Love Boosts Creativity, Lust Improves Logic: Study

(NEWSER) - Romantic love is more enduring than previously thought, says a new study in the Review of General Psychology. Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 people, some newly coupled, some married for decades, and found that 13% still reported high levels of romance. That may not sound like much, but it was still surprisingly high, researchers say. Until now, it’s been assumed that romance inevitably subsides over time. More»

Research suggests if you don't swoon first time, opera may not be for you

(NEWSER) - The passion that opera fans feel for the art form is more akin to love at first sight than a slow-growing desire, Reuters reports. A sociologist focused on fans in the cheap seats who hadn't been brought up on opera, and found they tended to have an intense, explosive attraction to the opera the first time they went—with the learning process coming later. More»

Novelist refutes magazine, says it was a bad reaction to sleeping pill

(NEWSER) - Philip Roth isn't happy with the Atlantic: A recent piece in the magazine said he suffered from "a 'crack-up' in his mid-50s," and the novelist says that's simply "not true." The Atlantic Wire points out that the episode, "whatever you call it," has been widely discussed in past articles and interviews, but the novelist rejects the term "crack-up." The truth, says Roth, is that he suffered an "adverse reaction" to a sleeping pill called Halcion in the 1980s. More»

Organic food lovers feel too good about themselves: study

(NEWSER) - Ever encountered a snotty attitude at an organic food stand? It makes sense psychologically, according to a new study that analyzed how people reacted after looking at different kinds of foods, MSNBC reports. "There's something about being exposed to organic food that made them feel better about themselves," says study author Kendall Eskine. "And that made them kind of jerks a little bit, I guess." More»

Those older than 40 and divorced are common targets: report

(NEWSER) - Scammers conned $50 million out of 5,600 people last year who were searching for love on the Internet, says a new report. That's an average of $8,900 per victim. The way it generally works: Fraudsters hunt for vulnerable targets on dating sites and social networks, and convince the marks that they're romantically interested, explains the Washington Examiner . When they gain the person's trust, they'll slyly request money for phony things like travel or medical procedures and then vanish. More»