Queries New Scientist,

Is smart sexy? Our knee-jerk reaction – reinforced by cultural stereotypes of Star Trek-convention attending geeks and a seeming obsession with ditzy, pretty starlets – would argue otherwise. Nerds are, well, nerds...But consider Peter Orszag. As director of the US Office of Management and Budget, he is the nation's most powerful pencil-pusher. Yet Orszag was recently named one of the hunks of Washington DC . "He's made nerdy sexy," Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said of the 40-year-old, glasses-wearing son of a maths professor.

This sort of thing irritates me as a woman, a dater of smart men, a glasses-wearer and an English major. First: I resent the careless lumping -together of the words "nerd," "smart," and "geek." These are all different words that don't mean the same thing. Second: who is it who has these knee-jerk reactions? Cartoon cheerleaders? 80's movie jocks? Because I think we need to learn to acknowledge when a stereotype has evolved.

The piece - most of which is perfectly reasonable and fact-based, I should add - is based on new findings that "linked a male's cognitive performance to his luck with the ladies." According to one behavioural ecologist, male (birds) with better "problem-solving" skills, unsuprisingly, do better in the wild. Another study asked women to watch videos of guys demonstrating feats of cognitive and athletic prowess, and rate their desirability; the good problem-solvers were perceived as attractive. There's genetic basis for this, too, most likely, since some tests have found that more intelligent men have better health, more robust sperm.

Every couple of years, we're informed that geeks are "chic" or something, because Seth Rogen wears glasses or a tech multimillionaire has a hot girlfriend. The "nerds" in question generally resemble Superman incognito. "Dating trend" stories are, as a rule, ludicrous anyway, attempting as they do to codify the emotional and sexual habits of entire populations. Did aggressive glasses frames become de rigueur in the last decade? Sure. Did the beginnings of silicon valley probably see an increase of tech dudes with "trophy girlfriends?" I wouldn't be surprised. But most of us don't need studies or hints of superior genetic function to find an intelligent man attractive: that's what smart women are drawn to. It's not a phase or a trend: that's what we do. And this brings me to my other point: world, do please stop equating "nerd" and "smart." "Nerd" may not be an insult, but it's also a specific description that generally implies superior intelligence but suggests any number of other characteristics, as well, and shouldn't be tossed around and diluted. Yes, in high school, the two are classically conflated by philistines; this doesn't mean we should perpetuate the lazy misconception.

Also, Rahm: Peter Orszag, recently named may be brilliant. He may be competent. He may be a wonderful person. But "sexy" he most certainly is not. Sure, we take Politico's list in the spirit it was intended (Hitchens is on there, people.) But tet's watch our diction here.

Why Geeks Get The Girls [New Scientist]
The hunks Of Washington
[Politico]
Nerds Rejoice: Braininess Boosts Likelihood Of Sex [New Scientist]

Intelligent 'Have Better Sperm' [BBC]

Sadly, this misunderstanding is fostered by those who should understand the best: other girl geeks. In her "5 Tips for Raising A Girl Geek," Wired's Natania Barron offers solid child-rearing advice, like encouraging your daughter's interests and helping her build her self-esteem. But she also promotes something that's far too common in articles about geekiness — the idea that geeks need some sort of special treatment. This geek-ceptionalism just increases the isolation a lot of people with geeky interests feel as kids, and it also leads to a lot of lame generalizations. Allow me to combat it with a few tips of my own.

1. There is no one Girl Geek.

Articles about geekiness tend to name-check a few predictable geek signifiers. Even if you're not a geek, you probably know what they are: World of Warcraft, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Dungeons and Dragons. Barron, who's actually decent about recognizing the multiplicity of geek culture, still mentions three of these in her first paragraph. As a girl geek of long standing, though, I've never been into Star Wars, D&D, or WoW. My brother, a certified non-geek with a tan, a surfer accent, and basketball skills, is the Warcraft fan in our family. Point is, while people who like to call themselves geeks tend to share certain interests (liking scifi and/or fantasy is sort of a basis for the subculture), they certainly don't share all of them. And non-geeks can like geeky stuff too.

2. Girl Geeks don't necessarily hate "girly" things.

Barron writes,

At a very young age I had a proclivity for reading science-fiction and fantasy books. While most girls were reading the Babysitters Club books, I was devouring Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis, soon followed by a host of others.

She's just talking about her own experience here, but there's a general misconception that geeks cannot be "girly." Plenty of girl geeks do like makeup, clothes, and the Babysitters Club — not that any of these things are just for girls. In fact, the idea that girl geeks can't be into anything traditionally feminine is a sad comment on how limiting traditions of femininity are. You can't be smart and wear lip gloss? Like The Hobbit and Gossip Girl? Danica McKellar would have something to say about this.

3. Girl Geeks do not have to date Guy Geeks, nor do they require special wooing.

A while back, Liz at The Park Bench offered 11 tips on "How to Meet and Woo a Nerdy Girl." Some were kind of accurate (look like David Tennant? Yeah, good start.) — but the concept as a whole is a little disturbing. While it's always nice when someone shares your interests, I certainly don't expect men to "Know the complete works of the Nerd Holy Trinity: Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams and Peter Jackson." I don't even know the complete works of these people (see tip 1). And I wouldn't want anyone to treat or "woo" me differently because I happen to like Doctor Who. Just talk to me like a normal person: I am one.

Liz's weirdest tip is #6: "Be interesting." This is news? And moreover, this is something non-geeky girls don't want? Liz elaborates, "whereas a lot of ladies want you to be rich, nerdy women just want you to be interesting." The idea that most women are gold-diggers, but only geeks like you for you, leads me to ...

4. Geeks are not better than other people.

Barron writes,

Many young geeklets tend to be smart. Whether it's math, science, English or art (or all of the above), young girl geeks will excel in something.

Newsflash: most young girls will excel in something, whether they are geeks or not. And you certainly don't have to be smart to like Star Trek (it might even help not to be, so you don't think about stuff like why a civilization hundreds of years more advanced than our own still thinks the most efficient uniform for women is the miniskirt). To me, being a geek isn't about intelligence, or even about liking a certain subset of pop culture: it's a mindset, one that privileges minutiae, trivia, and fantasy, but with a lowercase f. Most geeks I know, myself included, enjoy getting lost in artificial worlds, whether these worlds are made of TV characters, historical figures (I know not one but two guys who are geeks for Henry IV), numbers, or words.

Because our engagement with these worlds can get obsessive and uncool, geeks also get picked on a lot. And this makes us mean. It makes us pretend that we're smarter than other people, or it makes us retreat into a hideaway of inside jokes and references. I like The Lord of the Rings as much as anyone, but I get kind of annoyed when an avowed geek drops some sort of jab-you-in-the-ribs Minas Tirith reference (which I guess is what this is — it's a really hard habit to break) into an article or conversation meant for general consumption. Peppering your speech with geeky in-jokes that no one else gets doesn't make you cooler than those regs who like sports and Dane Cook — it just makes you exclusive, and kind of lame. Everybody — even popular kids — has interests that not everyone else shares, but these interests aren't any better for being uncommon.

Except David Tennant.

5 Tips for Raising Your Girl Geek [Wired]
How to Meet and Woo a Nerdy Girl [The Park Bench]

Now I know I'm not the only person who isn't interested in seeing Star Trek, despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews, the exciting trailers, the incessant marketing campaign, and the recommendations from friends who swear that it's the most fun they've had at the movies in a very long time. But it kind of seems like it, you know?

For a while, I tried to feign interest, nodding along as people went on about how psyched they were to see the film, trying to get caught up in the hype by watching the trailers again, etc. But the truth is, I've just never been into Star Trek. I can appreciate it for what it is, and I respect it, but for whatever reason, it never spoke to me. I know that the Star Trek universe has been a life-changing (and, in some cases, life-saving) experience for some people, but I never quite gave it the spin it probably deserved. In some ways I think it's a matter of exposure: my father is a Star Wars geek; Obi-Wan was the hero in my household, not Spock. One of my favorite memories is the day I took my dad to the theater to see Episode III: when the opening credits came on, my dad grabbed his soda and his eyes lit up like a 12-year-old's. It's awesome to see your parents in their geeky element; for a few hours, my dad wasn't an insurance man with bills to pay and meetings to deal with: he was a Jedi.

Anyway, the reason I'm bringing this up is because I actually feel guilty for not being into the new Star Trek film. It's a weird time to be a geek, because, well, everyone is kind of a geek these days, and it seems that the notion of what constitutes a true geek is someone who is into EVERY bloody so-called nerdy phenomenon out there. "I thought you were into that kind of thing," one of my friends said after I admitted my "Whatever, Star Trek" stance, as if being into graphic novels, wearing coke bottle glasses and braces as a kid, and being able to recall passages from The Silmarillion also means you have to be a certified Trekkie. I actually felt, momentarily, like a traitor to all things nerdy.

But here's the thing, you guys. There are many shades to the geek rainbow. Yes, there are Trekkies and Ringers out there, but Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, comic books, graphic novels, vampires, zombies (ugh, and that's another train I'm not hopping on. Whatever, zombies), pirates; all of these things are mainstream at this point, enjoyed by people who may not be "true" fans but who celebrate the existence of such phenomena just the same. Anyone who reads our brilliant sister blog io9 (and you should be reading it—it's great) can see that the science-fiction world is touching all elements of society and that things that were once strictly the property of super geeks are now out there for everyone to enjoy—for better or for worse.

In any case, I'll probably see Star Trek at some point. But I'm not going to feel bad if I miss it. And I'm also not going to turn in my geek card just because I'd rather hang out with Samwise than Spock. And if you don't like it, you can just kiss my Tulkas.

[Image via Natalie Dee.]

"Everyone has annoying habits, and a sizable part of every successful marriage is learning to live with those things each other does that annoy you," writes Wired's Matt Blum. "I think it's safe to say, too, that geeks have some habits that we think are awesome, but that non-geeks find a little...less awesome."

Among the most annoying habits: "using Frak or Klingon, or both, instead of regular swear words," "wearing obscurely geeky t-shirts to normal places," and "needing to watch certain TV shows ASAP to avoid spoilers." My fiance would like to add, "Talking about how much you hate Heroes even though you sit on the couch next to me and watch Heroes every time it's on instead of just leaving the room so I can watch Heroes without having to hear about everything that's wrong with Heroes." To which I say: get back to me when you can agree on giving our someday maybe future son the middle name Olórin. Geek.

10 Annoying Habits Of A Geeky Spouse [Wired]

She helpfully differentiates between geeks and nerds using the "PC v. Mac" debate. See, Mac users are cool geeks, who are computer-savvy without being seen as lame. PC users are the nerds, the (specifically) white males who can't dress themselves but still know CBASIC like the back of their hand. Sadly, the stigma of being a nerd hasn't died, even though everyone is suddenly wearing "nerd" glasses and dressing geek chic: "'Nerd' is a stickier term that is applied to people in a more negative way, 'Geek' is something you can do and then leave behind, but 'nerd' is what you are," Kendall says. [EurekAlert]

MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group Spring 2007

Worked to construct and deploy the first Autom, a socially-interacting robot designed to encourage people to meet their weight loss goals by tracking and encouraging their efforts. This project became the company Intuitive Automat

Fake Bomber Has An MIT Web Page (That Hasn't Been Accessible Since Radar Put This Damn Story Up)

Um, so, I think it's safe to say she loves her socks. And by golly if that isn't the tri-blend track T-shirt. Maybe there's hope for American manufacturing after all.

These improbably-safe-for-work pix of limber AZN babes courtesy digg, where one user posts:

Am I the only one who finds this incredibly arousing?

Uh, we're guessing 333 geeks didn't digg the article because they like looking at pretty Chinese characters.

Over on Craiglist, our new best-friend-if-we-only-knew-who-she-was, posts the delightful top 15 reasons why geeks and nerds make the best boyfriends

Our favorite:

"And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that's a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than "DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!" Believe me."

If only it were true.

We can dream [Craigslist]