Gay bomb The " halitosis bomb " and " gay bomb " are informal names for two theoretical non - lethal chemical weapon s that a United States Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing ; the theories involve discharging female sex pheromones over enemy forces in order to make them sexually attracted to each other . In 1994 the Wright Laboratory in Ohio , a predecessor to today ' s United States Air Force Research Laboratory , produced a three - page proposal on a variety of possible nonlethal chemical weapons , which was later obtained by the Sunshine Project through a Freedom of Information Act request . Background . Some body spray advertisers claim that their products contain human sexual pheromones which act as an aphrodisiac . In the 1970s , " copulins " were patented as products which release human pheromones , based on research on rhesus monkey s . Subsequently , androstenone , axillary sweat , and " vomodors " have been claimed to act as human pheromones . Despite these claims , no pheromonal substance has ever been demonstrated to directly influence human behavior in a peer review ed study . Few well - controlled scientific studies have ever been published suggesting the possibility of pheromones in humans . Using a brain imaging technique , Swedish researchers have shown that homosexual and heterosexual males ' brains respond differently to two odors that may be involved in sexual arousal , and that the homosexual men respond in the same way as heterosexual women , though it could not be determined whether this was cause or effect . The study was expanded to include homosexual women ; the results were consistent with previous findings meaning that homosexual women were not as responsive to male identified odors , while their response to female cues was similar to that of heterosexual males . According to the researchers , this research suggests a possible role for human pheromones in the biological basis of sexual orientation . In 2008 , it was found using functional magnetic resonance imaging that the right orbitofrontal cortex , right fusiform cortex , and right hypothalamus respond to airborne natural human sexual sweat . Leaked documents . In both of the documents , the possibility was canvassed that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops , ideally one which would also cause " homosexual behavior " . The documents described the aphrodisiac weapon as " distasteful but completely non - lethal " . The " New Discoveries Needed " section of one of the documents implicitly acknowledges that no such chemicals are actually known . The reports also include many other off - beat ideas , such as spraying enemy troops with bee pheromones and then hiding numerous beehives in the combat area , and a chemical weapon that would give the enemy bad breath . Body odors . Body odor remote - engineering , such as halitosis and hyperhidrosis , was another possibility discussed . Again , these effects would be produced by a non - lethal chemical weapon — possibly one that would affect the hormonal and digestive systems . It appears that a ' heavy sweating bomb ' , ' flatulence bomb ' and ' halitosis bomb ' were also considered by a committee at the time . The plan was to make an enemy so smelly they could be quite literally sniffed out of hiding by their opponents . It was also considered fairly damaging to the enemy ' s morale . Ig Nobel Prize awards . Wright Laboratory won the 2007 Ig Nobel Peace Prize for " instigating research & development on a chemical weapon — the so - called ' gay bomb ' / ' poof bomb ' — that will make enemy soldiers become sexually irresistible to each other . " However , Air Force personnel contacted were not willing to attend the award ceremony at Harvard University ' s Sanders Theatre to accept the award in person .