Althouse: Kissing is complicated.

February 9, 2009

Kissing is complicated.

The science of it.

25 comments:

vet66 said...: It's not that complicated. Just kiss while you are both eating chocolate! If there is no chocolate around, use lip balm flavored with chocolate.

Also, try to keep your eyes closed.; 2/9/09, 7:48 AM
Craig Landon said...: "If you share your germs with somebody, you're boosting your internal defence system."

I'm all about self defense.; 2/9/09, 7:48 AM
Tibore said...: From the article:

""This study shows kissing is much more complex and causes hormonal changes and things we never thought occurred," said Prof Hill."

So, the curious part of me wonders if they mesured the endocrinological effects of getting to second base... I mean, anything in the name of science! ;)

The other part of me wonders where I can volunteer for such a study... (*blush*)

"Romantic love has also been shown to have a close link to neurological activity, with scans showing that it has similar effect to cocaine on our brains."

Cocaine... ahhh... that explains the withdrawl. So, if "romantic love" is cocaine, what is pornography? Crack?; 2/9/09, 8:05 AM
MadisonMan said...: You can tell from the articles in the press that Valentine's Day is approaching.; 2/9/09, 8:06 AM
Meade said...: "Romantic love has also been shown to have a close link to neurological activity, with scans showing that it has similar effect to cocaine on our brains."

In other words: romantic love = mental illness.

"So, if "romantic love" is cocaine, what is pornography? Crack?"

No, it's a lobotomy.; 2/9/09, 8:09 AM
kjbe said...: Occasionally in my life, I have had (and still have) what I call “Seinfeld” moments – and this is one that’s on the list – why lips? Why kissing? It seems so random.

(I had actually thought someone had looked into it before now and knew why, but I guess not. This isn’t usually the case…); 2/9/09, 8:12 AM
traditionalguy said...: This is serious research and most men take this seriously. Smooching(a/k/a First Base)requires a double blind fold test in order to eliminate sexy clothing variables. Also cologne application must be uniform. Finally you have to run your test on Real Live Women(with brains, breasts, and sultry personalities) and not Women with Mundane Lips.The trickiest variables are teeth usage, and pre-smooching romantic dinner menue... amounts of wine, garlic, etc.. Then the testing boundaries have to be set: lip/lip, lip/neck, lip/shoulder, lip/etc.. Who knew that most men have been doing serious scientific research to benefit Man-kind since age 12?; 2/9/09, 8:16 AM
Tibore said...: "Meade said...
"So, if "romantic love" is cocaine, what is pornography? Crack?"

No, it's a lobotomy."

But that breaks the syllogism, Meade. :(; 2/9/09, 8:17 AM
Tibore said...: traditionalguy said...
Who knew that most men have been doing serious scientific research to benefit Man-kind since age 12?

Aha! A ready-made rationale for kissing as many women as possible in a lifetime: To get a statistically significant sample size!

Bless you, science. :D; 2/9/09, 8:20 AM
traditionalguy said...: Lafayette College (named appropriately after a dashing young Frenchman) sure has smart teachers. Like Newton's apple tree, their freshman spin the bottle night must have had a very enlightening effect. Are they located near Hershey, Pa.? They should work this testing into all Physical Ed. classes so no one will ever again "fail Phys. Ed." because they could not get it up in time to go to class.; 2/9/09, 8:32 AM
Meade said...: Infectious mononucleosis (IM), also called mono or glandular fever, is commonly transmitted among teenagers and young adults by kissing or sexual activity; hence it is sometimes called the "kissing disease."

traditionalguy said...
"... romantic dinner menue... amounts of wine, garlic, etc..."

Little known fact about garlic: It is aphrodisiac in both males and females as it stimulates blood flow to the pelvic region. It also has anti-bacterial properties and thus helps to prevent passing oral infections. In addition, two people who each partake in garlic will not only have breaths not offensive to the other, but will find each other's breaths quite sweet. But garlic is loaded with cultural judgements and prejudice. In Italy, one finds garlic haters as one moves north while the farther one travels south the more garlic celebration one will find.; 2/9/09, 8:33 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Why lips? Why kissing? It seems so random."

It forces you to stop talking, which disconnects the verbal part of your brain.; 2/9/09, 8:36 AM
rhhardin said...: Science has also taken on the strapless evening gown.; 2/9/09, 8:49 AM
Bissage said...: Damn! Looks like Mrs. Bissage and I are the only ones left who still rub noses Eskimo style.; 2/9/09, 8:55 AM
ricpic said...: Trading spittle gets us closer
To the other's chemo-doser.; 2/9/09, 9:22 AM
ricpic said...: Trading spittle gets us closer
To the other's phero-doser.; 2/9/09, 9:34 AM
Darcy said...: I'm all for that kind of "cocaine".; 2/9/09, 9:40 AM
Anonymous said...: rhhardin said...Science has also taken on the strapless evening gown.

Some people have a need to quantify and over analyze everything.

Ann Althouse said..."Why lips? Why kissing? It seems so random."

It forces you to stop talking, which disconnects the verbal part of your brain.

I thought that was the purpose of cleavage.; 2/9/09, 10:06 AM
dbp said...: "Occasionally in my life, I have had (and still have) what I call “Seinfeld” moments – and this is one that’s on the list – why lips? Why kissing? It seems so random."

There is a theory that kissing evolved from food sharing. Which makes a lot of sense when one considers that Gerber did not exist back when humans were mostly nomadic hunter-gatherers.; 2/9/09, 10:38 AM
traditionalguy said...: Word to the wise: before disconnecting the verbal part of your brain, ask yourself where your boundaries are with a new candidate. If even a touch is an assault and battery, then could a French Kissing be an assault with a deadly weapon? I had a secretary from Batavia, NY who explained to old traditional me the meaning of a " fuck Buddy", as just a friend with no commitments expected and no money paid. It must be a tradition up in the Frozen regions to be close friends. Down in Atlanta we have not evolved past our Bible Belt mores with our friends.; 2/9/09, 10:44 AM
David said...: Althouse sez:

"It forces you to stop talking, which disconnects the verbal part of your brain."

True. And quite often it can disconnect the entire brain.; 2/9/09, 11:30 AM
David said...: "Down in Atlanta we have not evolved past our Bible Belt mores with our friends."

Trad Guy, there are vast parts of Atlanta you have not yet explored.; 2/9/09, 11:32 AM
traditionalguy said...: David... Sad but true. If life is like a bunch of chocolats, then I have not sampled them all yet and don't know what I'd get if I did. Atlanta has its seedy side. In fact it's a Capital of seedy stuff as it developed as an inland (RR and Air travel) seaport. But we do have enclaves of Christian traditions left here and there.; 2/9/09, 11:41 AM
blake said...: The New York Times called: You're not getting past first base on Valentine's Day.; 2/9/09, 2:40 PM
bill said...: xkcd: The Base metaphor explained; 2/9/09, 4:49 PM