They say "study" but it sounds more like "drunken wager".
Nobuo Masataka of Japan's Kyoto University tested 60 healthy women of child-bearing age at three different phases of their cycle. They were simultaneously shown nine pictures, one of which was a snake among flowers while the others were only of flowers.
The volunteers were tested on how quickly they spotted the serpent. The fastest women were those who were in the so-called luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, or the stage that immediately follows ovulation.
Experts say it's because they have greater inbuilt survival instincts at that time of the month. Well, it's either that, or they're on the look out for anything that long, slimy and hard, especially if it comes with flowers.
Masataka said this shows that women's vigilance increased at this part of the cycle because they are looking after themselves more as there's a possibility of being pregnant.
It's a good theory. And it's why there were no luteal women in the film Snakes On A Plane, or it would've been over before take off.
I'm so glad they spent the money on this research. Now I know what to take with me when I go camping; "Tent? Check. Emergency flare? Check. Woman who's just done ovulating..."
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