The science of love at first sight

By N.L. | CHICAGO

BIOLOGISTS believe that love is fundamentally a biological rather than a cultural construct. That is because the capacity for love is found in all human cultures and similar behaviour is found in some other animals, such as prairie voles. In humans the purpose of all the cravings, craziness and desire is to focus attention on the raising of offspring. Children demand an unusual amount of nurturing, and two parents are better than one. Love is a signal that both partners are committed, and makes it more likely that this commitment will continue as long as is necessary for children to reach independence. But what does science have to say about the notion of love at first sight?

In recent years the ability to watch the brain in action has offered a wealth of insight into the mechanics of love. Researchers have shown that when a person falls in love a dozen different parts of the brain work together to release chemicals that trigger feelings of euphoria, bonding and excitement. (These include dopamine, oxytocin, adrenalin and vasopressin.) It has also been shown that the unconditional love between a mother and a child is associated with activity in different regions of the brain from those associated with sexual, pair-bonding love.