The Latest Science on Love
Love is beautiful, exciting, and not unlike a cocaine high, say researchers at Syracuse University. In a review of studies, they found that when subjects are given a visual cue representing their partner, their brains release a cocktail of chemicals that mimic cocaine's euphoric effects—only for a shorter period of time. If you've ever felt "addicted" to love, now you know why.
Singles: You may want to consider turning the primary debates into dates. A study involving more than 5,000 married couples found that they tended to value their partner's political views over other qualities, including looks and even personality.
Next time you witness a public display of affection, try to resist rolling your eyes. PDAs let us experience the benefits of touch vicariously: When volunteers in a 2011 study watched another person being caressed, blood flow to an emotion-related region of their brains increased as if they themselves were being stroked.
Next: Finding and keeping the love of your life
From the
February 2012 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
