Love Lab: Is romance a science or an art?
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Continuing our Love Lab strand, Michael Mosley tried a scientific approach to helping our fiftysomething singletons find love.
For years scientists have debated the extent to which sexual scents - called pheromones - determine attraction. So, recreating an experiment first attempted at the University of Liverpool, Michael took four of the female volunteers speed dating to try out the theory for themselves.
Two of the guinea pigs - Melita and Norma - were exposed to the testosterone derivative Androstadienone, while the others were just given scented water. The results showed that the two women exposed to the pheromone asked twice as many men for dates than the other two, suggesting that there is indeed something in it.
More information:
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Relationships
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Science on 'The mating game'
But what do you think? Does science really have a part to play in finding romance? Or is it better to leave it for chance, and the fates, to decide? Share your views.
Also: Tell us what Love is...?
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