Reasonable consumption of alcohol can reduce the risk of heart diseases, but at the same time consumption of small amounts of alcohol can lead to brain shrinkage. Scientists believe that the larger the doses of alcohol, the higher the risk of brain shrinkage. As we age, our brain naturally shrinks losing 1.9% of its volume over every 10 years. Moreover, there are diseases that affect the brain. Scientists from the Wellesley College conducted a study looking into the effect of alcohol on the brain. Full story

British researchers have found that women who dye their hair get more confident. They start to feel themselves more attractive and sexually exciting, becoming more willing to initiate sex with a partner, and even gain enough confidence to ask their bosses for a pay raise. This interesting correlation was found by Dr Mark Sergeant from Nottingham Trent University. Full story

How many friends do you think are enough to keep us from feeling lonely without making us too tired of communication? Some people have only one friend over their lifetime, while the others make new acquaintances nearly every week and are able to get along swimmingly with everybody. But how many people do we really need? Ask the scientists. Full story

Now we know why tall and slim women look the most appealing to men. It's all about geometry. The fact was discovered by psychologists from the University of Stockholm when they were studying the human perception of different geometrical figures. As a rule, tall women have straight shoulders and small waist, which makes their figure look like a square. The square, in its turn, is known to "call the tune" among geometrical figures, sitting at the top of their hierarchy. Compliance with this form earns its owner a status and image, arousing respect and admiration. Full story

Flirting is not always so innocent. All too frequently, playing with fire results in cheating, which, in its turn, brings unpleasant outcomes. Ragnar Beer, a famous psychologist from Goettingen, organized a research, interviewing 2600 people of both sexes who cheated on their significant other at least once. The results were shocking: most of the cheating men and women – over 80% to be exact – loved their partners. Full story

New studies show that while married men live longer, the marriage takes away more than one year women's lifespan. Matrimony stretches husbands' lifespan by 1.7 years, but shrinks an average wife’s lifespan by 1.4 years. This was demonstrated by the results of the study involving 100 000 people across Europe, Independent reports. Full story