Birds do it. Bees do it. And romantic novelists know that we do it. When it comes to love, we take what we can get. A study revealed in times2 today demonstrates that we do indeed dream of tall, gorgeous partners with moments of glad grace and Swiss bank accounts. But at speed dating events, if the only people that turn up are stumpy, penniless Gollum-lookalikes, we as a species promptly lower our standards and ask even the least prepossessing specimen out for dinner.

This will come as no shock to any teenager who has gazed with adoration on Beyonce or Daniel Craig, and subsequently had to resign themselves to the fact that their best hope of romance is sitting on the back seat of the school bus, throwing things at them. Nor would that ruthless analyst of the economics of love, Jane Austen, raise an eyebrow. In her claustrophobic world of drawing-rooms, where respectable women's earning power was nil, she knew that ladies would of necessity rule out the poor and the socially unsuitable. They would then set their hearts on marrying the only eligible man for miles around, and never hesitate to call it love.

As it was ever thus, sigh not for the loss of the one true love for all. Rather rejoice that, despite our swooning and bad poetry, we are hard-wired to make the most practical decision in the bear-pit that is modern dating. And furthermore, this report is good news for those out there less than beautiful and more than awkward. The nerds know to travel in herds. More losers in a room means better chances of getting lucky. Science thus fosters romance. Austen would approve.