It really drives you insa-a-a-a-ane

Hernandez-Gonzalez M, Guevara MA, Agmo A (2008). Motivational influences on the degree and direction of sexual attraction. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1129: 61–87

Motivation can be defined as a class of central nervous processes determining the likelihood of display of a behavior and the intensity of the behavior if displayed. All behavior is, according to this definition, caused and controlled by motivation. Although the concept of motivation eventually could be replaced by an entirely mechanistic explanation of the causes of behavior, in terms of neural events, such explanations would be overly complex for everyday use. This is particularly the case with regard to the momentaneous fluctuations in the intensity of a behavior, like those occurring during copulation in rats. Thus, the concept of motivation will remain useful even when mechanistic explanations become available. Even though the propensity to perform sexual responses is determined by sexual motivation, another element is required for the execution of such responses. This other element is an appropriate stimulus, a sexual incentive. For a male rat, an appropriate incentive could be a sexually receptive female. For a human, it could be a mental representation of a sexual partner. The incentive activates approach behaviors, and the intensity of these behaviors will be determined by motivation and by the quality of the incentive stimulus, its attractivity. Much work has been done with the purpose of identifying the nature of the incentive stimulus or stimuli emitted by rats and other mammals. While visual stimuli seem to be of limited importance, auditory and particularly olfactory stimuli have been found to have incentive properties. Soluble chemicals may be important for some aspects of copulation, but copulatory motor patterns are basically under the control of tactile stimuli. The processing of sexual incentives in the rat brain has been studied with electroencephalographic techniques, and data show that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) participates in the identification of sexual incentives. Furthermore, there are important differences between the medial and orbital frontal cortices. The medial PFC, as well as the ventral tegmental area, also seem to participate in the generation of pelvic thrusting.

Sphere: Related Content

Architeuthis peezeemyers

...has been discovered lurking somewhere in Lake Superior. It is the first species of squid known to reside in the Midwest.

Catch footage of it here, along with one of its three offspring:




Spore may not be strictly an evolution game, but it features it as a theme. Spore is about the biological pressures on a species. Check out the Creature Creator.

Sphere: Related Content

On gay marriage

A comic that briefly summarizes my sentiments about the homophobic troglodytes who want to ban it.

Sphere: Related Content

A short history of human civilization

Contains some gore and genitals. May not want to maximize this if at work.

Sphere: Related Content

LOLPLoS

Via A Blog Around the Clock, the LOLPLoS submissionfest.

Science is awesome. Science humor is nearly as awesome.

Sphere: Related Content

Stephen Hawking communicates my attitude perfectly

I'm a disciple of science
I know the universe is in full compliance with natural laws,
but many place reliance on the psuedo-science of quacks and
morons and fools because
their education's deficient,
they put faith in omniscient
make-believe beings who control their fate,
but the Hawk ain't with it, dig it,
their Holy writ ain't the least bit legit,
it's a bunch of bullshit.

They need to read a book that ain't so damn old,
let reason take hold,
though truth to be told,
they're probably already too far gone,
withdrawn, the conclusion foregone.
But maybe there is still hope for the young,
if they reject the dung being slung from the tongues
of the ignorant fools who call themselves preachers,
and listen instead to their science teachers.

Chorus
Upon blind faith they place reliance,
what we need more of is science!

Trash Talk
Uh yeah, that's right!
Fundamentalist assholes!
Screw the whole lot of them.

Verse 2
Look, I ain't Thomas Dolby,
science doesn't blind me,
think you're smart? Form a line behind me,
you won't find me, truth to tell,
to be a man who suffers fools very well.
Quite the opposite in fact,
I ain't got time to interact
with crystal wearing freaks in need of a smack.
New age motherfuckers? Don't get me started,
I made more sense than them last time I farted.

Not to put too fine a point upon it,
but the whole new age movement is full of shit.
Please allow me to elaborate,
explicate, expatiate.
From astral projection to zygomancy it's a
mish-mash of idiocy.
Instead of the archaic worship of seasons,
they should explore logic and reason.

Chorus

Trash Talk
Fucking new-agers!
Is there any amount of bullshit they won't swallow?
It's two-thousand-aught-three goddammit!
When are these morons gonna join us in the 21st century?

Sphere: Related Content

The Large Hardon Collider

No, that was not a typo.

(NSFW)

Sphere: Related Content

Dick to the Dawk to the PhD

UPDATE: This apparently features an equal amount of ID as evolution. Ergo, video = fail.

UPDATE 2: This movie was apparently made by the producers of Expelled. I refuse to disseminate creationist bullshit.

Sphere: Related Content

Nailing one's self to a cross cannot be healthy

A bunch of Christians doing silly and unsafe things for their beliefs.

Categorized as humor because I find it funny, in a sick, misanthropic way.

Via Evolved and Rational.

Sphere: Related Content

Large hadron colliders

XKCD makes me lol.

Sphere: Related Content

The Atheist Apocalypse !

I have never seen anything this full of win.

Sphere: Related Content