Reply #22: More than usual potential for bad in THIS research, I fear

[Nothing Without Hope]

I'm a cell biologist/biochemist, so I can't help but think through the natural "future steps" in this work:

For example: If the results are true, and this isolated pheromone can have such a strong effect on human behavior, then more will be sought and THEIR effects on behavior will be studied. The arsenal of pheromone tools for modifying behavior without consent or knowlege will grow.

For example: Using the techniques of modern high-throughput molecular biology and drug discovery, the molecular receptors for the behavior-modifying pheromones will be identified, cloned, and every aspect of their functions studied. New pheromone analogues with different or more powerful effects, or inhibitors with the ability to block the pheromone effects (for example to "turn off" desire) will be synthesized.

It all comes down to how much human beings really can be controlled by their pheromones. That's why I am hoping that the result of the described "sweaty armpits" story are wrong: if people really are that susceptible to invisible chemicals that can be added to their environment, the potential for abuse is huge, especially in our current sick society and with our power-mad fascist government.

Can you imagine a world where pleasure/desire/recklessness pheromones are added to the "new car smell" of the most expensive models at a car dealership? Or pheromones are released into the air while a political candidate makes a speech? Or homosexual people are "treated" with pheromones intended to change their sexual orientation? There are so many opportunities for abuse -- IF human pheromones can truly be so effective at manipulating emotions and behavior.

So I'm hoping the replication of this experiment is a total bust and it goes down as another flash-in-the-pan disproved by subsequent work.