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How deluded we are. We believe that, with our seemingly all-knowing consciousness, we are masters of our own domain (as Jerry Seinfeld so colorfully put it). In reality, as you will learn in this special issue, the imperatives and influences of sex, the sexes and sexuality all subconsciously shape our behavior in countless ways.

If you think your conscious intellect was at work in choosing your romantic partner, for instance, think again. In his feature article "Sex and the Secret Nerve," R. Douglas Fields explains how a little appreciated cranial nerve may be pulling your strings: "Many scientists believe that pheromones, those silent chemical messengers exchanged by members of the opposite sex in search of mates, relay subconscious signals to the brain through this obscure nerve." Our kisses, too, transmit emotional messages that can cement a new relationship--or cause us to end it, as Chip Walter writes in "Affairs of the Lips.".

People make jokes about the opposing worldviews of "Mars" and "Venus." But male and female brains really are distinct in their architecture and thinking patterns. "His Brain, Her Brain," by Larry Cahill, explains how the sexes differ--and what it means. Men and women may still never understand one another, but at least now we will know why.

Choosing a partner is one thing, but how about your sexuality? Probably not, asserts Robert Epstein in "Do Gays Have a Choice?" The story begins on page 62. Same-sex preference is no biological accident of humanity, either. Find out more in "Bisexual Species," by Emily V. Driscoll.

Of course, if you would rather avoid all this tedious thinking about the subliminal power of sex, there is a cure. As Martin Portner relates in "The Orgasmic Mind," science has shown that sexual climax involves more than heightened arousal: it also requires that critical areas of the brain literally shut down. Sex makes empty-headed puppets of us all.

Some of the features in this edition:

Bisexual Species
Homosexual behavior is surprisingly common in the animal kingdom. It may be adaptive--helping animals to get along, maintain fecundity and protect their young

The Orgasmic Mind
Achieving sexual climax requires a complex conspiracy of sensory and psychological signals--and the eventual silencing of critical brain areas

His Brain, Her Brain
It turns out that male and female brains differ quite a bit in architecture and activity. Research into these variations could lead to sex-specific treatments for disorders such as depression and schizophrenia

Do Gays Have a Choice?
Science offers a clear and surprising answer to a controversial question

Why Do Men Buy Sex?
Some researchers say johns seek intimacy on demand; others believe that these men typically want to use and dominate women

And much more...