Friday, February 16, 2007

Math and Science, part 2 - Science

OK, so those of you following along in your textbooks know that yesterday we covered the math. And for once it was math that applies to your life! No elaborate formulas required!

Today we're covering the science part, and again we have chosen not to assert my personal scientific theory ("The amount of tummy shown in a man's Yenta.com profile picture(s) is directionally proportional to how high they rate the importance of their match being a H-O-T-T-Y!") due to lack of actual data to support it. Instead we will cover something that hit the news media on Wednesday, which is this:

Romantic Love = You be very much crazy nutjob sanity go bye-bye. (of course this is scientific jargon.)

According to this article and some others covering the exact same info, being in romantic love, and the high that goes with it, is pretty much just overdosing on dopamine. It hits the same parts of the brain that can be ping-ponged by your being un-sane or non-rational, as well as taking drugs. Get that? Passion, drugs, crazy -- all the same fun ride for the brain!

Every different article that covered this new scientific discovery touched on different aspects, finding what they thought was the most important, amazing, earth-shattering conclusion from the idea. Here's the one that occurred to me: this makes me the most sane person I know. Now how's THAT for scary?

I also enjoy the idea that if you find yourself falling in love your two best options may be either a 12-step program (Hi, my name is Femtastic and I'm in love. Pass the coffee and cigarettes) or therapy (Tell me about your mother -- did she also have bouts of in-love-ness? How does that make you feel? No, I didn't mean you should feel yourself - please stop that.) So the next time you feel a case of the loves coming on just bop over to your doctor and ask for a wee bottle of lithium. Just until it passes.

OK, homework for next time: what's the craziest thing you ever did for or because of love?

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