What is love? Even a meeting on the subject can't find the answer
Key takeaways
- Scientists recently gathered for a conference called Love, Actually and in Theory, but didn't settle on a definition of the topic at hand
- Why frenemies, or love-hate relationships, are so bad for your health
- The meeting marked the first time many of the major players involved in love research have been in one room. “This is a big deal for love science.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Scientists recently gathered for a conference called Love, Actually and in Theory, but didn't settle on a definition of the topic at hand
Twitter / X icon Linkedin Reddit Email What is love? It s a question that has befuddled philosophers for millennia, and scientists today still aren t sure. A smitten couple lean in for a kiss in a hotel lobby as I beeline towards a softly lit conference room buzzing with first-date energy. I am here to attend the Love, Actually and in Theory meeting, organised by the Royal Society, in Edinburgh, UK. As a romantic myself, I am hoping to get an answer to one of life’s biggest mysteries: what is love?
Over the next two days, I heard dozens of researchers – from evolutionary biologists and neuroscientists to psychologists – share their perspectives on that instinctive-yet-elusive thing called love, with a heavy focus on the romantic kind.