Can a man’s orgasm cause him to go blind, at least temporarily? A medical report explores that very question, and we explore that medical report, in this week’s Improbable Research podcast. SUBSCRIBE on Play.it, iTunes, or Spotify to get a new episode every week, free. This week, Marc Abrahams discusses a published orgasm/blindess study, with dramatic readings from Yale/MIT/Harvard biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. For more info about what we […]
Tag: Orgasm
Orgasms in 27 Languages: “Behold, I Am Coming Soon!”
Linguistics is a sometimes exciting discipline. Behold this newly published study: “Behold, I Am Coming Soon! A Study on the Conceptualization of Sexual Orgasm in 27 Languages,” Anita Yen Chiang and Wen-yu Chiang [pictured here], Metaphor and Symbol, vol. 31, no. 3, July-September 2016, pp. 131-147. The authors, at National Taiwan University, explain: “languages tend […]
It’s a long story… (from the Archives of Sexual Behavior)
Behold the start (or perhaps the middle) of a twisted tale: “Be Careful that Your Snark Is Not a Boojum,” Kim Wallen, Archives of Sexual Behavior, vol. 36, no. 3, 2007, pp. 335-336. The author begins: “I write to correct a striking inaccuracy in Puts'(2006) response to my critique (Wallen, 2006) of his review of Lloyd’s […]
Counting on: Childbirth and Orgasm
Today’s implicit statistics lesson is contained in a new study: “Childbirth climax: The revealing of obstetrical orgasm,” Thierry Postel, Sexologies, epub May 3, 2013. The author, in Blainville-sur-Mer, France, explains: “Giving birth and feeling an orgasm is a seemingly improbable link. For most women, this notion is perceived as an inconceivable myth. This study, published […]
Do Female Bonobos Fake Orgasm?
“Do Female Bonobos Fake Orgasm?” ask Wolter Seuntjens and Karolina Hansen (pictured here), going on to explain that they would like to know the answer. Details are in their paper (which you can read in its entirety): “Do Female Bonobos Fake Orgasm?” Wolter Seuntjens and Karolina Hansen, Journal of Unsolved Questions, vol. 1, no., 15, 2011. […]
Do Women Pretend Orgasm to Retain a Mate?, and another question
Today is Two Questions Day. Question #1: Do some researchers choose topics to attract attention? Question #2: Do women pretend orgasm to retain a mate? The following study sheds light on at least one of today’s questions: “Do Women Pretend Orgasm to Retain a Mate?” Farnaz Kaighobadi, Todd K. Shackelford [pictured here] and Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford, Archives […]
Self-stimulation on the brain, plus Maggie Gyllenhaal
“In this Curiosity video we follow Maggie Gyllenhaal in exploring how female brain activity changes as a woman reaches orgasm,” say the makers of the video. The investigation recalls the one personally documented (as the test subject) by Mary Roach in her stimulating book Bonk. (Thanks to investigator David Holzman for bringing the video to […]
Higher education: Orgasm info in Australian airspace
The Australian newspaper reports: A cheeky documentary about the female orgasm is raising eyebrows among Qantas passengers. The SBS program The Female Orgasm Explained is available for viewing by all international travellers and features excerpts from old porn flicks, graphics and sound effects that would make conservative commuters squirm. Originally shown on SBS, the French film aims to […]
First-hand reportage of Altman’s orgasm
This photo, taken by Patti Sapone, appeared in The Star Ledger. The accompanying caption explains: The volunteer raises her hand to indicate that she is having an orgasim. Dr. Barry Komisaruk, a Rutgers’ based neuroscientist and his team do a brain scan of a 31 year old female volunteer while she masturbates in an MRI […]
Komisaruk and the multiple orgasms
Barry Komisaruk, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, is celebrated for research demonstrating that women can have multiple orgasms. He can also be celebrated for his multiple publications about women’s orgasms. These include: Komisaruk, B.R., Beyer-Flores, C., and Whipple, B. (2006) The Science of Orgasm. In press. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 358 pages. […]