Intelligent ‘Have Better Sperm’

Men of higher intelligence tend to produce better quality sperm, research suggests.

A team from the Institute of Psychiatry analysed data from former US soldiers who served during the Vietnam war era.

They found that those who performed better on intelligence tests tended to have more – and more mobile – sperm.

The study, which appears in the journal Intelligence, appears to support the idea that genes underlying intelligence may have other biological effects too.

Therefore, if tiny mutations impair intelligence, they might also harm other characteristics, such as sperm quality.

Conversely, people with robust genes might be blessed with a biological “fitness factor” making them fit, healthy and smart.

Previously, scientists tended to assume that lifestyle factors were more likely to underlie any relationship between intelligence and health.

For instance, brighter people may be less likely to smoke, and more likely to take exercise, both of which are known to impact on mental performance.

Different characteristics

The latest study tested the gene theory by taking two characteristics that seemed unlikely to be associated with each other – intelligence and sperm quality.

They found a small, but statistically significant link, and were able to show that this could not be explained by unhealthy habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

The study was based on 425 men who undertook several intelligence tests and provided semen samples.

The researchers found that independently of age and lifestyle, intelligence was correlated with all three measures of sperm quality – numbers, concentration, and ability to move.

Lead researcher Dr Rosalind Arden said: “This does not mean that men who prefer Play-Doh to Plato always have poor sperm: the relationship we found was marginal.

“But our results do support the theoretically important ‘fitness factor’ idea.

“We look forward to seeing if the results can be replicated in other data sets, with other measures of intelligence and other measures of physical health that are also strongly related to evolutionary fitness.”

Dr Allan Pacey is an expert in fertility at the University of Sheffield.

He said: “The fact that it’s possible to detect a statistical relationship between intelligence and semen quality in adult men probably says more about the co-development of brain and testicles when the man was in his mother’s womb, and therefore how well they both function in adult life, rather than suggesting that playing Sudoku can somehow stimulate more sperm to be produced.

“The improvement in semen quality with intelligence observed in this paper is small and therefore it is unlikely to have a big impact on the ability of men of different intelligences to conceive.”

The semen samples were collected in 1985 by the US Centers for Disease Control as part of a large-scale study into the health of US soldiers who served during the Vietnam Era. Some of the men in the sample had served in Vietnam, some had served in Germany, Korea and the USA.

‘Busiest Day’ For Online Shopping

The UK is set for its busiest internet shopping day of the year, with £320m forecast to be spent online.

The internet trade body IMRG says the UK’s Christmas online retail sales could reach £13.6bn ($19.9bn).

It predicts the peak shopping hour will take place between 1300-1400 GMT when £28m may be spent online in an hour.

Martin Peterlechner, of Ivobank, said this highlighted the extent to which internet shopping had “become ingrained in our everyday lives”.

Online retailer Play.com said it was expecting sales to soar as customers turned to the internet for bargains.

Monday will see sales soar by 25% compared to last year, the firm predicted.

Shopping at desk

More employees are also more likely to be doing their shopping while still at their desks.

Forecasts suggest about 5.2 million people will be doing online Christmas shopping at work this year.

The research, by polling organisation GfK NOP, said one in 10 online shoppers were also planning to have their online Christmas shopping delivered to work.

Mr Peterlechner, head of commercial development at Ivobank, said this showed many companies were becoming more accommodating to employees’ needs.

“The results suggest most employers would rather their staff make a couple of quick purchases online at work than take an extended lunch break to shop at the local high street,” he said.

Some 29 million people are expected to use the internet to buy Christmas presents this year.

Jolie ‘Best-Paid’ Movie Actress

Film star Angelina Jolie commands the biggest salary for Hollywood actresses, according to an annual list published by the Hollywood Reporter.

Jolie can expect to make $15m (£10.2m) a film, ahead of Julia Roberts and 2007 list winner Reese Witherspoon.

Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry are no longer able to make $10m (£6.8m), says the industry publication.

But male stars are outstripping their female counterparts, with Will Smith able to make $25m (£17m) for a movie.

Waning salaries

Jolie’s partner Brad Pitt is able to make up to $20m (£13.6m) for each star vehicle.

Jolie, 33, currently starring in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, made $15m for Wanted and could increase her pay-out to $20m for a sequel, said the Hollywood Reporter.

The actress finished in second spot in last year’s ratings.

Other actresses in the top flight are Cameron Diaz, Katherine Heigl, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway and former Friends star Jennifer Aniston, who made $8 (£5.44m) for comedy Marley and Me, due to open on Christmas Day in the US.

The publication added that salaries of key actresses are on the wane and are still lagging Hollywood’s leading men.

It also published its annual list of the most powerful women in US entertainment, in which talk show host Oprah Winfrey came out on top.

The TV star and media mogul was credited for her “immense cultural influence”.

Everton 2-3 Aston Villa

Ashley Young scored an injury-time winner to shatter Everton, who had equalised only seconds earlier.

Steve Sidwell smashed in from 20 yards in the first minute but Joleon Lescott prodded home a deserved equaliser.

Marouane Fellaini had a header cleared off the line and hit the bar with another before Phil Jagielka’s woeful backpass allowed Young to slot home.

Lescott scored with an acrobatic volley to bring Everton level again but Young snatched the points when he curled in.

It was a dramatic end to game that had started in equally thrilling fashion.

Villa went into the match on the back of two consecutive goalless draws in the league but it took only 31 seconds to ensure the run would not stretch to three games.

James Milner received the ball with his back to goal and laid it off to Sidwell, who smashed a ferocious, rising drive into the top corner from 20 yards.

But instead of inspiring Villa to take control of the game, the goal had the opposite effect of stinging Everton into action.

The hosts impressively set about the task of getting back into the game – led by Leon Osman and Fellaini.

Osman set up Tim Cahill for a first time volley that Brad Friedel beat away at the near post before Fellaini tested the American keeper with a header.

And when Everton deservedly equalised it was Osman who nodded Mikel Arteta’s free-kick into the path of Lescott, who prodded the ball in from close range.

Now dominating the game, Everton pressed for a second goal and they came close to getting it when Fellaini’s looping header was cleared off the line by Carlos Cuellar.

Fellaini went even closer after the break when he thumped a header goalwards only to see Friedel somehow deflect it on to the bar.

But then Everton undid all their good work as a horrible lapse of concentration from Jagielka cost them dear.

The centre-back played a bind pass back to Tim Howard, straight into the path of Ashley Young, who raced on to the ball and clipped it into the corner of the net.

Having surrendered their advantage once in the game, Villa looked determined not to do it again as they defended with greater desire and spirit.

There was no longer the same zip about Everton’s play and they were laboured in possession.

And while Villa were happy to camp in their own half, they were finding it easy to keep Everton at bay.

They might even have caught Everton with a sucker punch when Young broke on the counter, but the winger lost control of the ball when he tried to cut inside Joseph Yobo.

Everton piled forward as the clock ticked down, but it seemed they were to be foiled.

But when Jagielka headed back into the box, Osman nodded the ball on and Lescott scored with a flying volley that appeared to have salvaged a draw.

Yet there was time for it all to change again, and it was Lescott who was turned inside out by Young and the Villa man curled in a shot to steal victory.

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Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill:
“It was an amazing finish and I could not be more delighted.

“It is a phenomenal victory for us – and the manner in which we did it speaks volumes for the ability and spirit of the team.

“Ashley Young was absolutely world class. He is a magnificent footballer and he put his chances in the net superbly.

“We got a great start but Everton clawed their way into the game and then put us under enormous pressure. We were under the cosh for long periods.

“They got an equaliser and just when you thought the referee was going to blow the whistle, Young comes up with a world class finish to win the match. I am ecstatic.”

Everton boss David Moyes:
“I thought it was the final whistle after our equaliser.

“I don’t know how much the injury time went on but that’s what happens. Their third goal, everybody thought the referee was going to blow for time.

“There were mistakes organisationally, there were mistakes – we got caught on the ball, maybe we should have kicked the ball longer and without taking any risks.

“That wasn’t the reason we lost today. We played well today we had two off the line, one hit the bar. The players played well today.”

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Everton: Howard, Neville (Van der Meyde 84), Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Osman, Fellaini, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Anichebe (Baines 86).
Subs Not Used: Nash, Castillo, Jutkiewicz, Gosling, Kissock.

Booked: Fellaini, Lescott.

Goals: Lescott 30, 90.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Laursen, Davies, Luke Young, Sidwell, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Knight, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Gardner.

Booked: Luke Young.

Goals: Sidwell 1, Ashley Young 54, 90.

Att: 31,922

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).