Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Nautilus

    Why Smelling the Opposite Sex Can Age You

    by Michael Segal Dec 10, 2017 5 minutes

    It’s possible that sensing the presence of a female may effectively activate processes involved in reproduction, which might facilitate a male’s reproductive success if those females were around, but could increase aging as a consequence.Classic Film / Flickr

    There’s the usual advice. If you want to live longer, exercise. Eat green vegetables. Avoid stress.

    Oh—and be careful about smelling the opposite sex.

    Scientists have known for some time that exposing flies and mice to pheromones of the opposite sex can change the pace at which the animals age. The question is, why does this happen?

    Evolutionary biology provides one framework for understanding the effect, by positing a tradeoff between investing in reproduction on the one hand, and in repair and maintenance on the other. The framework also suggests an explanation for gender differences in aging:

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from Nautilus

    Nautilus3 min read
    Making Light of Gravity
    1 Gravity is fun! The word gravity, derived by Newton from the Latin gravitas, conveys both weight and deadly seriousness. But gravity can be the opposite of that. As I researched my book during the sleep-deprived days of the pandemic, flashbacks to
    Nautilus8 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
    Consciousness, Creativity, and Godlike AI
    These days, we’re inundated with speculation about the future of artificial intelligence—and specifically how AI might take away our jobs, or steal the creative work of writers and artists, or even destroy the human species. The American writer Megha
    Nautilus3 min read
    Sardines Are Feeling the Squeeze
    Sardines are never solitary. Even in death they are squeezed into a can, three or five to a tin, their flattened forms perfectly parallel. This slick congruity makes sense. In life, sardines are evolved for synchronicity: To avoid and confuse predato

    Related Books & Audiobooks