I like to think I'm pretty smart. But I suppose I know better!

Not Marilyn vos Savant smart, mind you, but always-the-first-one-at-the-table-to-figure-out-the-tip smart. Movie trivia smart. Gets Dennis Miller smart.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to end up married to a guy I considered to be at least slightly brighter than I am. I'm not sure why, but smack at the top on my laundry list of must-haves, there it's always been: A high IQ, wedged in between good teeth, a dry sense of humor and a working knowledge of basic chemistry. Nice hamstrings a plus.

Most of my female friends secretly feel the same. It's not that we're a bunch of Barbies looking for a guy who can squeeze the word asynapsis into everyday conversation, or explain the inner workings of quantum physics and nuclear fission to us over linguine and string bean casserole every night while we stare blankly into space and wonder what happened today on Days of Our Lives. It's just that most women, when we think about long-term relationships, want to marry up. Biology compels us to seek out the best possible long-term mate we can snag for our own. In fact, statistics show we're looking for a man who is taller, older and smarter. Which is lucky, because men, apparently, are looking to be with someone shorter, younger and (gasp) dumber.

According to two recent studies, in Britain and the United States, smarter girls were less likely to find a man who wanted to marry them. More bad news for girl geniuses, their chances were reduced dramatically in direct relation to their level of intelligence.

For each 16-point jump in their IQ, their marriage prospects decreased by 40 percent.

In contrast, boys' chances for marriage increased by 35 percent with each 16-point rise.

The British study measured the IQ of 900 11-year-olds, revisiting them 40 years later to note how their lives had progressed. Their conclusion: men like to be in control of a relationship.

Another study at the University of Michigan, suggested that men would rather marry women in subordinate jobs because they think that high-powered career women are more likely to commit adultery.

According to a quote in the Daily Mail from lead scientist Dr. Stephanie Brown, "The hypothesis is that there are evolutionary pressures on males to take steps to minimize the risk of raising offspring that are not their own."

So what's the deal? One theory is that men want women who will stay home, raise the children and care for them.

Most of the press so far on this study has taken the stance that smart chicks are basically out of luck - no man will want them. (This is a common theme in the media - You're over 30? You'll never get married! You have Children? You'll never get married! ) I wonder though, do smart women know something the rest of us don't? (I mean, besides the molecular formula of spam...) Maybe it's not that smart women can't find husbands. Maybe they've seen the inventory, weighed their many options and decided to go it alone instead. Maybe some smart women just find the idea of being a wife unappealing.

As a smart girl who found my perfect match in a very smart guy, the study makes perfect sense to me. On the flip side, I have to say I was a more than a little disturbed when I began to wonder if my steady stream of boyfriends and occasional proposals meant I was the slightly dumber girl of their dreams.

Prepared for a duel, I approached my sweetie and asked. When it came to relationships, was he looking for someone smarter than him? Or someone dumber? He smiled, and answered, "someone exactly as smart." (I bought it, so maybe he is the smart one after all.)

As for smart girls who are looking to find love and marriage, don't despair. You don't have to be a short 23-year old with the IQ of a sand gnat to find your dream guy. Despite studies that say otherwise, even the brightest among us can find Mr. Right. Marilyn vos Savant, who is the smartest tested woman in the world, found her match in husband Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart. It just goes to prove, there's someone out there for everyone : He's not only smart enough to steal her heart, he can build her one from scratch.

Are You Clicking On Your First Date?

All of us have experienced it at one time or another. We come home from a first date, swimming in euphoria, sure that we've just spent the first night of the rest of our lives with our true soul mate. Mr. or Miss Destiny. The One. And then, we never hear from them again.

As we sit by the phone, waiting for that second date call (or call-back) we first begin to doubt the efficiency of the phone company. Then we start to wonder if Mr./Miss Right had to suddenly leave the country in the middle of the night, without a chance to call. Then, realization hits. You're not going to hear from them, and you wonder how you could have had such a magical experience, while they, clearly, were unimpressed.

Fortunately, there are some clues to help you figure out if your first date is really a heart-to-heart connection, or a just one-sided illusion. Next time you're on a first date, keep an eye out for these telltale signals:

Give 'em a Body Check:
When to people are really making a connection, their bodies line up (toe to toe, heart to heart, face to face) and they tend to mimic each other's gestures and voice levels. Which means if your date is soft-spoken and you're a shake-the-walls loudmouth, you'll both instinctively feel that something is a bit off-kilter.

Signs your date is going well:
Watch to see if you find your date is mirroring your gestures, a strong indicator that the date is on-track. Another positive signal is if your date is leaning towards you as you speak. Other good signs to watch for including nodding and tilting the head to the side as you are speaking, an indicator your date is interested in what you have to say.

Danger sign:
If your date is crossing his or her arms while you're speaking, it is generally a sign of resistance or anger.

Flirting or Faking?
When a date is going well, there's bound to be a lot of flirting going on from both sides of the table. Key signs your date is interested include smiling, extended eye contact and biting or licking the lip. (theirs, not yours...) Another key signal for both sexes is low-level non-sexual touching such as a brush of the elbow, arm or leg.

Signs your date is going well:
Preening or grooming behavior (such as smoothing down clothes, reapplying lipstick, running a hand over the hair) is a clear sign someone is interested. For women, the classic flirting move is the crossing or uncrossing of the legs, while men tend to stand a little broader when they're flirting and throw their shoulders back.

Danger sign:
Keep an eye out for flirting that isn't accompanied by other "I like you" behaviors -- this can indicate a purely sexual, not romantic interest.

Two-step on the Doorstep
Another key indicator of a successful (or bad, bad, bad) first date is drop-off behavior when the date is finished. Does your date see you into your front door, or drop you off at the curb and speed off into the night before you have a chance to say, "Thanks for the linguine" and find your keys? Another positive sign is the goodnight kiss that leaves you wanting more, but ends mutually on the doorstep. (A signal you're both willing to save a little something for date number two.)

Signs the date has gone well:
When your date makes a specific suggestion for another date, (such as, what are you doing next Tuesday?) rather than a generic "I'll call you" it's a positive signal that they are definitely interested in seeing you again. Other encouraging signs include lingering after the date is clearly over (you're in your doorway, goodnight kisses have been exchanged and he's still hanging around on the porch...)

Danger sign:
Possibly the worst first date doorstep signal is when one person leans in for the goodnight smooch, and the other sticks out their hand for a handshake. A less-obvious sign is a quick kiss or hug, followed by a pat on the back (which can indicate discomfort with the embrace.)

As for that mystery man or woman who appears to drop off the planet after what seemed to be a perfect first date, well, we think it's safe to assume after a few days that the poor dear was probably mowed down by a runaway tour bus, or had to leave the country due to some pressing national emergency. Don't take it personally, just move on. And remember, it only takes one first date to meet your soul mate. (Sure, it might be one in fifty-seven, or one in six, but it only takes one.)

A Quick History of Dating
Dating today is radically different from our grandparents' times. Even that of our parents, come to think of it. The previous generation dated in a time of social unrest, rebellion, and dramatically changing gender roles. As long as some women were burning bras and others protesting Vietnam, plain old dates could hardly be like those of the generation before -- all Doris Day dresses and drive-ins, with souped up convertibles for the daring.

Nowadays, we have so many questions; such as, who will pay, how far to go, how long to wait to call back, and a host of other things that haunt the active dater. However, as different and difficult as we think our dating world is, compared to that of the baby boomers; just think of what it was like earlier. Much earlier, like a few hundred years ago.

The good old days?
Hardly, in the Middle Ages, it was all pretty simple - what dating? Women were more or less chattel whose value depended on their baby-making abilities and their penchant for very hard work.

Not much went on back then, dating-wise. Among the more genteel and lordly classes, these more primitive practices started to be replaced with courtship in the 18th century.

About that same time, dinner banquets started to involve more than just large legs of mutton gnawed at by one and all, and Europeans began building elaborate gardens and relatively clean homes. The commercial nature of the "transaction" began to take other disguises, such as dancing and teas.

PerfectMatch.com - site review Utilizing a scientific matchmaker approach Perfect Match is literally a dating site that will focus on your preset criteria to search compatible singles that coincides with your individual personality and lifestyle.