"Good morning," Brennan greeted the class once they all seemed to be in their seats and more or less quiet. "I hope you all made it through the alligators all right; Valentine helped me dissect one and I'm still reviewing our findings." She gave a tiny, grateful smile to the girl in question assuming she was there.

"I know our syllabus says today's class will be about sexuality and religion, but that's really too broad a topic to cover in this class, especially given the wide range of cultural backgrounds. Instead, we'll be talking about aphrodisiacs." Oh, impending irony. "An aphrodisiac is any substance used in the belief it enhances sexual desire. In modern culture, there are certain drugs known to function as aphrodisiacs, such as testosterone supplements, a drug called Yohimbe, and Bremelanotide. Drugs like Viagra, which cure impotence, are not seen as aphrodisiacs because they have no effect on the sexual centers in the brain."

"However, of more interest to this class are the folk medicines and foods seen as aphrodisiacs. These have included some chosen for suggestive shapes or origins, like rhinoceros horn and tiger penis, as well as an incredible range of foods, such as arugula, basil, chocolate -- which may actually have a mild chemical effect -- fennel, oysters, coffee, and the sap of red bananas. The ancient Egyptians saw lettuce as the most potent aphrodisiac of all. Most of these, of course, work only as placebos. There is also cantharadin, known as 'Spanish Fly'; it acts as an irritant and can cause death in too large of a dose."

"Today, I would like you to report back to me on your mock courtship exercise from last week, then sample from the platters of alleged food aphrodisiacs in the back of the room and note any effects they have on you."