Across parts of the internet where young men trade tips on self-improvement, the latest project is scent. Deodorant is out and washing less is in.

These “stinkfluencers” promise that the right aroma will work wonders on attracting a mate.

But while humans can find smells pleasant, or malodorous, or something in between, there’s no evidence we can detect and respond to pheromones, let alone produce one.

Many animals communicate with pheromones, often around sex or marking territory. The problem is what happens when you look for the same sensory hardware in humans.

A pheromone is a chemical messenger made inside the body of one member of a species, such as a cat, that’s secreted or excreted and reliably produces a response in another member of that same species.

It’s like openly broadcasting a chemical signal that is then picked up and acted upon by someone else.

Pheromones were first identified in silk moths back in 1959. That chemical, bombykol, is a sex-attractant released by female silkmoth to draw in mates.

A male silkmoth exposed to this pheromone will beat his wings and walk upwind toward the source. He doesn’t have a choice in the matter and his response is inbuilt, not learnt.

Other animals, such as mice, pigs and cats, release and can sense pheromones. The purpose is usually to attract a mate or mark........

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