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I am a very sweaty person, and I always get destroyed by mosquitos more than those around me. It's funny how sometimes meaningful research merely confirms thing

I am a very sweaty person, and I always get destroyed by mosquitos more than those around me. It's funny how sometimes meaningful research merely confirms things people already believe to be "obvious".

trophycase 8y ago
It's unfortunate that the epistemology of science is such that we can't just take certain things for granted like this, but I understand why it is the way it is. I find psychology research to be particularly guilty of this, so much that in my head I often refer to it as the science of pointing out the obvious.
- codetrotter 8y ago
  The thing is that while a lot of things that seem obvious will be confirmed, a lot of seemingly obvious things will turn out to not be true. So we need to apply scientific methods in order to determine which “truths” really are true and which are not. (In cases where the truth is testable — not everything is.) Beyond that, the fact that they have identified what receptors the mosquitoes use for sensing sweat means, like the article says, that new ways to foil the mosquitoes from sensing humans might be possible to devise in the future.
- hrktb 8y ago
  For psychology, sadly it’s more that researchers are lurred towards seemingly obvious or seducing results. The reproductibility project was really a god send in this respect: https://osf.io/ezcuj/ https://osf.io/ezcuj/
jcims 8y ago
What’s your blood type? I have a double trouble situation with being super sweaty and being o negative (which seems to also be an attractant).
- Abishek_Muthian 8y ago
  I'm facing the same problem & I've heard people talking about certain blood group being more attractive to the mosquitoes;but has this been proven? The article doesn't mention blood group & specifically mentions that the merit of the research in finding the path i.e. CO2, Odour. I dont' understand how blood can form path, unless it applies to only second bite i.e. Mosquitoes prefereing individuls with certain blood group after tasting it once.
  - A2017U1 8y ago
    > I've heard people talking about certain blood group It's O-type blood that's far more attractive to mosquitos.
    - dmonagha 8y ago
      I lived in Florida my whole life and have spent a lot of time in tropical places around the world. I do not generally attract mosquitoes, much less than people around me. I have O-type blood. In the South, we have a saying when you attract them: "You must have that sweet blood"
theironlily 8y ago
I am the same way but I started taking vitamin b1 and that seemed to help me a ton in reducing the number of bites.
tluyben2 8y ago
I am a very sweaty person and mosquitos do not touch me. When other people suffer, I usually did not even notice there are any mosquitos around at all. So not that obvious for me.
- jcims 8y ago
  Can you share your blood type? I’m o neg, of the sweaty persuasion, and get destroyed by the buggers. My father in law is AB, is probably normal on the sweat spectrum, smokes and mosquitoes don’t bug him.
  - scruple 8y ago
    I'm a sweaty dude and I'm also O-. I very rarely ever notice mosquitoes around and maybe contend with 2-3 bites a year. My wife is an A type, who doesn't sweat profusely, but she is harassed by mosquitoes every year. She gets it really bad, to the point where we're both actively trying to defend her against them with sprays and portable fans when we're out hiking or backpacking, etc...
beagle3 8y ago
I used to be a very sweaty person, but always had less moquito bites than those around me (though I did have quite a bit if I was alone). So it's far from trivial. (And preepting the question: I stopped being ultra sweaty after a 20 day water-only fast, never to be sweaty again)
- tluyben2 8y ago
  > I stopped being ultra sweaty after a 20 day water-only fast, never to be sweaty again Was that the goal of the fast? And if yes, where did you learn that this works?
  - beagle3 8y ago
    No goal. I lost my appetite, and I don’t eat unless I have appetite. Took about 20 days for it to come back. Actually felt hunger at that point, which is a distinct feeling from appetite - one rarely felt in the 1st world)
- gcatalfamo 8y ago
  You only had water for 20 days? How do you do that?
  - azernik 8y ago
    People can go without food for a lot longer than they can go without water. 20 days is near the upper end, and not something you should do often, but very much within the normal human limit. EDIT: s/food/water/
  - cf498 8y ago
    Its quite common with prisoners on hunger strikes. Apparently the feeling of hunger stops after a few days. Have to mention that you should be rather careful with that, the long hunger strikes where people died after month were with a forced feeding tube. With 20 days of total starvation you are already up there.
    - 8y ago
anonytrary 8y ago
While outcomes may be obvious, mechanisms are seldom obvious. Understanding mechanisms often helps us discover new outcomes that weren't so obvious before.
galfarragem 8y ago
I don't buy it. I'm not sweaty at all and mosquitos always 'liked' me more than those around me.
- dao- 8y ago
  Everybody sweats, you too. I don't think you need to be very sweaty to attract mosquitos, but everybody's sweat is different so that likely plays a role.

trophycase 8y ago

It's unfortunate that the epistemology of science is such that we can't just take certain things for granted like this, but I understand why it is the way it is. I find psychology research to be particularly guilty of this, so much that in my head I often refer to it as the science of pointing out the obvious.

codetrotter 8y ago
The thing is that while a lot of things that seem obvious will be confirmed, a lot of seemingly obvious things will turn out to not be true. So we need to apply scientific methods in order to determine which “truths” really are true and which are not. (In cases where the truth is testable — not everything is.) Beyond that, the fact that they have identified what receptors the mosquitoes use for sensing sweat means, like the article says, that new ways to foil the mosquitoes from sensing humans might be possible to devise in the future.
hrktb 8y ago
For psychology, sadly it’s more that researchers are lurred towards seemingly obvious or seducing results. The reproductibility project was really a god send in this respect: https://osf.io/ezcuj/ https://osf.io/ezcuj/

jcims 8y ago

What’s your blood type? I have a double trouble situation with being super sweaty and being o negative (which seems to also be an attractant).

Abishek_Muthian 8y ago
I'm facing the same problem & I've heard people talking about certain blood group being more attractive to the mosquitoes;but has this been proven? The article doesn't mention blood group & specifically mentions that the merit of the research in finding the path i.e. CO2, Odour. I dont' understand how blood can form path, unless it applies to only second bite i.e. Mosquitoes prefereing individuls with certain blood group after tasting it once.
- A2017U1 8y ago
  > I've heard people talking about certain blood group It's O-type blood that's far more attractive to mosquitos.
  - dmonagha 8y ago
    I lived in Florida my whole life and have spent a lot of time in tropical places around the world. I do not generally attract mosquitoes, much less than people around me. I have O-type blood. In the South, we have a saying when you attract them: "You must have that sweet blood"

theironlily 8y ago

I am the same way but I started taking vitamin b1 and that seemed to help me a ton in reducing the number of bites.

tluyben2 8y ago

I am a very sweaty person and mosquitos do not touch me. When other people suffer, I usually did not even notice there are any mosquitos around at all. So not that obvious for me.

jcims 8y ago
Can you share your blood type? I’m o neg, of the sweaty persuasion, and get destroyed by the buggers. My father in law is AB, is probably normal on the sweat spectrum, smokes and mosquitoes don’t bug him.
- scruple 8y ago
  I'm a sweaty dude and I'm also O-. I very rarely ever notice mosquitoes around and maybe contend with 2-3 bites a year. My wife is an A type, who doesn't sweat profusely, but she is harassed by mosquitoes every year. She gets it really bad, to the point where we're both actively trying to defend her against them with sprays and portable fans when we're out hiking or backpacking, etc...

beagle3 8y ago

I used to be a very sweaty person, but always had less moquito bites than those around me (though I did have quite a bit if I was alone). So it's far from trivial. (And preepting the question: I stopped being ultra sweaty after a 20 day water-only fast, never to be sweaty again)

tluyben2 8y ago
> I stopped being ultra sweaty after a 20 day water-only fast, never to be sweaty again Was that the goal of the fast? And if yes, where did you learn that this works?
- beagle3 8y ago
  No goal. I lost my appetite, and I don’t eat unless I have appetite. Took about 20 days for it to come back. Actually felt hunger at that point, which is a distinct feeling from appetite - one rarely felt in the 1st world)
gcatalfamo 8y ago
You only had water for 20 days? How do you do that?
- azernik 8y ago
  People can go without food for a lot longer than they can go without water. 20 days is near the upper end, and not something you should do often, but very much within the normal human limit. EDIT: s/food/water/
- cf498 8y ago
  Its quite common with prisoners on hunger strikes. Apparently the feeling of hunger stops after a few days. Have to mention that you should be rather careful with that, the long hunger strikes where people died after month were with a forced feeding tube. With 20 days of total starvation you are already up there.
  - 8y ago

anonytrary 8y ago

While outcomes may be obvious, mechanisms are seldom obvious. Understanding mechanisms often helps us discover new outcomes that weren't so obvious before.

galfarragem 8y ago

I don't buy it. I'm not sweaty at all and mosquitos always 'liked' me more than those around me.

dao- 8y ago
Everybody sweats, you too. I don't think you need to be very sweaty to attract mosquitos, but everybody's sweat is different so that likely plays a role.