Today’s NY Times book review looks at “Jacobson’s Organ; And the Remarkable Nature of Smell” by Lyall Watson. The review (Ann Finkbeiner) debunks the book’s premise that humans have (vomeronasal) organs in their nostrils that transmit information to the parts of the brain that coordinate the sex drive.
In other words the author says that we are affected by pheromones the same way other animals are. The reviewer says that our organs are vestigal like the appendix and no longer play a role in our biology.
There have been some studies about human pheromones arousing sexual impulse. And I, for one, still believe that the nose knows more than we can discern. I’m for the wonderful world of pheromones.
What say you?
I’m not sure what it is exactly you want to debate.
Is it:
[ul][li]Do people have pheromones?[/li][li]Do people have Jacobsen’s organs?[/li][li]Can people detect pheromones?[/li][li]Do human pheromones arouse sexual impulse?[/li][li]This book is a crock of shit?[/li][li]Ann Finkbeiner is full of shit?[/ul][/li]Awaiting your reply…
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
FWIW, here’s a link to the review in question.
http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/04/09/reviews/000409.09finkbet.html
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
You’re right, I didn’t frame this as a debate. I think I should have posted in another forum. I apologize.
Not being a scientist, it’s hard for me to make a solid case againt Finkbeiner’s review. But I believe that humans respond to pheromones in a way that some scientific research says ain’t possible. No one disputes the existence of Jacobson’s organ, just whether or not it functions in some preternatural way.
I think our sense of smell governs our appetites in all ways and was looking for some other opinions.
Renee
Cecil wrote about pheromones: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_206.html
Finkbeiner’s review struck me as being very glossy, obviously written to entertain in a Sunday book review section, rather than to shed any light on the subject of pheromones and Jacobsen’s organ. Rather flippant in sections, actually. I don’t think it’s worth debating whether her review was on target without having read the book, which I haven’t.
And I didn’t get the impression she was saying, “There’s no such things as pheromones.” I thought she was saying, “This book is fluff with no supportive evidence.”
So, I dunno. Is this a Great Debate yet?
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
Or did you want to debate something like, “Does people’s sense of smell affect their conduct?”
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
[bold]Notthe…[/bold]
I appreciate the time you’ve invested in my not-so-well-thought-out question. And I’m sorry that I can’t manage to frame this properly.
So I take my poor fluish mind and muddle off the board.
Notthemama wrote:
If humans’ vomeronasal organ (VNO) does indeed function the same as the VNO in other animal species known to respond to pheromones, then the sense of “smell” is actually not involved. (The VNO is situated in the nose only because the nose is so good at capturing airborn chemicals. The VNO is not affiliated with the olfactory nerves, and doesn’t even go to the same place in the brain as the olfactory nerves do.)
Well I know that anecdotal evidence isn’t enough to build a case on, but when I’m in a room full of men, and I urinate on my legs and rub my knees together, it does NOT make the men flock around and want to mate with me. Go figure.
–
I have over 2000 posts, dammit! Show some respect.
http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
Well then, OpalCat, you are most assuredly not a mare in heat in a room full of stallions.