kissing

nationality

American

occupation / innovator as

science writer

is a biological litmus test through which the body tries to figure out how compatible one is with their partner.

In her view, a romantic kiss is nature's ultimate litmus test: 'With it, we try to figure out how compatible we are with our partner, especially for women who are more sensitive to taste and scent and who need to be biologically more selective when choosing a partner.'

is a chemical choir, involving a host of chemicals (oxytocin, dopamine, saratonin), all interacting together to make us feel a certain way.

Think of it as 'a chemical choir,' says science writer Sheril Kirshenbaum. In her new book, The Science of Kissing, the Austin, Texas writer weaves together classical history, evolutionary biology, psychology and scientific research to look at osculation (a fancy word for smooching). Kirshenbaum told me that the act of kissing involves a bunch of chemicals, all interacting together to make us feel a certain way. 'We try to link our behaviour to one particular hormone or neurotransmitter, but there is a much bigger chemical picture.'

Sheril KirshenbaumThinkers

Sheril Kirshenbaum