In the 1992 Disney film Aladdin, a boy was
granted three wishes by a genie in a lamp. The powerful genie only had three
provisions of things that he couldn't do – one being that he couldn't make
someone fall in love with anybody else.
Love is often described as being a highly-complex chemical
reaction that one person feels towards another. This feeling, it has been
assumed, cannot be replicated. Scientists, however, are working to identify
brain patterns associated with different human emotions. From this research,
they hope to create a neurochemical process that can "tweak" human emotions and
allow people to feel different types of hormonal connections, including love.
The Love Doctor
Larry Young, an Emory
University neurobiologist,
is a researcher who specializes in how the brain forms bonds with friends and
loved ones. He has been conducting studies of the monogamous North American prairie
vole to shed light on the complex neural and genetic components of love.
His studies suggest that oxytocin, a hormone in the brain that
acts as a neurotransmitter, is important for intimate bonding. The hormone
interplays with the pleasure-inducing transmitter dopamine, causing an
emotional reaction. Human brain regions associated with dopamine become active
during a lover's gaze, maternal bonding, or other means of pleasure – like
addictions.
Young's research is also working towards uncovering genes
that determine if people are suited for marriage. Men with a variant of the
gene "avpr1a", for example, are more likely to remain bachelors – or if they do
marry, are likely to be unhappy.
In studying the prairie vole, researchers were able to
detect a gene associated with paternal, long-term bonding. This discovery
loosely relates to the ability of men to form stable relationships. Young hopes
that this information will lead to a treatment for lovelessness. "Drugs
that manipulate brain systems at whim to enhance or diminish our love for
another may not be far away," he said.
Is Love On The Way?
Young believes that the right mixture of oxytocin could
enhance love, or turn it off completely. The prospect, he claims, is very real
although not necessarily the best thing for society. "You're in love. No matter
how you get to that end product, the feeling is the same. (But), in terms of
society, I hope we don't go down that route. I just don't think we should be
using drugs to manipulate emotions, especially those of other people," said
Young.
Potential uses for a "love drug" include marriage therapy,
as oxytocin allows people to be more trusting and attune to other people's
feelings. Taking oxytocin can be as easy as a nasal spray. Studies remain
ongoing in Australia
to determine if such a spray would be effective in therapy.
"I don't think it's inevitable. I think it's possible,"
said Young.
What do you think?
Resources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4162273/Love-spray-being-developed-by-scientists.html
http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/relationships/story.html?id=1155238
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/scienceoflove.html
| 
Re: Can Science Let You Fall In Love?
Comments rated to be Good Answers:
Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers: