Episode 48 - Liu Guojiang & Love

Is it love we’re feeling, or is it lust? What’s the difference, chemically? More importantly, how long can love really last, and how do we keep it going into old age?

20 years ago a group of hikers in East China discovered a mysterious set of stone steps leading up into the mountains. They followed it, not knowing if they would find the ruins of an ancient civilization or a forgotten temple. Instead, they discovered an elderly couple who ran away from civilization together, and a love story so profound it was given China’s title of “Greatest Love Story of the Year.”

On this episode we’ll cover everything from Marriage Rates in the US to Dating Apps, hormones to evolution, and everything from “I do” to “joint taxes”. All so we can answer the big question: Is love worth it? And if so, how can we tell when we’re in love? We’ll also share a few of our own anecdotes about falling into and out of love - with people, pets, and family. Then we’ll ask Professor Google if it’s statistically better to make our own choices about who we love...or leave it to arranged marriages?

History Links:

https://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/12/15/man-carves-wife-a-6000-stair-path-in-mountain/

http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2012-11/06/content_27019583.htm

http://english.sina.com/china/2012/1104/523029.html

https://www.alamy.com/file-chinese-man-liu-guojiang-and-his-wife-xu-chaoqing-walk-downstairs-along-the-love-ladder-he-built-for-her-on-a-mountain-in-gaotan-village-yuan-image263851509.html

https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/chongqing/ladder-of-love-18231657/

Science Links:

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/young-adults-especially-men-having-sex-less-frequently

https://www.today.com/tmrw/dating-during-coronavirus-how-pandemic-has-affected-dating-t186385

http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/love-actually-science-behind-lust-attraction-companionship/#:~:text=Testosterone%20and%20estrogen%20drive%20lust,oxytocin%20and%20vasopressin%20mediate%20attachment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/science/dogs-love-evolution.html

https://medium.com/illumination/is-it-love-9ab82633930e

https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/01/the-high-price-of-being-single-in-america/267043/?single_page=true

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-love/201208/arranged-vs-love-based-marriages-in-the-us-how-different-are-