Summary: BSL Insider Exclusive: Dr. Larry Young, author of "The Chemistry Between Us" joins us on the show today. Remember when you were taught in school about your brain and how it affects your behavior? And before that, how the food you ate affected the way your brain worked and the chemicals it released? No? Why aren't we taught these important things? Consider the fact that love, relationships, attraction and the way we interact with each other is impacted by our biochemistry, or the chemicals our brain uses to operate the body. Imagine the ramifications. How would you make meaning of your interactions with romantic partners if, for example, one particular day your partner wakes up and starts behaving irritably with you? If you knew the issue was something to do with the health of his or her brain, I bet you wouldn't let it affect you personally. This is serious business, especially when it concerns the way we make meaning of our world. Now, this doesn't mean it applies to every context and every situation, however it does mean that there's an interplay of a factor which is affecting our relationships that we may not be considering in our interactions with people. Enter Larry Young, PhD. He's here to clear up your brain right now, hit play below to listen in. Our BSL Insider: Larry Young is one of the world's leading experts in the field of social behavioral neuroscience. He is the William P. Timmie Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience at Emory University and Chief of the Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Larry is on the editorial boards of the journals Neuroscience, Molecular Autism, and Social Neuroscience. He has been the associate editor of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, and Hormones and Behavior. He reviews manuscripts for every major journal in his field, including Science and Nature. In 2008, he received the prestigious Golden Brain Award from the Minerva Foundation, which recognizes significant contributions to brain research. In 2009, he was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, this country's most prestigious science society. He has authored or co-authored nearly 200 research papers, essays, review articles, and book chapters. He has lectured around the world including public lectures to general audiences, like 250 members of the entertainment industry at a National Academy of Sciences Science and Entertainment Exchange screening of the movie "Valentine's Day" in Hollywood, and the 47th Nobel Conference Lecture at Gustavus Adolphus College. Dr. Larry Young really has a passion for the work he finds himself immersing in 24/7. Between his labs and students, he's surrounded by the "science of relationships" meaning he's not just theorizing information but practically applying it as well. The way he combines neural mechanisms with genetics research to understand what makes the interactions between people tick is totally different. His longterm vision is to develop therapies for autism. In This Episode, You Will Learn: How your brain affects your behavior The #1 most powerful brain chemical affecting your intimacy with people The science of how attraction, lust and love works If attraction really is a choice or if it's being driven by neuro-mechanisms Scientific proof behind the power of face-to-face social interactions How to trigger chemicals in your brain that will reduce social anxiety The greatest misconception of monogamy (hint: it's social monogamy & sexual monogamy) Ways to revitalize your relationship using brain chemistry Why people drunk dial their exes And much more... Where You Can Find Dr. Young: More information on his book and where it's available can be found at The Chemistry Between Us. Also,
