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The science of love: sex on the brain

Boston University students delved into the neuroscience behind love and lust at the BU Organization for the Mind and Brain Sciences on Wednesday.

About 60 people attended the discussion held at the Center for Memory and Brain. Event co-coordinator and College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Monika Chitre said what started off as presentations for a project culminated in this presentation.

‘[We had hoped] to discuss a very interesting topic we’re all interested in,’ Chitre said.

BUOMBS President and CAS junior Gregory Guitchounts said he was pleased with the turnout.’

‘Neuroscience is universal and everyone’s curious to see who they are and how the brain works,’ he said.

The idea for the event was also inspired by Rutgers University professor Helen Fisher’s book, ‘Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love,’ which classifies the human search for mates into three distinct stages: lust, attraction and attachment.

Students analyzed whether love was more than neurotransmitter levels and if human beings are attracted to partners solely because of biological appeal and factors like how people perceive each other through smell.

BUOMBS spokesman and CAS senior Darrien Garay raised question regarding Fisher’s theories.

‘Would we actually measure our oxytocin levels to find mates if it was possible?’ he said.

Students debated if humans were more naturally inclined towards polyamorous or monogamous relationships.

At the end of the event, attendees took an informal poll on whether people can be romantically attracted to two or more people at the same time. More than 60 percent of the room believed that it was possible.

Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences sophomore Chelsea Burton, said she wanted to attend the event after seeing it on Facebook.

‘I got interested by the Facebook event page,’ she said. ‘It’s fun finding people who are interested in the same science-crazy stuff you are.’
Others, like CAS junior Lauren Wizon, said the discussion was worth attending.

‘After these discussions, I always feel like I have gained something,’ she said. ‘It’s interesting how it’s about informed, personal experiences. I appreciated how we covered issues that are not so easy to talk about.’
CAS sophomore and BUOMBS member Kayla Ritchie said she enjoyed sharing her views on the topics.’

‘It was great discussing personal experiences,’ she said.
CAS sophomore Deena Baig said she also found the discussion interesting.

‘It was really informative and covered problems we all face,’ she said. ‘
Garay agreed with Guitchounts about people’s curiosity.

‘Everyone has a mind and a brain. Everyone’s intelligent,’ he said. ‘It is important to expand the frontier.’

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