Getting wed dampens drive

Whether unravelling the mysteries of the double helix or robbing a bank, geniuses and criminals have something in common - they definitely should not get married.

Tying the knot dampens the drive of men who become either career criminals or brilliant scientists, researchers have discovered.

Just as illegal activity peaks in the late teens and early adulthood, scientists tend to make their biggest breakthroughs before their mid-30s.

Like a peacock displaying his tail feathers, pulling off a big robbery or having a Eureka moment are only a display for the benefit of the ladies, Dr Satoshi Kanazawa claimed.

And they both stem from a common competitive drive that evolved to help young males attract mates, the New Zealand-based academic told New Scientist magazine.

'They do whatever they do in order to get laid,' added Dr Kanazawa, who studied the biographies of prominent scientists. After that, instinct and drive declines as both groups settle down to bring up families.