This study is to be published in the open access journal Scientific Reports* on 21 December.
In Northern hemisphere Western countries, more babies are born in September than in other months of the year. This means that more babies are conceived in December and that human reproduction displays a cyclical pattern.
The set to track people's mood and online behaviour throughout the year, in different countries, from both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and with different cultural traditions (Christian or Muslim).
They found that online searches related to sex have a cyclical nature that correlates with a specific "loving mood", as independently detected on Twitter.
Moreover, they saw that these cyclical patterns are very similar among countries that share the same cultural tradition but not necessarily among countries that share geographical location. Countries like Australia or Brazil had similar patterns when compared to Northern hemisphere countries such as Portugal, Germany or the USA.
On the other hand, Turkey or Egypt's patterns differed from that of other countries in the Northern hemisphere, but had an online behaviour similar to the Southern hemispheric Muslim Indonesia.
In Christian countries the "love mood" is higher around Christmas time and so are online searches related to sex, whereas in Muslim countries a similar behaviour happens around the religious festivities of Eid-al- Fitr and Eid-al- Adha.
"Our results suggest that human reproductive cycles depend on the collective mood of human societies. Christmas and Eid-al- Fitr are family-oriented religious holidays that generate specific happier and calmer mood states that probably drive interest in sex".
Used image is representational.
In Northern hemisphere Western countries, more babies are born in September than in other months of the year. This means that more babies are conceived in December and that human reproduction displays a cyclical pattern.
The set to track people's mood and online behaviour throughout the year, in different countries, from both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and with different cultural traditions (Christian or Muslim).
They found that online searches related to sex have a cyclical nature that correlates with a specific "loving mood", as independently detected on Twitter.
Moreover, they saw that these cyclical patterns are very similar among countries that share the same cultural tradition but not necessarily among countries that share geographical location. Countries like Australia or Brazil had similar patterns when compared to Northern hemisphere countries such as Portugal, Germany or the USA.
On the other hand, Turkey or Egypt's patterns differed from that of other countries in the Northern hemisphere, but had an online behaviour similar to the Southern hemispheric Muslim Indonesia.
In Christian countries the "love mood" is higher around Christmas time and so are online searches related to sex, whereas in Muslim countries a similar behaviour happens around the religious festivities of Eid-al- Fitr and Eid-al- Adha.
"Our results suggest that human reproductive cycles depend on the collective mood of human societies. Christmas and Eid-al- Fitr are family-oriented religious holidays that generate specific happier and calmer mood states that probably drive interest in sex".
Used image is representational.