The Science of Dating

Covid-19 has created probably the most severe disruption in history and it has affected everything we know, massively changing our lives. It is that topic that everyone is talking about for more than a year already, generating collective concerns and responsibility. Uncertainty is the new normal nowadays and we are all trying to cope with it. Surprisingly or not, dating has also changed during the pandemic. The economic fallout, lockdowns and restrictions have affected not only our perceptions, but also our expectations and the way perceive people.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the happiest season of all, Andy Williams sings so. But for people currently dating someone, buying a Christmas present may seem not only like a huge responsibility, but also like an incredibly tough choice. Once the pressure on holiday traditions hits, everyone’s anxiety goes higher with the list of gifts to be bought. Some people spend a lot of time searching and researching for the perfect gift, in the hope that it will bring that sparkle and joy to our beloved ones.

Dating has drastically changed over the last decades. Technology nowadays provides more convenient ways to find love, available across multiple devices and at any time of the day. Online dating provides users an ideal place to meet similar people and an algorithm that brings you closer to your “The one”, if one could put his faith in an app. We are now turning to our devices for a variety of activities, from work, shop, and play, to managing our personal lives and relationships.

Some people find the odds of 1 in 562 being unrealistically low. Others found themselves luckier than that and already have beaten the odds. What if you’re looking for someone who’s ‘out of your league’? If so, you may have already found yourself out of hope when looking for ‘the one’. You may not be the only one having this problem, since it seems like a lot of people are dating aspirationally.

Dating has drastically changed over the last decades. The modern world now provides new ways to find love, such as online matchmaking and speed dating. Although it’s tough to put a number to love, have you ever wondered what are the odds of finding love? Working with data scientists from eHarmony, an online dating website, experts from University of Bath calculated that singletons have a 1 in 562 chance of finding love on any given day, considering they leave it entirely to fate.

Hello there! A warm welcome to everyone who’s passionate about science or simply curious about… dating! I am thrilled to have you around and I’ll do my best on keeping you reading further. Warning! There’s more to come! If you’re intrigued about who’s behind the scenes, let me introduce myself. I’m Simona Gradinaru, currently a PhD Candidate in Social Sciences at ASE and a full-time Data Scientist at YouGov, living in Bucharest, Romania.