Death of the Nerd? Oxytocin and EMAs Threaten the Pocket Protector

The socially awkward and sexually deprived got lucky twice this week thanks to robots and hormones.

First came word out of Japan that a battery-powered robot girlfriend was hitting the market. Dubbed the Eternal Maiden Actualization, EMA for short, this busty 15-inch-tall companion is demure, friendly and loves to kiss. When put in "love mode," EMA uses infrared sensors to pucker up and smooch nearby suitors. Priced at $175, Sega Toys' plastic lover is primed and wired to provide "sweet and interactive" solace to geeks around the globe.

And for those who prefer old-fashioned flesh-on-flesh action but can't work up the courage to make eye-contact, let alone the first move, researchers are developing an anti-shyness drug. Oxytocin — a natural hormone that helps moms bond with their newborns — may be the cure for inhibited, introverted and otherwise awkward folks, according to scientists.

"Tests have shown that oxytocin reduces anxiety levels in users," Paul Zak, professor of neuroscience at Claremont Graduate University, was quoted saying. "It is a hormone that facilitates social contact between people. What's more, it is a very safe product that does not have any side effects and is not addictive."

And while it may be easy to wonder if scientists had some selfish interest in developing such a drug, their research also suggests that oxytocin may reduce symptoms of autism, too. As if that's not enough, it also reportedly heightens feelings of intimacy after sexual intercourse! Researchers are working on spray version which they hope to market in the near future.

But with inexpensive robot lovers and spray-on confidence, some may fear that society is expediting the extinction of the nerd. Will the Michael Cera-like sweet-and-shy character be headed to the same social scrap heap as Gary Cooper's strong-silent type? Perhaps on the surface. But while oxytocin and EMA may put a spring in the step of the pocket-protector crowd, they will also make it more likely that their genes get passed along. If anything, society will probably end up with more nerds than ever (assuming there is a genetic predisposition for nerdliness) — only now you won't be able to tell.

Photo by Stephanie K. Kuykendal for the Washington Post