Currently watching the episode of Curiosity about orgasms.

According to the show, men cannot expel their sperm without an orgasm, but there seems to be no need for the female orgasm.  They pose the question, why do females have orgasms?

This is maybe two minutes into the show that the question is first asked.  My response, two seconds later:  The same reason men have nipples.

Fifteen minutes into the show... Prof. Elizabeth Lloyd "believes the female orgasm is not a reward, but a byproduct of our shared embryonic past."

Yeah.  That's what I said.  I wonder how long it took her to land on her theory.

And she even mentioned male nipples.  How about that?  Seriously, I hope she landed on her theory faster than I answered the question.  She's a professor, after all.

I promise that I'm not making fun of her.  I'm just thinking about the many scientific studies that have occurred in the past that end up reaffirming the obvious.

This is a play-by-play account from here on, fyi.

Her theory is called "The Fantastic Bonus".  The neural pathways for orgasm are laid out in the first eight weeks of life, which is before the body starts becoming male or female.

Here's a new question posed: "If the female orgasm's just a male hand-me-down, why is it often more powerful, varied, and sophisticated?"

My response, three or four seconds later:  Because female biology is different than male biology.

A man and woman are having sex right next to two scientists looking at a sonogram screen.  Surprise, surprise.  They're French.  Well, maybe the male scientist is Italian. ...  Gotta be Italian.

Ha, ha.  Looks like there's probably is no actual G-Spot, after all.  How many guys yelled, "I KNEW IT!!!"

Hmm.  An injection of the hormone, oxytocin(sp?) gives an orgasm within seconds, no stimulation required.  And this is not on the market?

"It seems that orgasms may be driving our behavior outside the bedroom, too."

Gee.  Ya think?  Okay, let's see if this is something brilliant or more Captain Obvious.

Scientists think (paraphrasing the narrator) that the male orgasm exists to encourage plentiful reproduction.

Not Captain Obvious, but certainly not a new idea.

Dr. David A. Puts thinks (paraphrasing the narrator) that the nature of female orgasm encourages mating with a certain kind of male.

Same comment as above, though possibly a little newer.

"Women have more orgasms with men that they find handsome."

One would think that they have more sex with men that they find handsome, but I'll hear you out.

Symmetrical faces are found to be more attractive than asymmetrical faces.  *yawn*  Tell me something new.

Symmetry is used by a lot of genetic researchers as a measure of genetic quality.  Now we're getting somewhere.

"Symmetry is a scientifically accepted indicator of good genes.  Throughout the animal kingdom, we see that highly symmetrical males are more resistant to disease and show fewer genetic mutations."

So they go the genetic route.  I had heard a theory in the past that the influence of female orgasm on mate choice was that, in my own phrasing, males who gave females an orgasm were more likely to be loving and caring mates and fathers.

Speak of the devil.  Stephanie Ortigue thinks the quality of the orgasm has everything to do with love.

Oh, wait.  I retract my "speak of the devil".  She's saying that the more passionately in love you are with your partner, the better your orgasms will be.

Little bit of the Captain Obvious, there, though, for the record, I disagree with her "definition" of love.

The stored memory of a good orgasm with a partner influences the next orgasm you have with that partner.

Kinda wanna say, duh.

"Orgasms may have evolved as relationship glue."  I'm inclined to see that more as a side-effect.

Some rare females can have an orgasm through thought only (no physical contact), though it takes time.

And they wrap up the scientists' thoughts with a montage of what they think is the purpose of an orgasm.

Someone slap the one that said "fun" upside the head.  I'm revoking your Scientist status, in my mind.

It's bad enough when non-scientists can't tell the difference between "the purpose of" and "a use for".

Here's some good news, though. Orgasms are physically healthy for the brain.