"When a female is attracted to a male, entire suites of genes in her brain turn on and off."

[S]ome genes were turned on when females found a male attractive, but a larger number of genes were turned off. "When females were most excited--when attractive males were around--we observed the greatest down regulation [turning off] of genes."

We knew that.

"It's possible that this could lead to a release of inhibition, a transition to being receptive to mating."

The same genes that turned on when the females were with attractive males turned off when they were with other females and vice versa.

That's swordtail fish we're talking about, but:

[Molly] Cummings and [Hans] Hofmann [of the University of Texas at Austin] suggest that the gene sets they studied could be involved in orchestrating mating responses in all vertebrates.

I have no further comment, except to wonder idly what's going on in the male brain.

Comments

[Ruth Anne]

The male brain? You'd have to do your research at its satellite location near the gonads.

[Ron]

As all men are able to talk to swordtail fish, (one more thing we keep hidden from the ladies) I asked one, and hell, he came with the same answer this species does!

Football.

[Donna B.]

Reminds me of an old joke where God is telling Adam why he made woman so beautiful, kind, etc. Finally Adam asks, but why did you make her so dumb and God answers, "So she would love you."

I never could tell a joke, but you get the idea.

[Ruth Anne]

Donna B: Same set-up. God's pulling 'gifts' out of his bag of godly tricks and is down to the last two. First one he pulls out: 'Ability to pee standing up' and Adam goes all Horshak on him and demands that gift without knowing what's left in the bag.

Last one God pulls out: 'Multiple orgasms.' Eve smiles knowingly.

[amba]

On a camping trip (but only then), you'd gladly sell your orgasms for a mess of don't-need-a-pottage.

[Donna B.]

Camping trips are when you get yourself a Go-Girl:
http://www.go-girl.com/

[amba]

What a cool product!! This one sounds like it might actually work.

[Ron]

Amba! They have a twitter feed! Gimme that go-girl mobile and I'll pee all over the country...so to speak!

[Donna B.]

I think the "Go-Girl" twitter feed is not one I'd follow, even if were I HUGE fan of twitter. Oh my... the horrid possibilities:

~~I just wrote my name in the snow.

~~If only the astronaut stalker had known about this.

~~Peeing in the backyard in the dark really is fun.

[amba]

LOL! Your parody is probably better than the real thing.

I don't particularly care to follow a brand, even a brave and plucky brand.

[Ron]

Plus, does anyone really want "pee tweets?"