Yo Science: Let’s Talk About Kissing Science

Kissing Science. What is it? It isn’t the act of physically kissing science, because that would be impossible. Science is a concept, not a thing, and concepts are harder to kiss than things, usually.

No, it’s the science of kissing, or the science behind kissing, because everything has to have science behind it these days. One of the lovely HelloGiggles editors found an Kisstixx’s infographic about the science of kissing, and suggested I write a little something about it. I haven’t looked at it yet, so I’m gonna do something gimmicky: I’m going to try and guess a little bit about the science of kissing, like as in why people do it from an evolutionary angle, before I look at it and see if I was right. That’s science, right? You make bogus educated guesses then look at an infographic? Close enough.

Firstly, I think maybe kissing developed, either evolutionarily or socially, as a way to intentionally share viruses and germs to create immunities? I’m not sure if that makes sense, because humans only really understood germs recently, and kissing has probably been around forever, but whatever it’s a theory.

But that is a little too clinical. Kissing is awesome, and the awesomeness needs to be taken into account. It is something, like eating eggs, that is gross if you think about it, but incredible in execution. How can something so simple and weird make people so happy, feel so good, and be so important in people’s lives? Breaking it down to a clinical description is kind of weird and really reminds you that humans are just animals, disgusting, disgusting animals. There are a lot of nerves in lips. Everyone’s lips feel differently. Everyone tastes different. You have to get incredibly close to do it. There’s your intimacy, right there.

Another question on kissing: is it instinct? I’m pretty sure if you never taught someone about sex, they’d figure it out, or else humanity would have died out pretty quickly back in the day, but if two people never saw anyone else kissing and they were in a situation where kissing was appropriate, would they do it? I feel like most people’s understandings of kissing come from seeing adults kiss, on TV and in real life, as a child. I cannot speak for the times before mass media proliferation.

Now, let’s actually take a look at this thing and see the real science of kissing, rather than just whatever I’m deciding is the science of kissing, then you guys can talk about it in the comments!

>> Click for Kisstixx’s infographic

Image via ShutterStock.