Science reveals common sense to be fact! A study conducted by Dr. Bahman Guyuron and published in The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal researched the appearance of aging twins to determine why one half of the pair would be protected by time while the other would become wrinkled. While the side-by-side slide shows can be shocking, the reasons behind the wrinkles are exactly what your mama warned you about. Keep reading to find out how some of the twins stayed young-looking:

Cue a sarcastic “We’ve come along way, baby!” joke: A recent study by the children’s magazine Highlights found girls are assigned more chores at home than boys. The survey polled 845 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 and found 73 percent of girls do chores, while 65 percent of boys do. Eight percent may not sound like much; however, these findings are consistent with a 2006 study by the University of Michigan. Researchers polled 3,000 10- to 17-year-olds and discovered girls spend seven hours a week doing housework, while boys only spend five hours a week. Possibly explains why some grown-up dudes aren’t so proactive with the Clorox, doesn’t it? Was this your experience growing up? Did you do more chores than your brothers did?  [NY Times]

“Date-rape drugs are largely an urban myth used as an excuse by women who booze themselves into a stupor, it has been claimed.”

That’s the first line from an article in today’s Daily Mail, about a new study out of the University of Kent that suggests many women mistake being drunk for being drugged. Of course, there’s more to this story than the “journalists” at the Daily Mail would have you believe. For starters, it’s not that women are using “I was drugged!” as a way of excusing bad drunken behavior, but rather than they may be confusing the side effects of being intoxicated—nausea, dizziness, etc.—with those associated with being roofied. Additionally, a far more comprehensive article in the Telegraph quotes Adam Burgess, of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, as saying, “Young women appear to be displacing their anxieties about the consequences of consuming what is in the bottle on to rumors of what could be put there by someone else.”

OK, fess up: how many of you think it’s sexy when your partner does housework? Yeah, me neither. I mean, I appreciate it, for sure. But does it get me hot and bothered when my husband runs a vacuum over the living room rug or does a couple loads of laundry? No, not really. But according to a new study of 6,877 married couples, there’s a strong link for both women and men between watching their spouses do housework and getting turned on. One explanation for the correlation is that “housework may be a proxy for a general willingness to invest in shared interests, a symbol of commitment to home and hearth.” I’ve only been married for three months, so what the hell do I know, but good God, shoot me now if there’s a day in my future when “shared interests” refers to sparkling kitchen floors and freshly scrubbed toilet bowls. [via WSJ]

There’s something that’s been on my mind for a couple of months now that I need to address. Do you guys remember that article I blogged about way back in August that discussed what makes women cry? In addition to listing the top five things that make women cry at various points of their lives, the article also claimed that grown women spend roughly two hours and 14 minutes each week crying. At the time, that number struck me as extremely high, but I decided to test it out, and so, over the last two months I’ve been keeping track of my crying. The grand total? About seven minutes. In fact, I can recall only three times over the last two months that I cried at all, and loathe that I am to admit it, two of those times were because I’d gotten too fat to wear anything in my closet.

I have this theory that there is a covert organization out there, run by men, that is devoted to finding scientific “evidence” that women should give blow jobs and, preferably, swallow. Their latest discovery? Human sperm may slow the aging process! That’s right, Botox addicts: According to the Telegraph, “spermidine, a compound that is found in sperm, slows aging processes and increases longevity in yeast, flies, worms and mice, as well as human blood cells, by protecting cells from damage.” Of course, what this really means is that maybe someday down the road scientists could possibly create a wonder pill that extends the human lifespan, but our boys at Asylum want women to believe that we should just start giving more head now. “In other words, science has just declared that the fountain of youth is in your pants. Adjust your seduction techniques accordingly.” Nice try, guys! [Telegraph via Asylum]

According to a new survey, 33 percent of women in Denver would give up sex for a whole year before handing over their cell phones. Granted, the survey was conducted by a cell phone company, but it got us thinking: Is there anything you would give up sex for for a whole year? Where do you rank sex on your list of life priorities? I hate phones, so giving up my cell for a year wouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world, but coffee? Or email? Or stiff Gin & Tonics? Hmm ... that’s pushing it. It’s a tough call, but I think there might be a few things on my list I’d have a harder time giving up for a year than sex. How about you? [via TheDenverChannel.com]

Some exciting news in the medical world: a new HIV vaccine, called RV 144, has proved effective in reducing infection rates of the sexually transmitted disease by 31 percent. A combination of two previously tested vaccines, the formula was administered to some 16,000 people in Thailand as part of a three-year research program. Half the participants received a placebo, 74 percent of whom became infected with HIV. Comparatively, only 51 percent of the vaccinated group became infected. (Side note: Wow, still ... those are some pretty scary odds.) Interestingly, the American military played a role in the program because HIV poses a “national security threat.”

Good news for a lot of us: having thunder thighs may actually prolong our lives ! A study, published in the British Medical Journal, followed several hundred men and women in Denmark for more than 10 years and discovered that “those with the smallest thighs - below 55cm (about 22 inches) - had twice the risk of early death or serious health problems.” Researchers found that the risk was “more highly related to thigh circumference than to waist circumference” and believe that the risk could be associated with too little muscle mass, which can lead to the body not responding to insulin properly, thus increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, responded to the published study, saying: “This is a very interesting and slightly counter-intuitive piece of work but it has to be respected because of the numbers looked at and the duration of the research. This must be great news for people with larger thighs.” Well, not quite as great as finding perfect-fitting jeans on sale, but I’ll take it. [via BBC News]

I’ll save you all the nitty-gritty, scientific-y details and just give you the good news. Forget about your diet and focus on your face cream if you’re in the market for a long-term mate. A new study by Dr. Currie at Royal Society University in London confirmed that men and women approach long-term relationships in a similar way—both genders pay way more attention to gorgeous faces than hot bodies. When it comes to short-term relationships ... well, women were more likely to go for face over body while the dudes placed much more importance on the body than the face. Shocker. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “butter face.” [Evolution and Human Behavior]

Some men skip from relationship to relationship, never once staying single, because they always have a girl waiting in the wings. We tend to hate these guys, but it might be our fault they exist. Social psychologists at Oklahoma State University published a report in the current issue of Journal of Experimental Social Psychology on “mate poaching.” Participants in their study were shown the same picture of a moderately attractive male or female, depending on their gender, and some were told the person was in a relationship. Then, participants indicated how interested they’d be in pursuing a relationship with the person in the photo.

I’ve been married all of 11 days now and, as if on cue, the day my husband (still very much getting used to saying that!) and I tied the knot, he stopped putting the toilet seat down. I ignored it at first, but by our first weekend together as a married couple, I couldn’t stand it any longer and said something to him about it. I made a jokey comment about his sudden change in behavior — more embarrassed than pissed at being such a cliché so early in our marriage. After over three years together, surely he must realize if there’s one thing I wanted to avoid in marriage it was being a cliché, but I suppose the lesson here is that that’s a lost cause for any married couple, even those of us who think we’re so “modern.” One cliché I will be able to avoid, though, is the terrible mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship so many women have. My own mother-in-law passed away long before I got a chance to meet her, and while I’d love to think we would have had a wonderful relationship — if her sons are any indication, she was a terrific woman and I hope she would have approved of me — the odds, apparently, aren’t in our favor.

What attracts you to a man the most — a sense of humor, a great smile, a hot bod, keen intelligence? Apparently, a lot of women get weak in the knees for men who do housework. A recent study from Oxford University examined “marriage and cohabitation rates” across 13 countries and “compared them to attitudes towards the roles of men and women at home.” After questioning “13,500 men and women aged between 20 and 45 from each country about gender, housework and childcare responsibilities,” researchers discovered that women are hottest for men “they believe they will help out with household chores and make an equal contribution towards childcare.” In countries where men are less likely to pull their weight at home, women are between 20-50% less likely to shack up with them. Dr Almudena Seville-Sanz, of the university’s Centre for Time Use Research, said: This study shows that in egalitarian countries there is less social stigma attached to men doing what was traditionally women’s work.’” After the jump see how the 13 countries included in the study rank on the “egalitarian index.”

Those kooky scientists, always launching big, expensive studies to tell us things we already know. Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health took MRIs of children’s brains to figure out what exactly happens when they make a new friend. The kids were asked to look at pictures of potential friends and rate them, depending on interest. Researchers told the test subjects they would be meeting their favorites from the pictures in a few weeks. For girls, preparing to meet a friend got their brains all hyped up. But boys’ brains pretty much did nothing at all. (Ha, what else is new?) The scientists concluded that this shows that girls tend towards one-on-one relationships, while boys prefer the nature of large groups. Perhaps so they have more people to burp with? [Time]

A new study published in The Social Science Quarterly completely backs up Johnny Cash’s story in ”A Boy Named Sue.” As it turns out, calling your baby boy something uncommon, unpopular, or feminine will most definitely “increase the tendency toward juvenile delinquency.” There’s a greater chance he’ll wind up in the slammer … or playing “Indiana Jones” like Shia LaBeouf.

While the Shippensburg University researchers proved that a girlie-named guy will be forced to be a fighter, at least on the playground, on the upside, rebels eventually make delicious man candy! Am I right, ladies? So, to help you on your hunt for the sexiest piece of ass, here are the top ten names that separate the men from the bad boys, after the jump…

How important is your cell phone in your life? I feel like a lost puppy when mine runs out of batteries or I leave it at my apartment, and I am not alone. A survey conducted by Best Buy indicated that most Americans would rather give up alcohol for a week than hand over their cell phone. Sounds about right. If you can live without talking to your friends and family without seven days but can’t handle giving up vodka tonics, you have a problem. Other things respondents said they would rather do for a week than give up their phone: survive on bread and water, give up television, and have their teeth drilled by a dentist. None of this, however, is as surprising as the German survey that found the majority of respondents would rather do without their significant other or car than the internet. We’re a planet of technology addicts! [UPI]

Doesn’t it always seem that for whatever may ail a man, the antidote is always more sex? Take men with “damaged sperm,” for example. In a new study of 118 Australian men with damaged sperm — but really, what is damaged sperm? — doctors “found that having sex every day for a week significantly reduced the amount of DNA damage in their patients’ sperm” and increased their likelihood of getting a woman knocked up. Dr. David Greening of Sydney IVF, a private fertility clinic in Australia, and some other researchers found that in 81 percent of the men, there was a 12% decrease in the amount of damaged sperm. A 12% decrease hardly seems like something to hang one’s hat on, but Dr. Greening is now instructing all couples seeking fertility advice to start by having more sex. “Some of the older men look a little concerned,’’ he said. “But the younger ones seem quite happy about it.’’ Sperm quality can also be improved if men exercise, get more antioxidants, and give up their smokes and booze, but something tells me that most men concerned about the health of their sperm will opt for the “more sex” route. [via wcbs]

Doctors have been using Efudex cream to treat actinic keratoses, a precancerous form of squamous cell carcinoma (also known as skin cancer), for four decades, but a new study has found that the medication could also improve skin and smooth wrinkles and rough spots. Dr. Dana Sachs of the University of Michigan, whose study appears in the Archives of Dermatology, said the cream seems to cause an increase in collagen production as it heals the skin wounds. But with every medication comes a downside. Patients experience reddened and inflamed skin soon after application. “Patients look really bad,” Sachs said in a telephone interview with Reuters. “Their skin is red. I’ve heard people describe it as looking like raw hamburger meat.” Then, their skin improves—the pre-cancers are gone and the skin remains youthful for years. Sachs said this knowledge could get patients to stick with their treatments through completion.

We all know most dudes don’t like chicks who can count their own ribs, but a new study suggests that bigger girls are where it’s at. When 100 dudes were asked to rate the attractiveness of different sized female torsos, researchers found that most men prefer women who are a size 14. The idea gal is 163cm tall with a 76cm waist and 102cm hips. This study didn’t take bust size into account which seems like a pretty important factor. Other studies have suggested that women with hourglass figures, rather than women with athletic bodies, are more attractive to men.

I don’t agree with this study, based purely on the fact that I talk to dudes about women all the time. I don’t know many guys whose ideal woman is a size 14, but maybe that’s because they don’t understand sizes in the first place? Guys certainly don’t like chicks as skinny as the ones you see strutting down the catwalk, but when I ran this study by my male friends one of them called it “ridiculous” and all of them just plain disagreed. What do you think? [News.com.au]

Smart women have the best sex. Duh.

After interviewing over 2,000 sets of adult women twins, who have identical everythings, Professor Tim Spector, a researcher at King’s College in London, found that if a lady isn’t afraid to express herself and picks up on what other people are expressing, she’s an orgasmic machine who can satisfy her partner like none other. Shockingly enough, being a “touchy-feely” kind of gal isn’t as bad as it sounds. Sure, it might cause an awkward moment every now and again—I’m still sorry I hugged my ex-boss at the company Christmas party—but the good part of expressing your emotions means more feelings in your tunnel of love. Spector is convinced that “these findings show that emotional intelligence is an advantage in many aspects of your life, including the bedroom.” The researchers hope to use their evidence to help the nearly 40 percent of women who say they can’t get off.

So, next time someone tells you to stop being so emotional, tell them to stop trying to ruin your sex life. Feel free to pop in “The Notebook” DVD, open a tub of Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s, and let those tear ducts drip. Feelings are the new foreplay. [Daily Mail]