ALONE ON VALENTINE'S DAY? THERE MAY BE A MATHEMATICAL REASON WHY ...

Mail Online has this headline today: "Celebrating Valentine's Day solo? You're not alone: 80 percent of 15 to 25 year-olds are still single (but nearly one-third are looking on-line)".

A few years ago the good people at OK Cupid did a review of the number of on-line messages each woman on their site got from guys who go through their on-line profile. What they found was interesting. While women could be rated the same in the "looks" department there was a mathematical explanation why some women received vastly more messages and interest than other women ranked in the same category.

The results are interesting. Specifically, the number of messages (and interest) women receives on-line depends greatly on a man's ego (Will this one message me back?) and whether a woman's ratio of "hotness/cuteness" varied (too cute, fewer messages).

What this means in plain English for women interested in more on-line attention is this puzzling paradox: The men who message you probably need more confidence, and women should play up things that might make them appear less attractive.

If you're an on-line dater and alone today you can read about the OK Cupid review here.

- Mark