The Science of Kissing, by Sheril Kirshenbaum

On a whim, I picked up The Science of Kissing from the new releases shelf at the library.  I thought it would be a fun read, and I wasn't disappointed.  Kirshenbaum, a marine biologist and science journalist (and a research scientist at UT-Austin, but I'll try not to hold that against her), decided to delve into the nature and origins of one of my favorite things to do, kissing.  Turns out there's not a ton of primary research in that particular field, but she tracked it down, and did some original research of her own.

Why do we kiss?  Well, there are a number of possibilities.  The origin of kissing could be tied to the practice of mothers pre-chewing their babies' food and depositing it in the babies' mouths (this pertains to humans as well as animals).  She reveals her background as an evolutionary biologist when she observes that babies' mouths have evolved to be a perfect receptacle for a nipple.  That the system of feeding our young with mother's milk originated by design is completely outside of her worldview.  Kissing could be linked to the practice of smelling one another on greeting (again, humans and non-humans).  There are definitely chemical triggers and responses when we kiss, determining compatibility and guiding relationships.  "Kiss and make up" works for a reason: we trigger chemical reactions in one another.

Many animals kiss or engage in kissing-like behaviors.

Lots of what she writes is speculative.  Controlled experiments to observe chemical responses and neurological activity related to kissing inevitably interfere with the act of kissing.  The closest she came was  exposing subjects to images of kissing and measuring neurological activity.  But that didn't seem to lead to many firm conclusions.

Kirshenbaum's goal with The Science of Kissing seems to have been more about entertainment than serious science.  That's not meant as a criticism: she is skilled at engaging her reader while distilling good research, in ways that a layman can understand and enjoy.  This is a fun read, sure to make you want to put into practice what she writes of.  She does conclude with 10 (definitely scientifically based!) tips for kissing.  I like the final one best, and I will be sure to mention it to my kissing partner:

Kiss regularly and often.  Once you've found someone special, a kiss works to maintain the strong partnership you share by helping to keep passion alive--with plenty of assistance from those hormones and neurotransmitters.  Lots of kissing is a telltale sign of a healthy relationship, because the connection fosters a sense of security through companionship--which in turn has been physiologically linked to happiness.