Why That New Year's Eve Kiss Might Be Lousy

The brain might know what the heart doesn't
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 26, 2010 1:07 PM CST
Why That New Year's Eve Kiss Might Be Lousy
A kiss isn't just a kiss in the eyes of scientists.   (Shutterstock)

Ah, the romance of the New Year's Eve kiss—the flushed cheeks, the quickened pulse ... the stream of bio-data rushing to the somatosensory cortex? A research scientist deconstructs the kiss in the Washington Post, explaining that there's a lot going on with all five senses during a seemingly simple lip-lock. For example: "A long open-mouthed exchange allows us to sample another person's taste, which can reveal clues about his or her health and fertility," writes Sheril Kirshenbaum .

"Our tongues—covered with little bumps called papillae that feature our 9,000 to 10,000 taste buds—are ideally designed to gather such information." And because kissing requires close proximity, "our noses can detect valuable information about another person's health and perhaps even his or her DNA." All this and much more happens on a "subconscious level," and if a kiss flops, it may be the body's way of warning against a bad match. "If the chemistry is wrong, there's not much you can do," writes Kirshenbaum. "But take heart. Valentine's Day is less than two months away." (More kissing stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X