The best quotation (about a theoretical misuse in crowds) in this BBC article on a study of a "Trust potion" based on Oxytocin: "Those with such fears should note that current marketing techniques -- for political and other products -- may well exert their effects through the natural release of molecules such as oxytocin in response to well-crafted stimuli. Civic alarm at such abuses should have started long before this study."

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rach [ 06/20/2005 15:05]: Perhaps scary, but it does seem to affect really intimate social bonds more than more general, formalized ones (http://www.oxytocin.org/oxytoc/). Also, it is probably fortunate that people usually in attendance at political rallies in which the chemical might be used already tend to be fairly single-minded about their candidate and sufficiently moved by oratory (hopefully) and cheesy music to open their hearts. The marketing side is the most troubling: imagine a planted viral marketer with a product, a pretty face, AND oxytocin (though the pretty face itself goes a long way toward selling).