My colleague shared an amazing video earlier this week called “The Science of Love.” After watching the video, all I could think about was an interaction between two of my favorite characters from my guilty pleasure TV show, Bones. In a juxtaposition of traditional gender rolls, Special Agent Seeley Booth is the lovey-dovey type, whilst Dr. Temperance Brennan is all hard logic.
Booth: “Oh, I’m just saying that life is a lot more than what you cook up with your chemistry sets. Miracles do happen.”
Brennan: ”Love is a chemical process which causes delusion.”
And, of course, Dr. B is right. According to our friends at AsapSCIENCE, a brain in love acts pretty much the same as a brain on cocaine. Apparently the dopamine rush you experience begins to set off “pleasure centers” in your brain allowing you to create a “romanticized view of the world around you.” Interesting stuff right?
There’s more. AsapSCIENCE explains that romantic love is not just an emotion, but is driven directly from the brain, and not so much your heart. It is also found that people in love have low levels of serotonin, which is also similar to those individuals with Over Compulsive Disorder. Hence the infatuation feeling in the “honeymoon phase” of love.
Scientist don’t have it all figured out yet and still have a lot to learn about love. So there is also truth in Agent Booth’s belief in that life [and love] is a lot more than just chemistry.
Happy Valentine’s Day all! Check out the video by AsapSCIENCE above. Let us know what YOU think about The Science of Love, comment below!
