Romantics chalk the perfect first date up to serendipity, or fate, or the machinations of a fat winged child with an arsenal of arrows. As for realists, they prefer to rely on science to explain the inexplicable.

If it sounds like a tall order - maybe too tall - you’re right. Research may never fully decode a phenomenon as complex as love, but that won’t stop scientists from trying. Countless studies and surveys have been devoted to unmasking the mysteries of love and attraction. Some are more credible than others, and all should be taken with an appropriate amount of salt, but their conclusions are intriguing food for thought.

The following studies have attempted to illuminate the art of the ideal first date.

Badoo Selfie Feature

Popular online dating service Badoo has announced the release of its latest feature “Selfie Request,” which aims to provide more security for female daters using the service.

The new selfie feature allows women to request a photo from a male user after they have received an initial message, so that they can confirm their potential match is genuine and using a real photo. From there, a male user can either send the requested selfie or decline. (The selfie is taken on the spot to confirm the match is genuine.)

Selfie Request is positioned to help the ongoing problem of catfishing in online dating, where users hide their identity behind fake profiles and photos in order to exploit other users. According to Pew Research Center, 54 percent of online daters have felt that someone misrepresented themselves on their profile. This new feature update from Badoo is intended to help avoid this recurring problem by addressing the online safety of females, who are largely the targets of catfishing as well as the main recipients of unwanted and harassing messages.

Gay men and women are now allowed to search and meet through dating site Christian Mingle, one of the largest niche dating sites in the industry. The site opened its platform to gay users after settling a lawsuit that claimed that it violated California’s non-discrimination law on the basis of sexual orientation.

According to the conditions of the settlement, Spark Networks who own Christian Mingle among other dating sites, will change their homepages to allow users to specify if they are a man or a woman, and also if they are looking for men or women. While Spark also agreed to create a more comprehensive and tailored matching service for users seeking same sex relationships within the next two years, the dating site Christian Mingle as it exists for gay singles can be frustrating.

Has anything been more inevitable than this? Following the explosive success of Pokémon GO, an intrepid entrepreneur has taken the next logical step: launching a Pokémon GO dating service.

Your partner in love and pocket monster fandom may be waiting on PokéDates, a brand new site that hopes to capitalize on the popularity of the world’s current mobile obsession. “Gotta catch 'em all, together” is the slogan and the mission is simple: match singles based on their questionnaire preferences and a mutual desire to play Pokémon GO. The folks from Project Fixup, a popular offline dating startup that launched in Chicago in 2012, are the brains behind it all.

Picture two online dating profiles. In one, your prospective date is hunched over with contracted shoulders and crossed arms. In the other, their spine is straight and they’re holding their arms up in a “V” shape.

Assuming you’re basing your choice only on the picture (because, well, like it or not, that’s often how it works), which date are you more likely to pick? Science can predict not only your answer, but why you're inclined to choose it.

Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist, author, and professor at Harvard Business School, explored the subject of body language in online dating in a 2016 talk in New York City. She says she was drawn to her husband, who she saw for the first time on Facebook, because he was in what she has deemed a “power pose” - an expansive posture that can make you feel more powerful and confident.

It's the end of an era. Los Angeles-based dating site eHarmony has announced that Neil Clark Warren - co-founder and star of the company's television ads – will retire as chief executive officer. He will remain as chairman, and longtime Vice President Grant Langston will take over as CEO.

Langston joined eHarmony in 2000 in preparation for the launch of the original site. Prior to that, he spent ten years in advertising and music marketing. In his role with eHarmony, Langston focused on the company's marketing efforts, customer care, content creation, social media, and product launches.

eHarmony board Director Jamie McJunkin said Langston “is a natural choice to succeed Dr. Warren as CEO as he has been at his side since the inception of the company. His level of experience in the field of online dating is unparalleled and we are pleased to elevate him to this position.”