Why, Do You Know, Why Reasons

Do you know the 'why' reasons, or, do the 'whys' often bother you for scientific explanations? For instance, you do know that stars twinkle, but do you know the reasons why, and how? Or, do you know the 'why' reasons behind falling in love? Or, do you know the reasons why dogs bury bones? Probably many of you don’t! Why Corner – the 'why' blog, answers these 'whys' for basic knowledge, with real reasons for the 'why' facts. So, just know them all here if you have the 'why' urge, that is!
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts

Aug 4, 2008

Do you know why women love men with self-deprecating humor?

Women love men with self-deprecating humor

Miss Finder –The Journo, tries to find answers for your general knowledge and awareness on: Do you know why women love men with self-deprecating humor?

Hey guys, you would simply love this, because I’m going to give you yet another clue to win your woman’s heart. Well, being a woman myself, I always like honest men with good sense of humor. And, I’m not alone – confirms the latest study! So, what's the most effective way of winning a woman's heart? Well, it is by running yourself down! Yes, you read it right – women, in general, just love men with self-deprecating humor!

I’m sure you guys would find it hard to digest, but guys, this is now a proven fact. Researchers have carried out the two-year study which revealed that taking the mickey out of one's self, works better than just clever jokes which might be seen as boastful and put women off.

Lead researcher Gil Greengross said, “Many studies show that a sense of humor is sexually attractive, especially to women. But we've found that self-deprecating humor is the most attractive of all. It is a risky form of humor because it can draw attention to one's real faults thereby diminishing the self-deprecator's status in the eyes of others. But based on the idea that verbal humor evolved to function as a fitness indicator, self-deprecating humor can be an especially reliable indicator, not only of general intelligence and verbal creativity, but also moral virtues such as humility.”

In fact, in the study into the role of humor in seduction, the researchers have found that the type of humor used by Hugh Grant in the film Notting Hill, in which he attempts to charm Julia Roberts with the poor contents of his fridge - works the best.

But beware guys, before taking the plunge because the London researchers have also warned that the technique should not be attempted by those who are already unpopular as it could make “low-status individuals” appear “more pathetic” than they did before.

The study is to be published in the upcoming edition of the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.

So, it’s not the smartest of the men with the most intelligent sense of humor that attract this present age women, instead, men with self-deprecating humor, make their way into their hearts. Are you listening, guys?

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Jul 14, 2008

Do you know why delayed fatherhood can cause miscarriage?

Delayed fatherhood causes miscarriage

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness on: Do you know why delayed fatherhood can cause miscarriage?

Couples who want to start a family, better plan it early in your life because the more you delay, the stronger becomes the risk of a miscarriage, say the scientists. And this applies to both men and women. Contrary to the older belief that men remain fertile even at old age, this new research points out that delayed fatherhood can also cause miscarriage like late motherhood.

Delayed fatherhood for men is a cause of concern for a healthy pregnancy and the baby as well, doctors warn, after a recent research found that male fertility begins to decline when they reach their mid-30s. Doctors said men who wait until their 40s before starting a family face a greater chance of their partner having a miscarriage, because of the poorer quality of their sperm.

The researchers studied the records of more than 12,000 couples treated for infertility at the fertility clinic, Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction in Paris between January 2002 and December 2006; and separated out the influence of male and female ages on the couples' chances of having a baby. They found that women whose partners were 35 or older had more miscarriages than those who were with younger men, regardless of their own age. The men's ages also affected pregnancy rates, which were lower in the over-40s.

The study looked at pregnancies and miscarriages recorded for couples having IUI treatment at the clinic. It found the risk of miscarriage was on average 16.7% when men were aged 30-34. That rate rose to 19.5% when men were 35-39 and 33% in men aged 40 or over.

The findings are a concern, researchers say, because of the trend for men to delay fatherhood. Stéphanie Belloc, lead author of the study, said that until now, gynecologists only focused on maternal age, and the message was to get pregnant before the age of 35 or 38 because afterwards it would be difficult. But now the gynecologists must also focus on paternal age and give this information to the couple.

Yves Ménézo, an embryologist at the Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction, said older men become less fertile because genetic defects build up in their sperm. In younger men, the damage is minor and can be repaired inside the fertilized egg. But in older men the amount of DNA damage can overwhelm the body's natural repair mechanisms. "We think there's a critical threshold of DNA damage and above that, the damage can no longer be repaired. When that happens, genetic mistakes get through to the embryo and you get an increase in miscarriages," Ménézo said.

Jacques de Mouzon, a co-author at the French National Institute for Medical Research, said: "People say men are fertile into old age, 90 even. That may be true sometimes, but the product is different and there are more semen abnormalities as age advances. There is a decrease [in male fertility] and an increase in the spontaneous abortion rate after the age of 40 and especially after 45. It is necessary for men to try to have children before the ages of 40 to 45."

Previous research has pointed to a slight increase in birth defects in babies born to older men. A 2005 study of 70,000 couples by epidemiologist Jorn Olsen at the University of California, Los Angeles, found a fourfold rise in Down's syndrome among babies born to men aged 50 and older. They were also more likely to have limb deformities.

Dr Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at Sheffield University and secretary of the British Fertility Society, said: "There is growing evidence from a number of studies to show that men are not totally immune from reproductive ageing. "Previous studies of couples trying to conceive naturally or undergoing IVF have shown that men over the age of about 40 are less fertile than younger men. Moreover, if they do achieve a pregnancy their partners are more likely to miscarry. This study reinforces the message that men aren't excused from reproductive ageing."

Normally, men don't typically worry about reproductive ageing, but perhaps they should if the study is to be believed, as now, delayed fatherhood is also being linked to miscarriages, and birth deformities.

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Jul 7, 2008

Do you know why women are more attracted to men with stubble?

Miss Finder –The Journo, tries to find answers for your general knowledge and awareness on: Do you know why women are more attracted to men with stubble?

All young men, do you know what it takes to get into a woman’s heart? Well, stubble is the way to win a woman’s heart, so says a study. Researchers found that women are more attracted to men with stubble than those with clean-shaven faces or full beards.

The findings of the experiment, carried out on British women aged 18 to 44, could explain the appeal of actors such as George Clooney and Brad Pitt who cultivate their unshaven look.

Women who participated in the research rated men with stubble as tough, mature, aggressive, dominant and masculine — and as the best romantic partners, either for a fling or a long-term relationship.

To justify this preference of women, the experts in human evolution have given a weird explanation, that facial hair may be a signal of aggression because it boosts the apparent size of the lower jaw, emphasizing the teeth as weapons. An unusual and funny reasoning, if you ask me — isn’t it?

Well, psychologists at Northumbria University, who actually carried out the new study, explain differently. They believe that stubbly men may offer women the best worlds — not too strongly masculine, but mature and with the potential to grow a full beard.

The researchers carried out the study using computer technology to alter pictures of 15 men’s faces so that they displayed different degrees of hairiness. Five levels were used — clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble, light beard and full beard.

The pictures were shown to 76 women who were asked to rate them for masculinity, aggression, dominance, attractiveness, age, and social maturity.

Pictures of men with full beards were judged to be the most masculine, aggressive and socially mature. But they were rated the least attractive and the worst choice for a short-term relationship.

Men with light beards were considered the most dominant. Those with light stubble were rated the most attractive and as the ideal romantic partner for the short or long term. Clean-shaven men finished bottom for masculinity, dominance, aggression, and social maturity.

Well, gone are the days, when women used to like her man to be elegant with clean-shaven look. The 21st century women are more attracted to the rough macho look instead, that signifies more masculinity in men with stubble. And if you ask me, I simply find stubbly men, hot — yes, that’s the word! So get ready guys — now you know the way to a woman’s heart!

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Jun 9, 2008

Do you know why women may have diminished libido?

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness on why women may have diminished libido:

Are you having problems in your sex life? Is your woman having diminished libido? Well, she may be suffering from pelvic floor disorder, which may impact women's sex life!

Incontinence and other disorders of the pelvic organs can take a toll on a woman's sex life, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 300 women aged 40 and above, those with symptoms of a pelvic floor disorder were more likely to have a diminished libido, pain during sex, or problems reaching orgasm.

Pelvic floor disorders refer to problems with a woman's pelvic organs - the uterus, bladder and rectum; and the muscles and connective tissue that support them. Among the most common of these are urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, where weakened muscles and supporting tissue allow one or more pelvic organs to drop down and protrude into the vagina.

Some symptoms of prolapse include pressure in the vagina, pain in the lower abdomen or lower back, and chronic constipation.

It has been estimated that one-third of U.S. women have at least one type of pelvic floor disorder, but studies have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether the conditions hinder women's sex lives.

The new findings, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, suggest that many women with these disorders, do in fact, have problems with sexual function.

However, the risk of sexual dysfunction was not elevated among women who had mild prolapse that was not causing symptoms, said lead researcher Dr. Victoria Handa, an associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. This is important, she explained, because it indicates that women who have sexual complaints but no other potential symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse do not need to be evaluated for the disorder.

The findings are based on 301 patients recruited from gynecology offices affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Eighty women were seeking care for a pelvic floor disorder, including bladder control problems and pelvic organ prolapse. The rest of the women had other conditions or were getting a routine checkup. All of the women completed questionnaires on their overall health, pelvic symptoms and sexual function.

Overall, the researchers found, women with pelvic floor disorders were more likely to have symptoms of a diminished libido, pain during sex and infrequent orgasms - regardless of age and whether they had gone through menopause.

According to the findings of an earlier study by Dr. Handa and her colleagues, women's diminished libido and sexual function are often improved after having surgery to correct significant prolapse.

So, women with pelvic floor disorders should talk it out with their doctors about any sexual difficulties they have. That may only help, improve their diminished libido.

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May 19, 2008

Do you know why exercise may protect girls from future breast cancer?

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness on why exercise may protect girls from future breast cancer:

We are all aware of the fact that exercise is good for health. And middle-aged women have long been advised to get active to lower their risk of breast cancer after menopause. But, starting young, pays off, too. A new research shows, exercise during the teen years — starting as young as age 12 — can help protect girls from breast cancer when they're grown.

Dr. Graham Colditz of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the study's lead author, points out that the benefit of sustained physical activity from adolescence through the adult years, gets the maximum benefit.

Researchers tracked nearly 65,000 nurses, ages ranging from 24 to 42 who enrolled in a major health study. They answered detailed questionnaires about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Within six years of enrolling, 550 were diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. A quarter of all breast cancer is diagnosed at these younger ages, when it's typically more aggressive.

Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23 percent less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary, researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The biggest impact was regular exercise from ages 12 to 22.

The women at lowest risk of breast cancer, reported doing 3 hours and 15 minutes of running or other vigorous activity a week — or, for the less athletic, 13 hours a week of walking. Typically, the teens reported more strenuous exercise while during adulthood, walking was most common.

But, why exercise may protect girls from future breast cancer? How exactly, would it help? A big point of exercise in middle age and beyond is to keep off the pounds. After menopause, fat tissue is a chief source of estrogen.

In youth, however, the theory is that physical activity itself lowers estrogen levels. Studies of teen athletes show that very intense exercise can delay onset of menstrual cycles and cause irregular periods.

While the study examined only premenopausal breast cancer, "it's certainly likely and possible" that the protection from youthful exercise will last long enough to affect more common postmenopausal breast cancer, too, Colditz added.

Dr. Alpa Patel, a cancer prevention specialist at the American Cancer Society, who praised the new research, said that though the moderate exercise reported in this study of breast cancer was nowhere near enough for those big changes, but it probably was enough to cause slight yet still helpful hormone changes.

Dr. Patel believes that even if someone was a bookworm as a teen, it's not too late, because other researches on the middle-age benefits of exercise show, mom should join her daughters for that bike ride or game of tennis or at least a daily walk around the block.

There are quite a few breast cancer risks that a woman can't change, like:

  • How early she starts menstruating
  • How late menopause hits
  • Family history of the disease

But, physical activity and body weight are such factors that women can control. Women who engage in physical activity not only during adolescence but also during adulthood, lower their risks of breast cancer, said Dr. Patel.

So, what are you still waiting for? If your young daughter is a bookworm or simply a TV buff, just simply get her off the couch.

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May 5, 2008

Do you know why women can’t be medically fit when fat?

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness:

The popular belief that supports the 'fit but fat' theory, has recently got a setback. New research challenges the notion that you can be fat and medically fit at the same time, finding that being active can lower but not eliminate medical risks like heart attacks and other complications, faced by heavy women.

Previous research has gone back and forth on whether exercise or weight has a greater influence on heart disease risks.

The new study involving nearly 39,000 women helps sort out the combined effects of physical activity and body mass on women's chances of developing heart disease.

The study by Harvard-affiliated researchers appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Participants were women aged 54 on average who filled out a questionnaire at the study's start, detailing their height, weight and amount of weekly physical activity in the past year, including walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. They were then tracked for about 11 years. Overall 948 women developed heart disease.

In the study, women were considered active if they followed recommended guidelines and got at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, including brisk walking or jogging. Women who got less exercise than that were considered inactive.

Weight was evaluated by body mass index: A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight, while obese is 30 and higher.

It was found that compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. By contrast, it was 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women; and 2.5 times greater in obese inactive women.

Women over 50, who eventually develop heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems, excess weight can raise those odds in many ways, by increasing blood pressure and risks for diabetes, and by worsening cholesterol. But exercise counteracts all three to some extent – it was observed.

"It is reassuring to see that physical activity really does make an impact," said lead author Dr. Amy Weinstein of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. However, she added, "If you're overweight or obese, you can't really get back to that lower risk entirely with just physical activity alone."

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Apr 7, 2008

Do you know why men are dumb dates?

Miss Finder –The Journo, tries to find answers:

Men usually think they are the smarter sex. But when it comes to flirting they often prove out to be real dumb or boring dates, should I say? Just don’t overreact, all you men! A recent study claims that you just can’t read signals coming from the fairer sex. So, men those who consider flirting to be your traditional domain, think again!

To put it straight - men just don’t understand the attitude and advances of women. The flutter of eyelashes, the smile across the dance floor and the giggle after a lame joke - every woman knows the time-honored ways to get a man. But, men stand dumb to these subtle seduction techniques of the opposite sex, when dating. So, short of pouncing on the object of her lust, a woman’s non-verbal signals of sexual interest often prove sadly lost in the young male brain.

According to the study by the researchers at Indiana University, rather than going through life thinking “she wants me”, men often find themselves trying to navigate a foreign world of social signals without a phrasebook.

Kathy Lette, a best-selling author, says that the research is further evidence of women’s superiority. “Women are fluent in body language; men just have the gift of the ‘grab’. It is really confusing for women. The average bloke either doesn’t realize that we fancy them until we are giving birth to their children in the labor ward; or he presumes all women fancy him all the time. God was playing some kind of prank when he developed two sexes.” - Are you men listening?

Many men out there might get miffed, but the fact is that the male species fall flat on its face when it comes to gauging the female psyche in the initial dating period. “Men find it difficult to tell the difference between women who are being friendly and women who are interested in something more,” claims Coreen Farris, the lead researcher of the university’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Well, doing my own survey, interviewing a few men in my reach, I found out that there are some men out there who admit that they tend to go haywire while reading signals from the fairer sex and just go off-track while trying to read the expressions or body language of their womenfolk.

To conclude on the topic from my findings, I would say, men usually tend to err in their judgment of feminine ways because they probably believe in clichés. Their minds are not properly attuned to understand the delicate signals given by modern women. And, they normally stick to their preconceived notions about women and read what they want to.

But the few witty and intelligent of the male species may find some solace in Coreen Ferris, who believes “these are average differences. Some men are very skilled in reading clues.”

So, the time hasn’t yet arrived for women to ditch the lipstick at once because not all flirting gets lost in translation after all!

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Mar 24, 2008

Do you know why women are attracted to men with darker skin?

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness:

Have you ever wondered why women are attracted to men with darker skin, while men prefer fair-complexioned females? Well, the attraction is driven by preferences based on moral assumptions, says a study.

Researchers from the University of Toronto, who conducted the study, said that women are predominantly attracted to men with darker skin because of latent thoughts about sex, mystery and danger. The findings suggested that, women would be naturally drawn to George Clooney over fellow actor and fairer-skinned, Daniel Craig.

On the other hand, men prefer fair-complexioned women. In fact, more men would instinctively prefer Keira Knightley than her Spanish counterpart Penelope Cruz. Researchers observed that lighter-skinned women in all races are seen as the ideal because of a subconscious association with innocence, purity, modesty, virginity, vulnerability and goodness.

The study was conducted on the basis of 2,000 advertising photographs of men and women, as models were considered the most attractive people of their races and genders.

“What the research shows is that our aesthetic preferences operate to reflect moral preferences. Within our cultures, we have a set of ideals about how women should look and behave. Lightness and darkness have particular meanings attached to them and we subconsciously relate those moral preferences to women and men” - said the study’s lead author Dr Shyon Baumann, a sociologist at the Toronto University.

According to the researchers, many judgments about beauty are made at a conscious level - such as about leg length, height, weight and the shape of the nose as well as the mouth. But, other physical attractiveness ideals, including complexion, are made at the subconscious level.

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Feb 11, 2008

Do you know why curvaceous women produce smart kids?

Prof. Know Why answers:

With a legion of male admirers, curvaceous Salma Hayek or Penelope Cruz may brighten up the screen, every time they popup, but a new academic study suggests that their appeal, and that of other curvy and well-endowed women, is based on more than just the purely physical aspect.

Scientific studies have consistently demonstrated that men through the ages have found women with hourglass figures more attractive. According to a study published last year, even the ancient Egyptian men have sought out curvaceous women. Although the reasons for the attraction have never been conclusively proven, many scientists believed that a shapely figure suggested to a man that a woman would be good at bearing children and have a longer life expectancy.

The new research adds that the buxom beauties are also cleverer. The study, published recently, shows that men who admire women with hourglass figures do so because they are more intelligent and therefore produce more intelligent children than waif-like women or those with "apple-shaped" proportions.

The scientists, from the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Pittsburgh, concluded that women with lower waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) produced children with better intellectual abilities.

They found that voluptuous women's hips and thighs contained omega-3 fatty acids, which help nurture both mother and baby's brains during pregnancy. Fat around the waist, however, contains higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which does not help brain growth. "Shapely hips and thighs hold essential nutrients that nurse brains and could produce smart kids, too," said one researcher, Steven Gaulin, of the University of California at Santa Barbara. His colleague, William Lassek, from the University of Pittsburgh, said: "Men respond because it's reproductively important."

The researchers tested 16,000 women and girls and found that women with a greater difference between their waist and hip measurements scored significantly higher in the tests, as did their children. The research suggests that children born to teenagers do worse in cognitive tests because their mothers did not have enough of the omega-3 acids stored in their hips.

So, all you men – now you have got another reason to love curves!

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