Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => New Theories => Topic started by: mmm_citrus on 07/05/2011 09:51:10
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I'd really appreciate if you could take a look at my google science fair entry and tell me what you think of my theory.
https://sites.google.com/site/icantasteyourdna/
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You seem to be measuring response to sweat, not DNA. Only a tiny fraction of sweat is DNA. To measure a response to DNA, you must first isolate the DNA from other substances. This is done by extracting (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=dna+extraction+methods&cp=11&pq=dna+testing+methods&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=vid:1&source=og&sa=N&tab=wv&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=ff8642d025a62b02) DNA from a cell nucleus and then creating millions of copies (http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&tbm=vid&source=hp&q=dna+amplification+methods&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=ff8642d025a62b02).
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Interesting project.
Although, I'd second the comment that this is a study of pheromones rather than DNA.
I'm not sure how you are determining compatibility. Outward appearance likely has little to do with reproductive compatibility. And, of course, age would be independent from DNA.
A simpler test would be to give the shirts to both men and women.
See if women can sense the men? And the men can sense the women?
Some women's sense of smell may also be more refined than men's. I'm not sure about smell, but there is actually some evidence that women (or at least some women) may actually see colors differently than men.
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Clifford - if a student science project can identify or even investigate human pheromones then it should win every prize going! There has been no satisfactory documentation of pheromonal action in humans although much has been suggested and lots of stuff sold in the gloomier areas of the internet.
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The study is trying to determine if one person is intrinsically more attractive than another based on smell/taste which is essentially the idea of pheromones. The project isn't to actually identify these substances, or to produce Love Potion #9.
As I suggested, one might start by doing a basic M/F test (with both genders). Perhaps just ask to identify a "mate" without telling the subjects that some may be of the same sex. If one can't tell the appropriate sex, it is likely hopeless to determine other finer details.
Most animals can also sense ovulation cycles in females. It is likely that the hormonal response during ovulation would create a smell that could be sensed. It would be a big study, but one can use temperature and similar methods to correlate ovulation with smells. It is likely though, that one could train a dog to perform much better than a human at such a test.
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Clifford - I spent a lot of time trying to avoid phermones as they are a particularly unstable theory, my base was the apparent ability (found to be true by a study published in the oxford journals which i assumed to be a reliable source) to sense the histocompatablity gene, which isn't a technically a phermone but a gene, hence DNA.
Although I do agree that hormones secreted could have skewed things, the female subjects i used where all in the same bit of their menstrual cycle anyway as they're all very close friends and aligned their menstrual cycles a while ago.
Phractality - If I had cultured DNA it would have changed the entire point of the study, i wanted to know if it was an ability we have as a species that is subconscious, i was looking at the taste of DNA in a natural scenario not a clinical one.