Love Is A Drug

According to this recent report

The same brain chemistry that is responsible for addiction also plays a role in the feelings and emotions of new love and leads us toward monogamy, the BBC News reports of research from Florida State University. Yes, love is in your head and not your heart.

At least that's what happens to male Prairie voles, and the researchers think the findings apply to human beings as well. Prairie voles are known for establishing extremely strong, long-term relationships and actually show signs of falling in love just as humans do.

Blame it on dopamine. This chemical, which plays a key role in attracting human beings back to sources of pleasure, such as good food, sex or cocaine, stimulates the brain's reward center.

I have been saying for a while that there is more than one way to get drugs. If you can't buy them you can make your own. Why one way of getting drugs (say eating for instance) is legal and another (buying them on the street) is not is mainly based on prejudice.

Fortunately science is making it harder and harder to maintain our prejudices.

On another interesting note on brain chemistry; it seems that hapiness comes from hard work.

If you want to be truly happy with that deep down feeling of utter and complete satisfaction, just work hard.

That is the surprising word from a research team at Gothenburg University in Sweden which has determined that working to achieve a goal--even more than attaining it--is what gives people true satisfaction and happiness, reports the BBC News.

While winning the lottery does give a temporary high, it won't last, at least not like the thrill of hard work! The Swedish researchers came to this startling conclusion after studying published data on hundreds of people about what makes them happy.

It may be that, contra the French, the anglo-saxons may be on to something after all.

Update: 1609z 11 Jan. '06

Another look into the American character. From A Voyage to Arcturus.