What happens when science meets love?

Romance writers spend a lot of time trying to come up with new and interesting ways to describe what a person feels when they experience love.

It turns out that scientists are also finding intriguing ways of showing what happens when we love someone.

This wonderful video shows a light-hearted competition between six people who are put into an MRI machine and told to think about love. Whoever’s brain lights up the strongest and longest wins.

It’s a simple premise, but what comes out of it is more than a visual depiction of our brains’ reactions to various chemicals or memories. Do yourself a favor – take 15 minutes out of your day to listen to the “contestants” talk about their experiences of love and what it means.

From a 75-year-old man who spends the time reflecting on his wife of 50-something years, to a young man whose heart has been broken, to a 10-year-old boy who thinks about his new baby cousin, it’s a beautiful and life-affirming statement on how varied love can be.

Did you watch it? Did the winners surprise you? If you were taking part in the experiment, who would you think about?

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By Kat

Kat Latham writes sexy contemporary romance, including the London Legends rugby series. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. She's a California girl living in the Netherlands with her baby girl and British husband.

6 comments

  1. What a fabulous post! Thanks so much for sharing, Kat. Not sure how I can translate that into my characters, but it does seem to indicate love is more than just a hormonal reaction…which I’m going to take (wrongly or rightly) as my justification for focuing more on the romance than the graphic sex scenes. HA!

    1. I think that sounds like a great justification, Kaki! And I think the video also shows that love is often a choice, even if that choice is mostly about focusing on the positives and beautiful memories instead of hanging on to the (inevitable) hurts that occur over the years.

  2. Discovery made an interesting documentary called “The Science of Sex Appeal” based on similar principles, mapping brain activity associated with strong emotions. This video is more gratifying 🙂 I would take Milo (the sweet 10yo boy) home any day.

    P.S. You post the coolest stuff. LOVE your blog.

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