Sex

Disgusting Things Fall Into Six Gross Categories

Open sores, body odors and other indicators of possible disease transmission top the list of things that gross us out

Most White Sands moths are white to blend in with their environment, but a select few black species have evolved as well.

Dissecting Moth Genitals In the Name of Science

How “moth evangelist” Eric Metzler uncovered hundreds of moth species in the barren dunes of New Mexico

Fossil ostracods on a slide from the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The science team behind the recent Nature paper relied heavily on this collection for their analysis.

What the Large Penises of Tiny Crustaceans Tell Us About Evolution

Massive male sex organs have their perks, but in the long run, a little modesty pays

Gene editing, which uses "molecular scissors" to cut and replace pieces of DNA, could be key for curing herpes.

Can We Gene-Edit Herpes Away?

Because the virus hides out deep in our bodies and stays there for life, a vaccine has eluded scientists for decades. But there may be another way

Regaliceratops peterhewsi, the “Hellboy Dinosaur”

Dinosaur Horns Were For Making Love, Not War

The elaborate horns and frills were more likely for attracting mates than fighting off enemies

Casanova Is Getting a Museum

The womanizer and Enlightenment polymath will be memorialized with an interactive museum in Venice opening April 2

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Women Who Shaped History

Collecting the stories of women who forever changed the course of the American story

The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah), Sunday, Apr 28, 1935

How the “Heart Balm Racket” Convinced America That Women Were Up to No Good

Being engaged carried some legal consequences until the news media got a hold of a sensational story

Will blue packets replace pink ones soon?

Heart-Stopping Arrow Poison Could Be the Key to Male Birth Control

A non-toxic version of the compound interrupts fertilization in rats

It's not as bad as it sounds.

Sorry, Guys: Your Y Chromosome May Be Doomed

But don’t worry, men aren’t going anywhere

"Perhaps you'd be interested if I had a sponge?"

Male Humpback Dolphins Woo Mates By Presenting Sponges as Gifts

They also use "wingmen" and occasionally sport the sponges as hats—but researchers aren't sure just how much game they really have

Diploscapter pachys hasn't had sex for 18 million years, and is doing just fine

This Worm Hasn't Had Sex in 18 Million Years

By fusing its chromosomes, the creature could essentially clone itself while still maintaining genetic variation

Rock Hudson in 1954.

The Hollywood Star Who Confronted the AIDS 'Silent Epidemic'

Rock Hudson died of AIDS-related complications in 1985

This 1966 portrait of Hugh Hefner will go on display today in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Hugh Hefner's Legacy as Told Through National Portrait Gallery Artifacts

Three objects explore the complicated and controversial life of the late founder of the Playboy empire

Two tree frogs share an intimate moment. The eye-popping yellow of the male only emerges in mating season.

The Color-Changing Marvel of Tree Frogs Looking for Love

A new study sheds light on the wild world of "dynamically dichromatic" amphibians

Fertility apps promise to help women both get pregnant and avoid pregnancy. But how reliable are they?

What’s Actually New About Today’s Newfangled Birth Control Apps?

These futuristic-sounding apps are on the rise, but it’s key to separate the data from the hype

Paul Ehrlich was the first to take a chemical approach to immunity.

The First Syphilis Cure Was the First 'Magic Bullet'

The term 'magic bullet' once just meant a targeted drug

Male wolf spiders may have eight eyes, but they still can't tell whether the female they're mating with is dead or alive.

Whoa: Polygamous Wolf Spiders Have a Natural Form of Birth Control

Females have figured out how to get rid of unwanted sperm, allowing them to reap the benefits of multiple mates

For some animals, romance goes more smoothly when it comes with gifts.

Why Snail Sex Is Like a Box of Chocolates

To up the romance factor, some animals pair amorous advances with tasty gifts

This is cowpea seed beetle penis, not a weapon from Game of Thrones

Why Seed Beetles Are Caught in a "Sexual Arms Race"

The strange spiky penis of the cowpea beetle seems to drive the evolution of both male and female beetles

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