O is for…

Explore female orgasms through Elizabeth Lloyd's book, challenging adaptation theories and discussing genetic influences.

Written byCarl Zimmer
| 1 min read
Google NewsGoogle News Preferred Source

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

I've been meaning to get around to writing about female orgasms. Philosopher of science Elizabeth Lloyd just published a new book in which she rejects the idea that they are an adapation. Then a paper was just published tying variation in the experience of orgasms to genes. Unfortunately, I've been hideously overworked this week. Fortunately, Elizabeth Lloyd herself is no stranger to the blogosphere, and she's written an interesting post on the paper. Her conclusion: heritability does not equal adaptation, and some scientists need to think more carefully about the evolutionary implications of their work.

Meet the Author

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe