1. Marriage is down because of the recession? Not.
2. Gays more likely to have multiple partners? Guess again. (Plus other interesting comparisons.)
3. The Less Educated Now Less Likely to Say “I Do”
4. The results of the new national sex survey, as interpreted by Slate.
5. Falling in love costs you two friends.
6. Your brain responds more to close friends.
7. Intense, passionate feelings of love can provide pain relief similar to painkillers.
Let’s not overstate the implications of the declining marriage rate. Right now, 81 percent of all Americans have married at least once by age forty. That is, marriage remains a central institution in American life. So what has driven the largely misplaced commentary about the recession leading to a decline in marriage?