Comments on: Kissing & the science of humanity

By: Linkage is Good for You: It Will Never End Edition

Linkage is Good for You: It Will Never End Edition — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 11:39:56 +0000

[...] Razib Khan – “Kissing & the Science of Humanity” [...]

By: Sandgroper

Sandgroper — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:37:40 +0000

I knew I’d find it somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI7v36a92LU&feature=related

By: Harold

Harold — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:02:05 +0000

Thanks for the anecdote Scott.

By: Sandgroper

Sandgroper — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 03:37:29 +0000

#6 – If I were to speculate (which of course I never do) I would speculate that it is a general purpose thing which is used in different ways for different purposes (e.g. I never see parents kiss their children on the mouth, or extremely rarely). As in #9, the fact that small children do it in an asexual way also makes me think this.

The fact that bonobos do it also makes me speculate it is something that long predated AMHs.

#8 – Travel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia and watch adults with babies and small children, never mind the young lovers who are attached to each other like suction cups everywhere you look.

By: scott

scott — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:18:35 +0000

@Harold: When my sister (East Asian) was recovering from a traumatic brain injury, she would kiss everything from people to mittens, stuffed animals to pillows. The nurses and doctors said that it was a normal reflexive response especially at that point in her recovery where she was basically infantile. My family may not be the best example since we were raised in the US. But considering it was one of the first almost purposeful things my sister did, it seems to me that kissing is a pretty hard-wired action.

By: Harold

Harold — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:55:47 +0000

“Rather, the balance of evidence seems to suggest that kissing is a phenomenon which we humans are mildly disposed toward.”

Razib, I’d be interested to hear what evidence there is to suggest that people who are neither Indo-European nor Semitic are disposed towards kissing. Likewise what evidence there is that Indo-Europeans are only mildly so disposed.

By: EcoPhysioMichelle

EcoPhysioMichelle — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:54:27 +0000

Or it could just be ingrained as a cultural expression of affection and modified for non-sexual affection. But now I’m speculating on a speculation.

By: pconroy

pconroy — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:35:11 +0000

Sandgroper,

I would assume that the impulse to kiss babies, who have an immature immune system, is due to the evo bio need to pass on acquired immunities to them

By: Sandgroper

Sandgroper — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:54:49 +0000

#1 – Doesn’t explain why parents want to kiss their babies.

My favourite place to kiss my daughter before she grew much hair was on the temple. I presume there was a reason.

By: Quick Links | A Blog Around The Clock

Quick Links | A Blog Around The Clock — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:17:40 +0000

[...] Kissing & the science of humanity [...]

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:18:21 +0000

“…my hypochondria and its associated germophobia.”

How are you dealing with the resulting allergy and autoimmunity?

By: Not One Dad Waving Hello | Whimsy Speaks

Not One Dad Waving Hello | Whimsy Speaks — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:29:25 +0000

[...] ~~~ Cameron’s dad’s house is for sale (Ferrari not included). ~~~ The Science of Kissing: “History, ethnography, ethology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, physiology, and [...]

By: EcoPhysioMichelle

EcoPhysioMichelle — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:36:56 +0000

I’ve always been under the assumption that kissing evolved as a socially acceptable way to access chemosensory information about potential partners, but I never really looked up any evidence to support or deny my assumption.

Even without kissing, foreplay offers lots of options for passing chemosensory information. You’re sticking your head in a lot of places you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, right?

Also I’m sorry to hear about your germaphobia/hypochrondria, but it is nice to know I’m not the only weirdo.