser technology. Brains and beauty are not mutually exclusive. She of course would not date me.

@imongi

is that really any different from whats happening now?

i meant that as: You are in denial, teen girls...Im just gonna say are as close tosluts as you can get

Hey now! I'm an Art student and I take offense to the suggestion that Art students don't do as much homework as Science students. I do probably twice as much work as my friends in Science. Seven-foot-tall oil paintings don't happen all by themselves, and memorizing 17th Century Flemish paintings is just as difficult as memorizing anything else.

Just because I get laid on a regular basis doesn't mean I don't work extremely hard. Perhaps someone should do a study of how much sleep Art students get. And how much liquor we consume.

By the way, to that lugger character, I find it completely disgusting that you conclude that women are incapable of their own academic achievement and should simply be used as objects of encouragement for the intellectual pursuits of men. Disgusting.



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