It's a standard fairly accepted by most rational people that there are places where science and technology cannot or should not go. For example, it does not work very well when trying to prove religious or supernatural ideas. Likewise, there are ethical concerns about subjects such as stem cell research, cloning and genetic engineering.
Science and technology are just two tools in the workshop of human experience.
But what about more benign scientific pursuits into areas that have not tread upon before?
The March issue of The Atlantic arrived just in time for Valentine's Day with a cover article about the "New Science of Love." The engaging article by Lori Gottlieb examines online dating Web sites and the science behind them, which tries to bring the right people together.
Gottlieb focused on Eharmony.com, Chemistry.com and PerfectMatch.com - three of the biggies in the industry. Each utilizes different methods and employs plenty of experts with doctorates from multiple disciplines.
Eharmony.com focuses on matching up similar people utilizing a massive questionnaire. The site was actually created out of a desire to conduct research about the subject of love and relationships. The company's founder, Neil Clark Warren, speaks enthusiastically about the fact that 12,000 new people are taking his company's survey every day.
On the other hand, Chemistry.com has a truly accurate URL. It actually bases its matchmaking on questions that determine the levels of different chemicals in the client's body. One of the questions asks about the characteristics of your hand: Index finger slightly longer than ring finger? Index finger about the same length as ring finger? And so on.
Helen Fisher, a doctor of bioanthropology, notes that this ratio between two fingers is indicative of increased levels of testosterone in the body which, of course, affects personality.
Although it utilizes less complex matching techniques, PerfectMatch.com allows something its competitors do not: "Perfectmatch is the only scientific site out there that's completely transparent and user-operated," Pepper Schwartz, an author and sociology professor, said. Members can browse and search on their own. They are not limited to the matches that are shot out of a computer. "I don't care if what you think is theoretically sound; if it doesn't work for you, you can search [on PerfectMatch.com] using your own criteria."
So, does the scientific approach work? We'll find out in a few decades, maybe a generation or two. In the meantime, though, we can only speculate and wonder. I mean, it's a little creepy isn't it?
"So, Fred, how did you and Ursula meet?"
"Oh, the Internet matched us up as compatible."
There seems to be something profoundly troubling that we grant the computer so much power. But that concern probably won't last very long - just jump a decade into the future, and this kind of scientific matching will likely be much more commonplace.
Isn't that the way we're evolving as a society? It's infinitely easier to communicate using our technology than actually interacting in person. It takes guts to walk up to that attractive potential mate at a party or in a bar. But what if instead you sat at your computer, read his Facebook profile, read a few entries in his Xanga and then instant messaged him?
Regardless of the technological advances in our quest to find The One True Love, there are still the old standbys outside the bounds of science: luck, fate and divine providence - three things that are actually one. But hey, maybe that mystical trinity can adapt to working through the Internet.
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