LGBTQ news and entertainment
Jane Goodall, the trailblazing primatologist who changed perceptions of relations between humans and animals, has died at the age of 91. Continue reading “Jane Goodall, Who Changed Our Perceptions Of Chimpanzees, Dies At 91”
The National Science Foundation (NSF) says attracting women and minorities into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is “no longer aligned with its priorities” thanks to Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive order. Continue reading “National Science Foundation: Attracting Women/Minorities Into Science No Longer A Priority”
A new study by French researchers has found nearly 17K people may have died after taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxycholoroquine during the early months of the COVID pandemic. Continue reading “Study: Hydroxycholoroquine May Have Killed Thousands Of COVID Patients”
A new study published in the journal Science found there’s not a single gene that determines human sexuality but several genes that contribute to whether someone is LGBT or not. The study, the largest ever to explore the connection between genetic makeup and sexual orientation, involved over 470,000 participants from Sweden, the US, and the UK. DNA data was accessed from the UK Biobank study and from 23andMe, a private genetics company. 26,000 participants reported at least one same-sex sexual encounter. Researchers found a strong connection between homosexuality and five autosomal loci (areas of DNA not on sex chromosomes). The researchers acknowledged that the presence of the genes does not in itself determine someone’s sexual orientation. But, the scientists found that a range of 8% to 25% of the variance in sexuality could be explained by the genes. Some of the genes were more impactful on men, some on women, and some on both. And so, the authors wrote in the study, “Same-sex sexual behavior is influenced by not one or a few genes but many.” Eric Vilain, director of the Center for Genetic Medicine Research at Children’s National Health System, said that the study could have been more specific had the scientists focused on only gay and bi people instead of just asking if people have ever had a same-sex sexual experience and lumping them all together. Vilain added that the study should be replicated with more diverse participants. Interestingly, media outlets have spun the study in several ways. For instance, the headline in Science read, “There’s no evidence that a ‘gay gene’ exists.” Over at Bloomberg, they wrote, “Science Hasn’t Found A ‘Gay’ Gene – So What?” That seems vague to me. But the New York Times headlined more accurately, “Many Genes Influence Same-Sex Sexuality, Not a Single ‘Gay Gene.’” And the Washington Post – “There’s no one ‘gay gene,’ but genetics are linked to same-sex behavior,” new study says.” Considering how many – MANY – people read headlines and think they read ‘the news,’ you can see how a few words make a big difference.
The super-smart guys at AsapSCIENCE just posted their newest YouTube video exploring the question, “What if you stopped masturbating?”
The guys start with the statistic that over 50% of women and more than 70% of men masturbate on a monthly basis.
Waaaait – does that mean once a month???
According to the Asap guys, a 2003 study showed if you were to stop masturbating, within a week testosterone levels can rise up to 40%. So, that’s a good thing, right?
However, the same study showed those levels drop back down to normal on day 8. So, it’s not like you keep building up testosterone.
In any case, that study spurred the creation of the ‘no fap’ movement that encourages men to stop masturbating in order to achieve better sexual performance, higher sperm quality and feelings of better motivation, self-esteem and happiness.
But is any of that true?
Some experts say improving your diet and exercise could be big factors in increased testosterone levels whether you abstain or not.
In terms of performance, researchers for one study found those who didn’t masturbate for three weeks did not improve or change any tendency for pre-mature ejaculation when compared to those who didn’t abstain.
And it appears the more often you ejaculate, the stronger your little swimmers are.
In fact, wet dreams are your body’s way of cycling out old sperm even if you are a member of Team No-Fap.
One way that pleasuring yourself less often can help you is in regard to dopamine and serotonin release.
When you masturbate, your body releases those two chemicals which stimulates the reward pathway in the brain.
But the more often you fap, the more de-sensitized your brain can become to those chemicals, so less pleasure. Taking a break from masturbation allows your brain to stay sensitive to those neurotransmitters.
That said, no one is advocating for stopping completely. In addition to feeling good, the occasional fap improves sleep, your immune system, reduces stress and pain, and even prostate cancer risks.
Watch the quick video below and be smarter in only three minutes. For more about the subject of masturbation, you can also check out the boys’ earlier video on masturbation in general here.
What a baby can see every month for the first year of its life pic.twitter.com/qBylabUACT— Business Insider (@businessinsider) August 27, 2017
As two of my best friends recently had twins, I found this really interesting regarding how the eyesight of babies develops over their first year.
#Science #BeSmarter
The smart guys at AsapSCIENCE ponder the question, “Is eating pot actually better for you?”
Watch below to find out:
Really interesting video which looks at the way Donald Trump uses words and language as a presidential contender.
Sounds wonky, but the narrator makes excellent sense as he points out the repetition and construction of the Donald’s speech.
Don’t worry, little fawn. You may be stuck in that frack pond for a second, but here comes hunky science guy Zack to save you.