The month-long Love Lab event at Dublin's Science Gallery sees boffins probe the chemistry behind romance and rejection.

The city centre venue also planned a blindfolded Valentine's dinner, with all four aphrodisiac courses served in complete darkness.

Curator Dr Aoife McLysaght said research for the exhibition had thrown up some interesting findings.

"When you go on a night out and you see who is attractive maybe the last thing on your mind is having kids, but that's really the basis of the decisions that you're making," she said.

"When people chose a mate they're really doing it for biological reasons.

"Women are looking for a good father and good genes for their children so they'll grow up strong."

Among Love Lab's exhibits are a sniff test to examine the role smell plays in attraction, and a neuroscientific speed-dating event to discover the effect of rejection on the brain.

In darkened corner of the gallery, tucked away behind red curtains lies the Mutsugoto bed, specially designed for long-distance lovers.

Couples thousands of miles apart can use the bed's custom-made computer projection system to draw on each others bodies with a light. "It's not the same as being together but it's a way of connecting long-distance and having a tender moment together," Dr McLysaght said.