Ep. 3: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Love

This episode features Dr. Larry Sherman, a neuroscientist from OHSU in Portland, Oregon, talking about how our brains process pleasure and the special case of falling in love. Topics touched on during the talk include: ancient philosophy and the definition of "pleasure"; how hormones such as estrogen and testosterone affect our choice of partners; how drug addiction and stalking are neurologically related; ways that the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine can change how we feel about someone; how taking The Pill can change a woman's ability to choose a viable mate; how liking chocolate ties in to falling in love; how studying the DNA of prairie voles can perhaps shed light on why people cheat; and much more.

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As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.