Musing on Sexuality

Whether you're doing it, talking about it, or thinking about it, sex -- not love or money -- makes the world go round. In fact, it lured more than 100 people to the American Museum of Natural History on February 3, where David Buss discussed "Why Humans Have Sex" as part of the institution's free monthly SciCafe series.



The evolutionary psychologist spent an hour talking about the role of sex in human evolution, starting with men in the Tiwi tribe viewing women as currency to boost their standing. (The more wives he had, the more revered he was in the community.) This observation set the tone for Buss to challenge the assumption among his peers that "men and women were identical in underlying sexual psychology." He pointed out that "females are more discerning when it comes to choosing a partner," citing factors like a sense of smell (body odor is a turn-off) and a sense of humor (nobody wants to be around a sourpuss).



Buss also used the concepts of Charles Darwin to address differences in one's mating choices. A short-term liaison (hookup) tends to focus on physical needs, while a long-term relationship (marriage) is about emotional fulfillment. According to Buss, this is why "women use sex to lure men into relationships" ... but such a motive can be perilous, especially when a woman uses pregnancy as a form of entrapment to keep him around.



The dark side of sex rears its ugly head in other ways. Buss spoke about intrasexual competition, which occurs when two (wo)men battle for the affections of a (wo)man. Poaching is a common byproduct of such conflict, which can lead to tragic consequences -- like the Betty Broderick case. (Another example is the Carolyn Warmus case.)



While Buss' presentation on sex was compelling, it was also an exercise in stating the obvious. It's no secret that men seek more partners than women in a life span -- like those in the Tiwi tribe, they want to cast a wide net for procreation. Likewise, men using visual cues to determine their attraction toward a woman isn't a revelation; in the animal kingdom, a peacock's desirability is based on how colorful its plumage is. Finally, when it comes to desirability, men and women use it to boost their self-esteem -- which, in the long run, is the most important quality in finding a mate.



If imparting common sense to the masses is what the museum considers "cutting edge," maybe humans aren't an evolved species after all.