Sniffing someone's armpits does not sound the most promising start to a date. Research, however, suggests that it will probably turn up a better prospect than either a blind date or gabbling nervously to 20 consecutive strangers. Now a new dating website, ScientificMatch.com, promises a discreet way of letting you nose out potential partners.

Researchers found more than a decade ago - by asking female students to sniff T-shirts worn by men - that ovulating women rate certain male body odours as sexier than others. Crucially, the preferences depended on a certain part of the immune system called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Women, it turned out, were bewitched by the odours of men whose MHC genes were most different from their own, and repelled by the aroma of men with similar MHC genes.

the has-been

The rest of our daydreams are more prosaic—like matching budget authority and outlays, or revising the definition of poverty, now hopelessly out of date. When we're feeling especially frisky, wonks close our eyes and imagine the Alternative Minimum Tax being fixed.

President Bush has no use for wonks, and hacks have grabbed the headlines in most Bush scandals. But the sheer volume of scandal in the Bush administration has made it possible for even a few eggheads to get a piece of the action. Paul Wolfowitz used to be a classic Washington academic—dean of a public-policy school and charter member of a neoconservative think tank. But at the World Bank, he has pulled off the rarest of feats—a wonk sex scandal, which is just as you'd expect: a dull morass of committee meetings, personnel classifications, and contracts.

Girl-group get-togethers to plan for 2008

Many women have a love-hate relationship with Sex and the City. It was a great show but it spawned so many horrible things: New York bus tours that stopped at, among other show-specific sites, the store where Charlotte bought her "Rabbit Pearl" vibrator; sassy single-girl dating columnists; and online quizzes to determine which character you are. So when the Sex and the City movie was announced, we wearily resigned ourselves to the onslaught of more articles on what the fab four were wearing; if the on-set photos of Carrie in a wedding dress were a real part of the plot or just a dream sequence; and on the cultural impact of the series we just can't seem to get away from. We'd love to say enough already, but who's kidding who? Come May 30, we'll be in line for the movie with everyone else.

BBC in private equity talks

Founded in 2000 Ortikon develops complete integrated software solutions designed for video business. The company supplies the related comprehensive systems mainly for European cable operators.

As demand for the new video services increases in Europe the market share of digital headend central control devices and, in particular, comprehensive IP based solutions is growing rapidly. The company says this acquisition expands Teleste's provision of IPTV systems, which in turn, enables Teleste to serve telecom operators in addition to cable operators. The two companies have a history of cooperation; Teleste has delivered products of Ortikon as part of Teleste's complete headend systems, for instance, to Digicable Networks in India.

The former principal owner and CEO Seppo Kalli will continue in his current position as CEO.

Science Tough Roads Loom Ahead for U.S. Pharmaceutical Giants

Traditionally, one of the largest and most profitable industries in America has been pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical companies are interesting in that they make products that no one wants, but hundreds of thousands of people must have to survive.

Few will feel sorry for the declining sales of these pharmaceutical giants since many Americans are literally forced to decide between food and their life saving medications each month.

February 2006 Archives

Benefits of Winning an Oscar: According to a study of actors and actresses, Oscar winners live longer than nominees who didn't take home the statuette. Does this mean George Clooney is going to live a long life? Hope so...

S P O R T S

He criticised the Aussies for their "provocative behaviour" during Sunday's Sydney ODI, which prompted the Indians to lodge a formal complaint with referee.

"We believe it was the Australians who have been provoking us. It's been going on for a while. In due course I am sure youngsters will learn from it," he said.

"Ishant only reacted to what Symonds said to him," he added when asked about the young pacer showing the "send-off finger" to Andrew Symonds in that game, for which Ishant was docked 15 per cent of his match fee.

"It's never friendly in international cricket and aggression is okay if you don't cross the line," Dhoni said.

"Ishant will learn this art in due course. I call it an art because it happens in international cricket all the time," he added.

In the Sydney match, Dhoni had to part with his gloves after the match referee was concerned about their legality.

Laos native migrates to United States and fuels his love for tennis

Greeley's Meng Manichanh may be 56 years old, but he moves around the tennis court with the ease of someone half his age.

Nobody knows that better than Greeley's Jeff Lejeune, his opponent Sunday at the Greeley Tennis Championships. The 33-year-old saw Manichanh run down nearly every ball and make seemingly every shot in his 6-0, 6-1 victory against Lejeune in the men's 3.5 singles quarterfinal round at Centennial Tennis Courts.

It was difficult on the weary legs of Lejeune, who had to be up before 3 a.m. the previous two days to work his job stocking shelves for the Frito-Lay potato chip company.

He didn't get to bed until 10 p.m. Saturday night and was up at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning working before his match at 8 a.m.

"I meant to ask (Manichanh) yesterday if we could back the match up to 11 a.m.