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This Just In: People Smell

Posted by timothy on from the nasal-gazing dept.

SAPHRguru writes "New Scientist reports (10 Nov) that researchers may have taken a big step towards solving the mystery of how humans detect pheromones... we do it through our noses! Strange, I always thought I responded to chemical cues through my mouth (especially in brownies)!"

2 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. No VMO in humans? by nlh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Ok, I'm confused. According to the article:

    ...scientists have never been able to identify a VMO in humans, despite evidence that they do respond to pheromones.

    But that doesn't sound right. Believe it or not, I actually wrote a paper for my freshman psychology class back in Fall '96 on the effect of human pheromones and the VMO. At that time, at least, it was fairly well known that the VMO did indeed exist in humans, and that even its location in the human body was known (See this and this, for example).

    So when did it vanish from scientific literature, or was its existence called into question?

    --
    Ferrari and other exotic car rentals in New York
  2. Urine as a social signal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The team is now trying to determine how the process may work in humans. "But we don't generally use urine as a social signal," notes Katz.

    Hey, speak for yourself, Professor Science! I find pissing in the direction of someone I don't like to be much easier and cleaner than flinging my feces at them and it gets the point across just as effectively!