Comments on: Mechanical Matchmaking: The Science of Love in the 1920s http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/ A history of the future that never was Fri, 17 May 2013 21:40:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Stewart Baker http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-1773 Stewart Baker Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:28:02 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-1773 Oh dear. I think there's something Mr Gernsback forgot to test: mutual trust and respect. If physical attraction is the most important factor, those are going to be some darn short marriages... :) Oh dear.

I think there’s something Mr Gernsback forgot to test: mutual trust and respect.

If physical attraction is the most important factor, those are going to be some darn short marriages… :)

]]> By: Kathy http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-594 Kathy Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:52:09 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-594 I watched a program about sexual attraction on either the science or discovery channel. It explored different ways that scientists are attempting to quantify and/or define how/why people become attracted to one another. One experiment 'captured' the individual scent/natural odor of a whole group of men, and then asked women to sniff the samples and pick out the scents that attracted them. One interesting fact was that if a women was ovulating she found all the scents to be attractive, and she could not distinguish any differences. I don't believe that this means she wants to mate with all of them, rather my guess is that she uses other factors when determining with whom she will mate(i.e.potential provider). My guess could very well be wrong, but I do believe that there are so many other factors that go into the equation of love that it is very difficult to isolate the variables and predict the end result. I watched a program about sexual attraction on either the science or discovery channel. It explored different ways that scientists are attempting to quantify and/or define how/why people become attracted to one another. One experiment ‘captured’ the individual scent/natural odor of a whole group of men, and then asked women to sniff the samples and pick out the scents that attracted them.
One interesting fact was that if a women was ovulating she found all the scents to be attractive, and she could not distinguish any differences. I don’t believe that this means she wants to mate with all of them, rather my guess is that she uses other factors when determining with whom she will mate(i.e.potential provider).
My guess could very well be wrong, but I do believe that there are so many other factors that go into the equation of love that it is very difficult to isolate the variables and predict the end result.

]]> By: Danna Rickard http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-591 Danna Rickard Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:56:53 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-591 On a segment of a medical news show, I think they discussed women on "the Pill" and how it changed their sense of smell. The implication was a little on how it might be best to go off the Pill before you commit to marriage or anything long-term, just to check the chemistry of compatibility. Other medications might affect things also. I didn't check the Pill study for facts -- it seemed an important consideration though. On a segment of a medical news show, I think they discussed women on “the Pill” and how it changed their sense of smell. The implication was a little on how it might be best to go off the Pill before you commit to marriage or anything long-term, just to check the chemistry of compatibility. Other medications might affect things also. I didn’t check the Pill study for facts —
it seemed an important consideration though.

]]> By: molly http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-589 molly Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:40:51 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-589 This is great. You wouldn't happen to gave the original article in some format? Or know where i can get it? I would love to use with A Level Language students but I have to use the original text? Many thanks - your blog is recommended to many students! Molly (tday31@gmail.com) This is great. You wouldn’t happen to gave the original article in some format? Or know where i can get it? I would love to use with A Level Language students but I have to use the original text?

Many thanks – your blog is recommended to many students!

Molly
(tday31@gmail.com)

]]> By: Scott Amun http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-582 Scott Amun Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:06:07 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-582 I agree with Mr. Ray. Also, smell is not a sense that should be considered unimportant. Why else is the perfume and deodorant business so profitable? I certainly am affected by a woman's smell, not just her perfume, but her natural body smell. Many people are clearly recognizable by their smell, and this is not even considering those with "BO". Scents are recognized to affect the mid-brain, and often call up very recondite memories. If they have the power to do this, is it not wise to recognize that a person's natural smell could have a great deal of influence on whether another will find him/her attractive or repulsive? I agree with Mr. Ray. Also, smell is not a sense that should be considered unimportant. Why else is the perfume and deodorant business so profitable? I certainly am affected by a woman’s smell, not just her perfume, but her natural body smell. Many people are clearly recognizable by their smell, and this is not even considering those with “BO”. Scents are recognized to affect the mid-brain, and often call up very recondite memories. If they have the power to do this, is it not wise to recognize that a person’s natural smell could have a great deal of influence on whether another will find him/her attractive or repulsive?

]]> By: William Ray http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-574 William Ray Thu, 31 May 2012 15:46:26 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-574 I find it amusing how much modern "intelligent" readers enjoy reveling in their superiority over those primitive savages from the previous century. Unless we start acting quite a bit more enlightened, 90 years from now our descendants are going to think we were pretty darned dumb too... All of these tests, while rudimentary by today's standards, actually do get to measuring some meaningful neurophysiological indicators that might be predictive of irrational ("romantic") attachments. Even the gunshot test. Certainly we could probably conceive of more sophisticated tests today, but, the gunshot test would have exposed underlying purely reactive "fight or flight" responses to potential danger or alarm. The difference between a reaction where both members of the couple's instant, unreasoned response was personal safety, rather than the safety/protection of their potential mate, versus a couple that reacted instantly to protect/comfort the other, before personal concerns, would say something quite informative about the underlying psychology of the relationship. I find it amusing how much modern “intelligent” readers enjoy reveling in their superiority over those primitive savages from the previous century. Unless we start acting quite a bit more enlightened, 90 years from now our descendants are going to think we were pretty darned dumb too…

All of these tests, while rudimentary by today’s standards, actually do get to measuring some meaningful neurophysiological indicators that might be predictive of irrational (“romantic”) attachments.

Even the gunshot test. Certainly we could probably conceive of more sophisticated tests today, but, the gunshot test would have exposed underlying purely reactive “fight or flight” responses to potential danger or alarm. The difference between a reaction where both members of the couple’s instant, unreasoned response was personal safety, rather than the safety/protection of their potential mate, versus a couple that reacted instantly to protect/comfort the other, before personal concerns, would say something quite informative about the underlying psychology of the relationship.

]]> By: merdiss provencher http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-562 merdiss provencher Sun, 27 May 2012 19:09:17 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-562 very good magazine. i subscribe to it myself. very good magazine. i subscribe to it myself.

]]> By: liebepur http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-559 liebepur Fri, 25 May 2012 19:21:48 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-559 <strong>Pferdezüchter, Dating und Dunstglocken...</strong> Wir verwenden große Sorgfalt auf die Züchtung von Pferden, Hunden und Katzen, aber wenn es um uns selbst geht, dann werden wir extreme nachlässig und nutzen weder unsren Verstand noch die Möglichkeiten, die die Wissenschaft uns in die Hand gibt, um uns... Pferdezüchter, Dating und Dunstglocken…

Wir verwenden große Sorgfalt auf die Züchtung von Pferden, Hunden und Katzen, aber wenn es um uns selbst geht, dann werden wir extreme nachlässig und nutzen weder unsren Verstand noch die Möglichkeiten, die die Wissenschaft uns in die Hand gibt, um uns…

]]> By: Lisa http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-558 Lisa Fri, 25 May 2012 16:39:50 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-558 Other than the gunshot test, I can see how the other tests have validity even though they are rudimentary. Other than the gunshot test, I can see how the other tests have validity even though they are rudimentary.

]]> By: Bill McCullam http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/05/mechanical-matchmaking-the-science-of-love-in-the-1920s/#comment-555 Bill McCullam Thu, 24 May 2012 21:29:52 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=2682#comment-555 The test of true love in the 1920s was a sniff test. The girl could pick her mate from his odor. The preferred men's cologne at that was was ....."gasoline"! Yup, if he smelled of gas at the dance it meant he had a car or access to one....love at first sniff. The test of true love in the 1920s was a sniff test. The girl could pick her mate from his odor. The preferred men’s cologne at that was was …..”gasoline”! Yup, if he smelled of gas at the dance it meant he had a car or access to one….love at first sniff.

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