Prompt Cast
The Science and Origins of Kissing: Instinctive or Learned Behavior?
TLDR Kissing is a behavior present in 90% of cultures worldwide, suggesting it may be instinctive, but cultural and psychological factors also contribute. It may have evolved from a learned behavior of mothers regurgitating food for their babies, and while it stimulates the brain and releases neurotransmitters, there are also potential risks of transmitting diseases through kissing.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode is about the scientific study of kissing, called philimatology, and explores the theories behind why humans kiss.
03:52
Kissing may have evolved from a learned behavior of mothers regurgitating food for their babies, but the fact that not all cultures engage in this behavior suggests that it may be instinctive instead.
07:45
Kissing is a behavior that is present in about 90% of cultures worldwide, suggesting that it may be instinctive, but there are also cultural and psychological factors that contribute to the experience of a kiss.
11:38
The origins of kissing are unclear, but the earliest accounts come from ancient Vedic texts in India about 3,500 years ago, and it is believed to be a learned behavior that was later spread to Greece by Alexander the Great.
16:27
Kissing traditions, such as sealing a wedding and sealing legal documents, originated in Rome and were taken very seriously, even playing a big role in the Catholic church with the practice of the holy kiss.
20:19
There are certain muscles involved in kissing, such as the orbicularis oris and other muscles that tilt the head to the right, and there are also muscles that control the movement of the lips and tongue during a kiss.
24:49
Kissing stimulates the brain and releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which can create feelings of affection, attachment, and loyalty, and can also resemble addiction. Kissing also increases heart rate and blood flow, and there is a theory that people are attracted to others with different immune systems to produce healthier children.
28:37
Recent studies have found that a significant percentage of men and women report losing attraction to someone after the first kiss, and there are theories that this may be due to similarities in immune proteins or the transfer of testosterone in saliva; however, it is important to note that there are also potential risks of transmitting diseases through kissing, such as mononucleosis, herpes, meningitis, and even HIV.
32:51
The hosts read a listener mail about jealousy and discuss the different degrees of jealousy in a relationship.
Categories:
Society & Culture
