What Is Love? Baby, Don't Hurt Me... No More

Leave it to the scientists to take some of the romance out of love by looking for scientific explanations but there’s little agreement of what exactly those are so… love is still a mystery.  However, Science does provide some helpful clues for those who might be single this Valentine’s Day evening. 

Love Isn’t Just for Humans

We can’t be sure whether animals feel “romantic love” but studies suggest that animals do feel real love for other animals and, in the case of pets, for their owners. So, no, Fido does not see you as a just a meal ticket, but he actually has feelings for you. 

What this fact suggests is that love probably is derived from something chemical or biological. 

Pheromones

One of the more scientifically popular and tested theories: love manifests itself through pheromones, scents mammals emit that transmit genetic data to potential mates. Smelling those scents can trigger an innate behavioral response in another member of the same species. 

However, exactly what genetic information these scents provide and what information necessarily makes one attractive to another, is not fully understood. One prevailing theory is that women subconsciously use that genetic information to find mates who have complementary immune systems. Children of parents who have dissimilar immune systems develop stronger immunity themselves, the theory goes, and that increases their chances of survival. 

Studies, however, show that such attraction might not be reciprocal and men are less interested in what immune system a woman has.

Alone? Blame Math

Regardless of what makes one fall in love, the reality is many people find themselves alone on Valentine’s Day. Some by choice, but others simply have a difficult time finding that special someone they want to spend their lives with.

Statistically, that’s understandable. In a research paper titled "Why I don’t have a girlfriend: An application of the Drake Equation to love in the UK," mathematician Peter Backus calculated that in all of the United Kingdom, there were only 26 women he would be compatible with. Only that number were age-appropriate, had a university education, he found attractive, and would find him attractive.

So if you are alone on Valentine's Day or any other day in the future, you can blame science or math or the simple lack of available matches. It's definitely not because you're staying in playing Halo today.