the eye of Nova's mind

Why do men prefer nice women?: Responsiveness and desire -- Good description of study.

Science of dating: why playing hard to get only works for men -- Not so good description. It's not that "[m]en should play hard to get if they want to attract the opposite sex on a first date otherwise women will see them as unmanly or manipulative," it's that being overly responsive & agreeable will set off red flags. On a first date? Ingratiating oneself is never a good mating strategy, but many women will indeed see it as such: a mating strategy, not one for building a relationship (especially not between equals).

Lesson: Don't be smarmy.

Man dressed as Spider-Man punches NYPD cop in Times Square, authorities say -- I love how the Daily News just uses a pic of a random guy in a Spidey suit, not of the alleged criminal himself so outfitted.

2 injured when cable on Ohio amusement park ride snaps | Two people hurt after cable snaps on Skyhawk at Cedar Point -- Bad news for my favorite amusement park. Never been on that ride, though, and probably won't any time soon.

Learning the smell of fear: Mothers teach babies their own fears via odor, U of Michigan research finds: Research in rats may help explain how trauma's effects can span generations

My Rapist Was a Sweetheart -- I'd been avoiding Huff Post since their posting access restrictions changed. Against my better judgment, I clicked on this, mainly because the subject is part of the national conversation right now. This article is really not good, not for its content per se, but for its structure. I'm not just talking about mechanical errors (though those irk me, especially as the byline lists the author as an "editor"); no, the main problem is that it starts out as anecdote, then abandons that midway through. What happened the rest of the way home with her friend? What did they talk about after Terry Richardson came up in conversation? Did they have a blow-up? Are they still friends? You don't abandon a story midstream. Tie loose ends, dammit.

Cuban: Ousting Donald Sterling 'slippery slope'

Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life from NBA

In 10 Minutes, ESPN's Bomani Jones Lays Waste To The Sterling Issue -- The best stuff comes in the latter half of the segment.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Talking About Race -- The U of Mich decision

Bundy saga reveals the risk of cozying up to extremists -- It's just been a banner week for racism & bigotry in this country.

Calling girls 'fat' may result in weight gain -- Not surprising.

Bill would delay implications of Common Core tests -- CC is going to devastate some places. It's going to be brutal.

She's homeless and likes it that way -- Interesting human interest story.

FSU under investigation for handling of Jameis Winston case

Family of beaten driver: He pleaded with attackers; why were they so angry?

Army ban on hairstyles including dreadlocks, cornrows prompts allegations of racial bias

Heterosexual Women, Please Stop Using the Term "Girl Crush" -- So, I identify basically as 98% heterosexual. Still, I find certain women attractive. I've been stereotypically crushing on Angela Bassett for over two decades now. If she were to somehow know me & be into me, we would be together right now. Right the fuck now. But, at the same time, I wouldn't use a term like "girl crush" to describe the sensation. So I kind of get both sides.

Stroke Brought on by Insomnia; New Study Finds Link Between Trouble Sleeping and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Cereal box cartoons often stare down, entice children: study | more -- That's actually kind of creepy.

Scalia finds his predictions on same-sex-marriage ruling being borne out

Republicans' belief in evolution plummets, poll reveals

'Men are stuck' in gender roles, data suggest

Female Orgasm May Be the Missing Link in Post-Shag Pillow Talk | The science of pillow talk -- oxytocin

An Academic Approach To Creepy Pickup Artists

Does Reading Actually Change the Brain?

New Housecat-Size Feline Species Discovered -- The oncilla. I still want an ocelot, but one of these cuties would make me squeal with delight as well.

The chemistry of love: Oxytocin may drive monogamy in relationships

I Lost My Virginity to the Wrong Person: 'Sexual Regret' Seems to Differ By Gender

Poll: 63% of Americans want Boehner out as speaker

Breastfeeding Missouri mother charged with contempt

Spanking tied to later aggression among kids -- I thought this had already been established.

Mistaken Identity And Gender Bias? An Etruscan Warrior Prince Is Actually A Princess

Financial worries lower thinking ability: Financial worries can reduce your ability to think about other things and effectively reduce your IQ by 13 points, according to a new study | more | even more | even even more

Men secretly want their wives to fail: Men feel worse about themselves when their wives or girlfriends succeed, especially in an area where they have failed -- "When comparing all the results, the researchers found that it didn't matter if the achievements or failures were social or intellectual, men subconsciously felt worse about themselves when their partner succeeded than when she failed."

Addicted to Facebook fame? Blame your brain's nucleus accumbens -- "That little knot of neurons also plays a part in how good you feel about financial gain — but in a series of experiments, researchers in Germany found that Facebook usage seems more closely related to a boost in reputation than a boost in the bank account."

Fruit juice linked to increased risk of diabetes, new research shows

A message for CBSnews.com:

Dear Ms. Castillo:

I recently came across your article "Study: Drunk men described as 'wasted' while women considered 'tipsy'" published July 11, 2013. I came upon the article in a neutral state of mind, but I grew disdainful when I came across the closing of the piece.

There, you state that binge drinking is linked "to health problems including alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy, heart diseases, liver disease, neurological damage, unintentional injuries like car crashes or falls, and intentional injuries like sexual assault or domestic violence." It is your word choice that alarmed & astonished me. Your turn of phrases--that of "unintentional" & "intentional" injuries--makes it seem that those who engage in these activities solicit such "intentional injuries" as sexual assault & domestic violence. Through sheer rhetoric, you imply that persons (and by persons, I mean women, as those were the focus of the main article as well as the fact that few men are sexually assaulted or domestically abused due to alcohol use or abuse) were complicit in their harm. This is entirely irresponsible, something that should have been obvious to you or to one of your editors.

I implore you to issue a correction to your article or, if that does not occur, that in the future no one ever uses the wording that you have used here to smear an entire gender for behavior in which both/all genders engage.

Sincerely,

Yoga in school not same as teaching religion, California judge rules -- Thank goodness, because that suit was bunk.

Poll: Support for gay marriage hits high after ruling

Habits -- good and bad -- stick when you're stressed -- Keep also in mind that it takes about 27 days to reform a bad habit. (I wonder if the disruption tactic at the end of the article would speed up that process?)

Heavy drinking, 'incompatible' drinking tied to divorce, study says -- Some sexism is also at play here.

Why Healthy Eaters Fall for Fries -- "Mr. Fitzsimons called the phenomenon 'vicarious goal fulfillment.' By seeing a healthy menu option at a restaurant, 'it basically satisfies that goal to be healthy,' he said, and gives consumers leeway to order what they want." (NYT)

Why does it cost more to give birth in the US? -- This article could have been much longer with far more details.

Mysterious Pair Buried With Flowers--Oldest Example Yet: Aromatic sage and mint lined graves found on Israel's Mount Carmel -- "The Natufian society [which flourished between 15,000 and 11,600 years ago in an area that is now Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria] was one of the first--possibly the first--to transition from a roaming hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements, and was also the first to establish true graveyards[.]"