6 Minute English / The science of falling in love

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I m Neil.

And I m Beth.

Neil Head over heels , butterflies in the tummy , the apple of my eye in English there are many idioms to describe what it feels like to fall in love.

Aww, I didn t know you were such a romantic, Neil! But do you know what s actually happening in our brains when we fall in love? Because I m sorry to say this, Neil, but it s more about brain chemistry than romance specifically hormones, chemical messengers which the body releases into the blood to control our growth, mood, and yes falling in love.

Thanks for ruining my romantic ideas, Beth! And since my dreams are now shattered, why don t we spend the rest of this programme finding out exactly what is going on inside our bodies and brains when we fall in love. And, of course, learn some useful new vocabulary too.

There s no doubt that being in love has the health benefit of reducing stress, even lengthening your life, but the hormones which the brain releases have an immediate effect as well. So, chemically speaking, what happens when lovers look into each others eyes? Is it:

a) their body temperature increases?b) their heartbeats harmonise? or,c) the hairs stand up on the back of their neck?

Hmmm, is it all three? No? OK then, I ll guess it s b) their heartbeats harmonise.

OK, we ll find out if that s correct at the end of the programme. According to Helen E Fisher, self-help author and anthropologist at Rutgers University, there are three aspects of romantic love. Here s BBC Ideas to explain more: