I don’t know why, but I find the science of attraction fascinating. Maybe it’s because I’m perpetually single. It also gets me to thinking my singleness might have less to do with MHCs and more to do with the fact that I find them fascinating. ^_^;
Anyway, for those who haven’t heard of this, here’s what it is talking about. Basically, MHC’s are the body’s immune agents, and there are several different forms depending on your genetics. It is better to have heterozygous (two different types of) genes because your body will be defended against a wider range of pathogens. It is a logical hypothesis that people ideally would choose partners whose MHCs differ from their own. This hypothesis was tested on both genders a few different times by a few different groups of researchers. As usual, results of some experiments were contradictory, but most supported the hypothesis. People are attracted to those whose MHCs are dissimilar (except when using oral contraceptives). The method by which people detect these MHCs is apparently olfactory. In short, love at first sight might actually be love at first smell.
We can also conclude that one should avoid oral contraceptives to avoid being attracted to one’s cousins.
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