The Conversation

“My dearest Theresa,” Lord Byron wrote to his mistress in his garden, August 1819. A century later, on a July afternoon in 1916, Captain Alfred Bland, a British officer in World War I, sat down before battle and did the same: “My only and eternal blessedness” began his letter to his wife. In a hundred years, it seems, not much had changed.

Yin and yang or two peas in a pod? ShutterstockRelationships are often interpreted as the outcome of an exchange of goods and services. Common knowledge says that the sexes want different things from a partner.These preferences are often reduced to shallow, one-dimensional demands – beauty for men and resources for women. “Opposites attract,” they say. No one asks, “Why did that beautiful, young woman marry that old, old man?” because they already know the answer. He had something she wanted and she had something he wanted.

Bits of the self have historically been un memoire emotional aides. Cristiana GasparottoAs Valentine’s Day approaches, many of us will think about sharing a token of our affection. The ubiquitous card is often teamed with a staple of the season: chocolate, perfume or flowers. These gifts have become accepted expressions of romantic love in Western cultures and yet they often fail to embody a real emotional connection between the giver and recipient.

Is Fifty Shades Of Grey porn, or not? © Universal PicturesThe imminent release of Fifty Shades of Grey has already provoked widespread protest, although the protesters have not actually seen it. The Guardian recently proclaimed: “This is not a porn film.” But the American Family Association has asked cinemas not to show the movie. It has been banned in Malaysia for being “more pornography than a movie”.

Take care lovers, wherever you are, as Valentine’s Day is soon upon us. Whether you’re in a relationship or want to be in a relationship, research over a number of years shows that February 14 can be a day of broken hearts and broken wallets.A study by US psychologists in 2004 found that relationship breakups were 27% to 40% higher around Valentine’s Day than at other times of the year. Fortunately, this bleak trend was only found amongst couples on a downward trajectory who weren’t the happiest to begin with.

People are not as conscious of tasting fat as they are of other taste qualities. John Benson, CC BYBy Russell Keast, Deakin University

Facebook knows what you're doing. What you're watching. How you're feeling. Khakimullin Aleksandr/Shutter/WiredBy Paul Levy, University of BrightonDid you recently buy a Samsung smart TV? If you are worried about privacy, you may be wondering how smart that decision was following the manufacturer’s warnings that its voice-activated televisions may record personal information – that is, your conversations – and transmit them to a third party.

By Tobias Pamminger, University of SussexAnts have a reputation of being industrious hard-working animals, sacrificing their own benefit for the good of the colony. They live to serve their queen and take care of all essential tasks including brood care, gathering food and maintaining the nest.However, not all ant species live up to their reputation. A handful of ant species have figured out a way to outsource all these essential tasks – by exploiting their weaker cousins.

The BICEP2 telescope at twilight at the South Pole. The supporting data for the inflation of the universe have also gone off into the sunset. Steffen Richter/ Harvard University , CC BY-NC-SABy Chad Orzel, Associate Professor of Physics at Union College.

Olivier Le MoalBy Hazhir Rahmandad, Massachusetts Institute of Technology