Study on body odor and how policymakers should promote appreciation of science among youth

A whole industry has been built on masking body odor because of the shame it brings and its effect on one’s appeal. So it came as a bit of a shock (and a pleasant surprise) that a recent study has shown that body odor may actually promote positive vibes between two individuals.

Researcher Inbal Ravreby and coworkers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel hypothesized that we subconsciously smell other people to gauge our body odor similarity. In addition, they surmised that we are more apt to form friendships with people whose odor is closer to ours. Their findings were reported in a paper published in Science Advances (2022).

Using an “electronic nose or eNose” and independent “human smellers,” they found that nonromantic same-sex friends tend to smell more similarly than random strangers. Furthermore, they found that strangers who met for the first time interacted more in a nonverbal way if their body odor was similar. Using their eNose, the researchers claimed that they can predict two people’s propensity for social bonding, and concluded that there is actually “chemistry in social chemistry.”

Of course, there are other factors that decide whether a person can be your friend. And yes, the study cannot tell whether you should use a deodorant or not (if this is even a question, you probably should). However, the above research demonstrates how science can help enrich our understanding of life and our environment. From the mundane to the profound, even in cases of imminent danger (e.g., global warming), science empowers us to make sense of the world we live in.

The Philippines is famous for many things, but sadly not so much for its scientists. In 2018, there were 174 researchers per million people in the country, according to the World Bank. According to the Department of Science and Technology, the number that year was 708. Still, we pale in comparison with our Asean neighbors: Malaysia with 2,185 (2018), Thailand with 1,790 (2019), and Singapore with 7,287 (2019). In a world dominated by advances in science and technology, national development hinges on the presence of scientifically qualified people.

With so few scientists in our midst, it is no wonder that misunderstandings abound on what science can and cannot do. Some people belittle research because they get frustrated with the length of time it takes to produce results. Others use numbers from a scientific study without understanding the uncertainty surrounding such figures. Perhaps, gullibility to fake news and misinformation could also be traced to a lack of knowledge on how science operates.

Our policymakers should promote a heightened appreciation of science, especially among the youth. Whether one is interested in body odor or greenhouse gasses, it is surprising what good science can tell us.

RODEL D. LASCO
Executive Director
OML Center