The speaker discusses the science of love, specifically the three brain programs responsible for attraction, romantic love, and attachment. They use the example of artists Marina Abramovic and Ulay's intense and public relationship to illustrate the complexities of love. The speaker also explores how hormones, such as dopamine, serotonin, and testosterone, influence behavior and relationships. They note that different people have different dominant hormones, which can affect their approach to relationships. The speaker also touches on the importance of communication, self-awareness, and protection in relationships, citing a collaboration with Durex to promote safe sex and open discussions about love and sex.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. Marina Abramovich and Ulay met in Amsterdam 40 years ago and began a curious and crazy love story.
2. The couple connected their mouths with a device and exhaled into each other until the oxygen ran out.
3. After 17 minutes, their lungs were filled with carbon dioxide and they fell to the floor unconscious.
4. There are three programs in the brain responsible for love and attraction: attraction, romantic love, and attachment.
5. The attraction program is responsible for the initial attraction to a person.
6. The romantic love program is responsible for obsessive thinking about a specific person.
7. The attachment program is responsible for long-term attachment to a person.
8. The brain processes love and attraction in a similar way to the effects of cocaine, releasing dopamine, adrenaline, oxytocin, and vasopressin.
9. Men's brains process love and attraction more visually, while women's brains process it more intuitively.
10. Women remember anniversaries and special moments better than men due to the way their brains process emotions.
11. Hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and testosterone influence behavior and relationships.
12. People with high levels of dopamine are more likely to be researchers and seek new experiences.
13. People with high levels of serotonin are more likely to be builders and seek stable relationships.
14. People with high levels of testosterone are more likely to be leaders and take risks.
15. Estrogen stimulates imagination, abstract thinking, and sensitivity to body language and facial expressions.
16. A person can experience love for one person but passion for several.
17. Protecting oneself with condoms is important for physical and emotional health.
18. Abramovich and Ulay walked along the Great Wall of China for three months, meeting in the middle to part ways.
19. 22 years later, Abramovich performed another piece opposite Marina, looking into the eyes of over 1,500 spectators.