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I like the smell of your immune system

Posted by Robin on 13 April 2009 14 Comments

If the start-up company Basisnote get their way, we will soon not only be able to match looks and interests in the profile of a potential partner with our own preferences. Now even the individual smell of the other party can be recorded in the profile and then checked to see if it will be pleasant for us. Even before going on the first date.

— From Odor Matching: The Scent Of Internet Dating at Science Daily. 

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: gender, olfaction

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14 Comments

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  1. Joe says:
    13 April 2009 at 12:56 pm

    Geez, it’s hard enough trying to agree with a date on which movie or restaurant to go to. Now this?

    Signed,
    Confirmed Bachelor

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    • Robin says:
      13 April 2009 at 2:32 pm

      LOL…sort of takes all the fun out of it, doesn’t it?

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  2. arvind says:
    13 April 2009 at 2:53 pm

    I read about this before, but can’t find the link .. from what I remember, only women are able to smell these immune system related smells and use this as a criterion to select a suitable partner. Men’s noses are not sensitive enough. Or, in other words, men couldn’t care less about their offspring’s immune system quality.

    However, the most interesting part in that article was that women will never be truely attracted to men with an immune system that is too similar. Their smells just don’t match or don’t keep the woman interested. Women who are in a relationship with such a man will always be on the lookout for a guy with a “good” smell.

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    • Robin says:
      13 April 2009 at 2:59 pm

      I think it is just that women are better at it, not that men can’t do it at all:

      https://nstperfume.com/2009/04/07/women-may-be-better-at-sniffing/

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  3. guerlaingirl says:
    13 April 2009 at 6:04 pm

    I confess! I have not dated or broken up with more than one man because he didn’t smell “right.” I always try to take a little surreptitious sniff. Sign me up!!!

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    • Robin says:
      13 April 2009 at 8:02 pm

      Confused…you have or you haven’t?

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      • Joe says:
        13 April 2009 at 9:57 pm

        I think she means she *has* “not dated” and *has* broken up with guys based on smell.

        I do agree that some people really smell “better” than others — all things, e.g. hygiene, being equal — and assumed part of it must have to do with who’s doing the sniffing.

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        • Robin says:
          14 April 2009 at 7:34 am

          Ah, right. I was reading wrong.

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  4. owengreen says:
    15 April 2009 at 2:47 am

    Yeah, really interesting platform for a dating site, but do you remember this from a few months ago?

    http://www.livescience.com/culture/080812-contraceptive-smell.html

    Gist- It all depends on whether or not the woman is on birth control. I’m guessing they didn’t factor this in.

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    • Robin says:
      15 April 2009 at 9:57 am

      See below, looks like they’ve got an answer for you…

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  5. Michael says:
    15 April 2009 at 9:40 am

    It’s all about the question, which partner would be the right one for a woman… the one with the complementary immune system for good chance for healthy offspring, or the one with a high potential for cooperation because of a genetic similarity like a near relative. The only right answer doesn’t exist – obviously there are two contrary needs to be solved.
    Anyway, our matching algorithm shows the degree of biological compatibility. Means, it focus on complementary immune systems, regardless if a women is on birth control or not.

    Michael
    CMO, basisnote Ltd.

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    • Robin says:
      15 April 2009 at 9:57 am

      Thanks for the clarification.

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    • owengreen says:
      15 April 2009 at 1:25 pm

      I appreciate that this site is starting to be noticed more and more by business owners, IFRA overseers and the like. Kudos to Robin and the rest of you for making this a forum where we can discuss these kinds of issues.

      Michael- I understand that your algorithm focuses on genetic compatibility. But according to the study, when a woman is on birth control, her preferences for a mate’s odor will change.

      Meaning- In a non-birth control supplemented woman, she may have a preference for a complimentary immune system. If you were to give that same individual birth control, her preferences, according to the study, would change.

      Point- birth control drastically alters a woman’s odor preference for individuals who are genetically compatible. Isn’t preference part of that question “which partner would be the right one for a woman”?

      Does your algorithm include a factor for this?

      Seeing as how there are is a very large number of women on the pill
      it seems that it would increase the accuracy of the algorithm if it did.

      Maybe a little “hormonal birth control- Y/N” check box next to hobbies?

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      • Michael says:
        16 April 2009 at 6:30 am

        Indeed, it’s a dilemma. We decided for the complementary immune system match because of the several studies that show that this constellation has an overall positive effect on the quality of a romantic relationship (stability, quality of love life, increased chances of conception).
        Owengreen – Thank you for your idea of a check box concerning hormonal birth control. An additional check box like “Do you plan to stay on hormonal birth control in your relationship – Y/N” could help to solve the dilemma. I will discuss this issue with our scientist and developer of the test.

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