Like cicadas, law school graduates working as bartenders, feral cats prowling the abandoned alleyways of Detroit, and people who say they’ve read Infinite Jest but have only really skimmed the first 50 pages, it would seem our society currently contains far too-many high school valedictorians. Depending on your level… » 6/02/13 2:30pm 6/02/13 2:30pm

In case you haven't heard yet because you're one of those New York City tunnel dwellers or you're exclusively a Winter Olympics person, the U.S. women's teams at this summer's games have cleaned up, accounting for 56 percent of all Team USA's medals, and 66 percent of its golds. Their success is being touted as a big… » 8/12/12 3:30pm 8/12/12 3:30pm

Even though National Olympic Committees don't keep track of how many of the 10,000 athletes in London are married, according to the Wall Street Journal, there are at least six couples at this year's Olympics that are currently engaged in an unofficial "who's more in love" competition. Married Olympic couples would… » 8/01/12 11:10am 8/01/12 11:10am

It's pretty obvious that being a tall, beautiful person is not usually a disadvantage when it comes to getting what you want—except when it comes to buying pants, of course. But what happens when everyone starts getting taller and more beautiful? Does it still pay to be a little more beautiful and a little taller than… » 6/06/12 1:10pm 6/06/12 1:10pm

Finding a job is hard enough these days. Then once you've got one, you've got to work your ass off while also dealing with office politics and annoying coworkers. Well, it's about to get even worse for some of you, because there's a growing trend among companies of encouraging their employees to compete in "fun"… » 5/03/12 1:15pm 5/03/12 1:15pm

A new survey examining the link between Facebook and body image has concluded what you probably already know — obsessively combing the pages of the social networking site can not only lead to an unhealthy fixation on how your ex boyfriend's new girlfriend seems painfully uncool, but also wreak havoc on your body… » 4/02/12 7:00pm 4/02/12 7:00pm

As part of her effort to promote her Let's Move campaign, Michelle Obama invited Jimmy Fallon over for a little friendly physical competition. The First Lady sheds her friendly veneer right away and drops the hammer, but he puts up a very hilarious fight—and he gets bonus points for being brave enough to wear a… » 2/08/12 10:00am 2/08/12 10:00am

A new study has found that women are most willing to compete and compete best when they do so on teams. It also found that individual competition discourages qualified women from trying to compete while it encourages underqualified men, which gives credence to my dad's theory that the people who end up at the top of… » 9/11/11 2:33pm 9/11/11 2:33pm

A reader messaged a dude on eHarmony. This is the decidedly unharmonious response she got in return. Read on for a tale of competition, baseball, and what a lady who "seems to feel she's attractive" should do to impress men. » 7/11/11 4:42pm 7/11/11 4:42pm

A 16-year-old Canadian boy took home a CAN$5,000 prize for developing "a mix of drugs which could be used to fight cystic fibrosis" via a scientific supercomputing network: » 5/14/11 5:30pm 5/14/11 5:30pm

At the end of tonight's live 90-minute American Idol episode—during which our Top 12 girls performed—host Ryan Seacrest said, "How do you pick your favorite, right?" with what appeared to be a weirdly random Asian accent. Buh? » 3/02/11 9:50pm 3/02/11 9:50pm

The show brought us Bristol Palin awkwardly shimmying across our minds and hearts, but Dancing With The Stars' UK predecessor Strictly Come Dancing brings us something even more wonderful. » 11/07/10 6:00pm 11/07/10 6:00pm

On last night's episode of America's Got Talent, several YouTube sensations were invited to perform live. One was 10-year-old Jackie Evancho, AKA "Little Susan Boyle," and she blew the judges away with a perfect performance of "O Mio Babbino Caro." » 8/11/10 12:49pm 8/11/10 12:49pm

According to a new study, women are more likely to dress provocatively when we're ovulating. But, unlike everything else we do, this isn't for men. We bring it for the ladies. » 8/05/10 12:30pm 8/05/10 12:30pm

• Psychologists have found that your level of spirituality varies according to who you are looking at. When shown pictures of attractive members of the opposite sex, both men and women described themselves as more religious than the control group. » 1/14/10 5:30pm 1/14/10 5:30pm

New studies by economists show that across cultures, men aren't necessarily more competitive than women. Maybe it's time to lay this particular gender stereotype to rest. » 11/13/09 3:40pm 11/13/09 3:40pm

A Dallas girl's basketball team is seeking to forfeit a game they won 100-0, and has apologized for the margin of victory. Gracious? Or part of a disturbing and age-old pattern? » 1/23/09 6:00pm 1/23/09 6:00pm

A new episode of MTV's True Life aired this weekend called I'm Competitive With Friends. It focused on people who are stuck on the concept of winning anything — bets, video games, dance offs, who gets up the escalator first — to the detriment of their friendships. 19-year-old Shanessa admits that she has a problem… » 12/08/08 7:00pm 12/08/08 7:00pm

Though Scarlett Johansson is known for her deep and torrid voice, a new study shows that women are most attractive to the opposite sex when they are ovulating — because their voices go up in pitch. Researchers Nathan Pipitone and Gordon Gallup recorded women counting from 1 to 10 at different points in their menstrual… » 5/01/08 9:30am 5/01/08 9:30am

Ray Fredrick's been coaching jump-roping for 22 years. And it's not just skipping rope. It's quick-as-lighting double dutch, with flips, splits and crazy footwork. For four years in a row, the Bouncing Bulldogs of Chapel Hill have won the national championships. But the winners at the Apollo Theater's Holiday Classic… » 11/30/07 1:00pm 11/30/07 1:00pm