The science of kissing

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Everyone knows that a good kiss can stop time. It can make your stomach twist, the tiny hairs on your arms stand up, and your body tingle. Kissing should be considered a drug of its own.

Furthermore, according to an article in Zoomer magazine, it is truly addictive.

Kissing has already been proven to reduce stress, and obviously arouse desire. But recent discoveries in the neuroscience world indicate that it has powerful influences on the neurotransmitters in our brains, as well as our hormone levels. This is because our lips are made up of the thinnest, most sensitive skin present on the human body. This ultra-sensitive zone is loaded with sensory neurons that send fast messages to our somatosensory cortex, thus stimulating intense emotion (2009).

Kissing releases a flow of powerful chemicals, one of them being oxytocin, often nicknamed the "cuddle hormone." Dopamine, the pleasure-giving neurotransmitter, is also released, as well as dopamine, which lowers stress.

Brain scan, which also show why we respond to certain people, proved these findings. Anthropologist Helen Fisher explains, "the need for a deep emotional and sexual connection is not weak or selfish behavior, but it is hardwired into [our] brains," (2009).

So kiss away people! And don't feel guilty about it. After all, it's only human nature.

What would you do if you were limitless?

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It's eye and brain candy all rolled into one in this week's post, with a discussion of Neil Burger's newest film, Limitless, a thriller starring Bradley Cooper.

Movie critic Roger Ebert pinpoints the film's main objective--"We are told time and again that we only use a small portion of our brains and have enough left over to run nations in our down time," he said. When the main character, Eddie Morra (Cooper), is offered a drug that will allow him to access his full brain's potential, he doesn't exactly step in to rule the country, but comes close.

When we are first introduced to Eddie, he is a wishy-washy writer at a standstill in his life. His world is turned upside down and his limits broken when he chooses to take NZT, the magical drug given to Eddie by an old friend. On NZT, Eddie obviously beyond-exceeds in every aspect of his life. He becomes a modern-day Einstein who can tackle even the most complicated, complex equations. He can learn a language in a day, and suddenly is able to remember anything that he has ever heard, seen, or read. Eddie is able to charm absolutely any girl, as well as dupe even the most tough-to-crack players on Wall Street.

Although the movie got bland reviews, (Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 65 percent), the idea behind the film is intriguing. What would it be like if we could use our brains to their fullest potential? 

Now the question goes to you...what would you do if you were limitless?

No love for the love drug?

What better way to start a discussion of the brain than to begin with a topic that directly impacts the brain and its functions—club drugs. The phrase “club drugs” sounds a bit outdated to me, but according to University Health Services (UHS) at the University of Texas at Austin, this group includes the increasingly prevalent drug, Ecstasy.

Recently, Los Angeles County issued a warning flier for Ecstasy—a “how-to-take-this-drug-safely flier”, if you will:



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Of course, the flier caused a massive uproar. People argue that this is a big step toward the recent trend of the drug being “normalized” into our culture. The flier was produced in response to the growing number of Ecstasy-related injuries in young adults within LA County in 2010.

According to UHS, Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, has been dubbed “the love drug” because of its ability to heighten sensory perceptions and magnify feelings of love, tranquility, empathy, and emotional connectedness to others. Ecstasy’s increasing prevalence in the young-adult world is of growing concern, as recent research has shed light on its long-term neurotoxic and neurochemical effects.

In a recent survey conducted by UHS, 9 percent of the UT Austin community has used Ecstasy in the past 30 days. With LA County arguably permitting the safe use of this psychoactive drug, there is indeed concern of this percentage rising.

I decided to have an interview with Kevin Prince, who coordinates the Alcohol and Drug Education Program for UHS to get his opinion on the issue. Prince acknowledges this growing trend as “the mystique of college experience.” College is a time of experimentation, and at the end of a long week of classes, work, and school, students just want to escape and have some fun. “The rationale behind it makes total sense,” says Prince. “But it is ultimately not achieving the goal [of having a good time]."

Prince describes the use of ecstasy in young adults as “risk-taking kind of behavior”—a behavior that causes long-term negative impacts on the functionality of your brain, especially with repeated use. However, instead of advocating the use of Ecstasy, Prince believes that LA County’s flier will actually decrease the use of the drug in the future by empowering young adults to make the right decisions.

While there is a rational argument that the flier advocates normalcy to Ecstasy, Prince believes that its ultimate goal is to reduce the harm, not encourage use. “A lot of times people will reduce or eliminate their drug use if they are educated about the drug,” Prince says. "It switches young adults from a “what’s-the-big-deal” attitude to having a better understanding of the negative consequences." 

For more information on Ecstasy, or other health-related issues, visit the University Health Services website.