Sinister: Love and science: a geek speaks

[geoff]

Hi kids

I thought I'd share with you a little of what I know about the science of
falling in love. It may sound terribly unromantic but *I* think it's
interesting so listen up or hit the delete key NOW!

A recent study into the science of falling in love had some interesting
findings. When a person gets the love-bug, a heady cocktail of
neurotransmitters (chemicals which affect the brain) is released. The main
one is dopamine, the same feelgood chemical which gives runners 'highs' and
which hits the same receptors as heroin. The study found that, like junkies
and athletes, lovers can become 'hooked' on this feeling, craving the
company and attentions of their adored object.  So far, so banal.

However, they also found that this chemicaly sustained love-drug high would
only last a maximum of 12 months, just long enough to complete the
reproductive cycle. After this time, (the researchers rather unromantically
suggest) the lovers may stay together either out of habit, or to look after
a newly dropped sprog. (or 'born baby' to our american readers, if I've got
any left) Otherwise they may leave the relationship to find the same
feeling elsewhere - wandering love-junkies in an ever more desperate search
for a quick fix.

All this (if we take it as true) may lead us to certain conclusions. If we
can only expect *that* feeling to last for a year at best, then we'd better
be pretty sure that there's something deeper there, like those feelings of
friendship, trust and respect that other sinisterines have been rightly
focusing on.

Although being in love in the all-consuming, early-stages-of-a-relationship
and _biological_   sense is THE BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD, it ain't gunna
last forever. So if you want to stay together (and boy, girl, *I* want you
to, I love you both) be ready for the 12-month blues.

True love,

geoff


PS Who needs girls when there's Marcus round?



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