Deciphering the Brain's Love Map

victor7 writes "Business Week Online is running a story about a new entrant into the online dating service market called Chemistry.com which has a unique approach to trying to match up subscribers. The goal is to try to programmatically decipher the subscriber's brain's 'love map' which they believe represents that chemistry that people have with each other." From the article: "There are other personality types as well that are based on chemistry. There are questions that tell us if you are good at abstract thinking, or quick to make decisions and act on them. It's not exactly like I'm going to light a fire between the two of you. It just raises the chances. Most people fall in love because they have shared values, but they stay in love because their personalities mesh. We're trying to increase the changes of finding that spark and joy and excitement you feel when personalities mesh."

Comments

How the hell

[Anonymous Coward]

did a nerd domain name like "chemistry.com" got registered first by a dating service company?

Hollywood

[CorporalKlinger]

"Most people fall in love because they have shared values, but they stay in love because their personalities mesh"

That's strange... Hollywood actors / actresses seem to have both shared values (a love of money / entertainment) and shared personalities (general arrogance and a belief of personal entitlement). It makes me wonder why it seems like none of their relationships last longer than the milk in my refrigerator.

Computer called me gay

[Hao Wu]

I signed up for a similar study at Harvard.

Stupid algorithm is full of BS. Says I should be dating men.

I hate you, incompetent Harvard science faculty. M.I.T. is forever!

chemistry?

[hobo sapiens]

"Most people fall in love because they have shared values, but they stay in love because their personalities mesh"

Hmm. Sounds like a weenie in marketing came up with that. Wonder how long it is until he gets his own daytime TV show, or a website like that wiener with his Men are from Mercury and Women are from Uranus or whatever...

Someone once wisely said that compatibility is really about adaptability. People go into relationships expecting "compatibility". What people really need to do is learn how to adapt to other's personalities. Even if you have met someone with whom you are compatible you will have to constantly adjust your personality so that you can stay in tune with this person. People do change after all.

Also, if people do not have a sense of commitment things will fall apart once times get tough. Our society in general looks down on commitment as being old fashioned. Maybe that's why our divorce rate is 50%. Chemistry.com won't change that and I have to suspect will go the way of webvan.com.

yes but

[3l1za]

I remember, but can't cite, an article or study that pretty much shows the odds of people staying together

You're disregarding obvious cultural differences between residents of the US and residents of a small town in India.

As I understand in India there is or at least has historically been a very strong taboo on divorce. This might account for why as many of these folks stay together as those conjoined by "love marriages." But anyway I think the numbers for arranged marriages staying together are much, much higher due to the near impossibility of obtaining a divorce.

A 13-year old betrothed to a 60-year old cannot actually be thought to have the same opportunity for divorce as a rich Manhattan female attorney.

Re:Love is bullshit

[GrungyLotG]

Am I the only person that sees the irony of this based upon his username?