Opinion: Beer studies and the science of socializing

To the editor: Stop the presses! Swiss researchers have completed a study documenting how alcoholic beverages function as a “social lubricant.”

( “How beer is tied to hookup culture, Science file, Sept 27)

Was formal research really needed to establish that alcohol “facilitates sexual disinhibition” leading to hook-ups? As if we baby boomers hadn’t already made that connection decades ago.

Perhaps the researchers weren’t familiar with the wisdom (and wit) of mid-20th century poet Ogden Nash, who famously observed, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”

Devra Mindell, Santa Monica

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To the editor: How can I get on the research gravy train as illustrated by this study whose “researchers concluded that alcohol’s role as a social lubricant can be traced to its ability to facilitate ‘sexual disinhibition?’ ” Revelation! Clearly these researchers need to leave the lab on occasion and do a little bar-hopping on any given Saturday night.

Joel Anderson, Studio City

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