In the episode, Miranda only ends up spraying and using the 1% in the end (Superman diluted her 100% solution so that it didn't affect her more than the 1% would). They claim that the 100% would be permanent, but I don't know if I actually believe that necessarily. Do they mean that it would affect them for over 100 years (which would be pretty much "permanent" for everyone sprayed) or do they mean that it would cause major genetic changes to the population?

Also, how long would a different percentage have lasted? Is it a straight line graph or curve? Would it have affected people differently than the 1% did? etc.

My understanding was that it would be permanent for the lifetime of the individual sprayed. I had thought that Luthor had been sprayed with the 100% solution, and that that was the reason he was ever after enamoured of Lois.

Joy,
Lynn

I assumed that the 100% would completely damage/rewire the brain so that the person affected would never get their restraint/inhibitions back, for the duration of their life.

Interesting theory about Lex, Lynn!

Lynn's theory is a very good one. After all, Lex had any number of interesting women interested in him, Miranda being just one of them.

Thanks, Morgana.

I finally have a few minute free to do a bit of research. This was the scene that made me think that Lex was influenced by the pheromones:

Granted, Lex himself discounts my/Nigel's theory, but in this instance, Lex is even less of a reliable witness than usual. After all, Lois et al. did not seem to realize that they were under the pheromone's influence, either, while it was affecting them.

The timing of his falling in love with Lois just strikes me as a little too coincidental if the pheromones weren't involved.

Joy,
Lynn

I have always been annoyed at the idea that how diluted the solution is determines how long it lasts. The net amount that a person is exposed to should determine the effects.

If I'm exposed to 1 gram of 1% pheromone, that's 10mg of pheromone in my system. If I'm exposed to 1mg of 100% pheromone, that's 1mg of pheromone in my system. An undiluted spray has a better likelihood of delivering more pheromone given the same delivery, but the delivery system in the show was not very controlled. Getting sprayed straight in the face with a diluted solution should have greater effect than being doused with a 100% solution from several hundred feet up, where it has time to mix with all that air and have some of it blow away.

I don't think that a higher exposure to the point of becoming permanent would cause actual genetic changes, which would then be passed on to the next generation. I imagine that it would cause a permanent change to the brain chemistry such that the victim would never recover from the effects. The implication in the episode seemed to be that the greater the percentage of solution, the longer the effects would last. Realistically, though, I would think that the effects wouldn't last very much longer but rather would be more potent. Think about when you take one tablet of tylenol, and it lasts for 6 hours or so, but if you're in lots of pain, you take two tablets, which give you more pain relief but still only last about 6 hours.

Actually the amount of the medicine in said tablet (ex. 100 mg vs 200 vs. 400 etc.) determines both strength and duration, and my theory is that the pheromone works in a similar fashion (in that sense).

I guess what I'm trying to say (and probably failing) is that 1% might be the closest she gets to an "optimal" dosage while 2% given of the same dosage would last longer in the system, because there would be more of the effective ingredient in the system.

I thought I might post this up here as it kind of explains what I'm trying to say: Formula for calculating dosage