Event Description
Why are we attracted to some people but not others? And why is attraction sometimes a bolt from the blue, while at others it’s a gentle, slow burn? Join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin in unravelling the tangle of factors that lead to attraction and love.
Uncover the complex processes in your body triggered by the moment of first encounter, from your senses being hardwired to assess your potential partner in milliseconds, to the complex algorithm that your brain employs to test compatibility.
Explore the neurochemical mechanisms that increase your confidence and drive you to take the first step towards love, and the ability some of us have to smell genetic compatibility. We will also examine different attachment pairings which increase the likelihood of long term success and the influence that genes and environment can have on who we choose.
Finally, we look to the future in considering potential pharmaceutical applications of love: will there ever be a drug which will help us attract ‘the one’?