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Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

science.org

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Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#71

Also found in rotten horse meat and insect cadavers and that's enough scrolling pubmed for me today. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34653803/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34738202/

I don't know if this is the same chemical that is released by decaying humans, but the few times I was exposed to decaying human bodies (forgotten elderly people in apartment complexes), I felt an overwhelming calming feeling. The smell is overwhelming, but I specifically remember the feeling it created.

Would you do it again?

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#73
post #3

I don’t know if this counts as a pheromone, but babies definitely emit _something_. As a recent father, I have had numerous people remark on how wonderful babies smell after smelling my child. I can’t smell anything. People who can smell this particular smell seem very perplexed that I can’t smell it.

Agree.

As an uncle I remember smelling top of baby's soft spot and thinking it was pleasant. Maybe it was the Johnson's product or talcum or some other baby product.

Of course, they can also smell like mother's milk if they puke it up and that shit smells sour.

I've also noticed puppies have a pleasant smell to before they get older and their breath stinks cause the owners don't brush their teeth enough.

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#74
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very interesting effect. If it is the same chemical, I wonder if it's because the scent sends signals to your brain that indicate that you might be in danger and keeping your cool may be somehow beneficial to your survival...

hmm, could this be exploited for test taking

Our olfactory calming solution TestEase helps calm the normal heightened fight or flight reactions that are found in any social interaction, allowing you to remain the sole arbiter of your fate at these critical moments!

Just insert the calming beige colored TestEase nozzle into your dominant nostril (in most people the right nostril, follow the TestEase nostril exercise routine to determine your dominant nostril [TestEase nostril exercise routine available with paid subscription]) and squeeze the the two rounded sacks at the TestEase base containing the TestEase patented olfactory factors for release, leading to an almost immediate sense of calm and wellbeing suitable for excelling at Job interviews, tests, defusing bombs, or any high stress environment such as meeting your mother in law!

TestEase - we put the ease in Test.

Alright you HN'ers keep away from my genius idea!!!

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#76
post #37
post #3

I don’t know if this counts as a pheromone, but babies definitely emit _something_. As a recent father, I have had numerous people remark on how wonderful babies smell after smelling my child. I can’t smell anything. People who can smell this particular smell seem very perplexed that I can’t smell it.

Puppies also have puppy smell. After having a puppy, I’m convinced that smell is urine.

[deleted]

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#77
post #3

I don’t know if this counts as a pheromone, but babies definitely emit _something_. As a recent father, I have had numerous people remark on how wonderful babies smell after smelling my child. I can’t smell anything. People who can smell this particular smell seem very perplexed that I can’t smell it.

I think that's just the smell of that Johnson's baby soap that everyone uses :P

That soap is the worst! It gets rid of the 'new baby' smell. Who would want that?!?

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#78
post #42

Babies are funny, my 7 month old is only making noises while breathing in. I wish more of our language had breathing-in based sounds, it could double our information transfer rate!

Languages are hard enough without that! I wonder if anyone has ever tried to make a "nightmare" language that is as hard to learn as possible. Thinking like.. 13 tones, pops, clicks, whistles, every possible grammatical structure from other languages at once... etc

It's technically optimized for information density rather than pure frustration but it sounds like Ithkuil is what you're looking for: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithkuil?wprov=sfla1

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#79
post #3

I don’t know if this counts as a pheromone, but babies definitely emit _something_. As a recent father, I have had numerous people remark on how wonderful babies smell after smelling my child. I can’t smell anything. People who can smell this particular smell seem very perplexed that I can’t smell it.

Off topic: You can't smell anything from baby's excrement until they start eating meat.

Re: Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

#80
post #3

I don’t know if this counts as a pheromone, but babies definitely emit _something_. As a recent father, I have had numerous people remark on how wonderful babies smell after smelling my child. I can’t smell anything. People who can smell this particular smell seem very perplexed that I can’t smell it.

Do they have kids themselves by any chance? My theory is that it “turns on” once you become a parent, because almost every non-family male I knew at the time of my “research” found baby smell from repulsive to disgusting, while their mothers couldn’t get enough of it.

Similar effect in how they look for different people.

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