Would we still have any desire to procreate?
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TVTranscript
00:00 Love can make us do some pretty crazy things.
00:07 When we're in love,
00:09 our brains release a cocktail of neurochemicals
00:12 that not only affect our moods and our well-being,
00:15 but are also crucial for the survival of the human race.
00:21 So what would happen if we all woke up one day
00:25 without the ability to give,
00:27 receive,
00:28 or feel love?
00:33 When we talk about love,
00:52 we're not just referring to the romantic type
00:55 that exists between sexual partners.
00:58 We're also talking about platonic love
01:01 between family members, friends,
01:03 and believe it or not, even co-workers.
01:08 Because love extends into so many different aspects of our lives,
01:12 a world without it would mean a lot more
01:14 than just not wanting to make babies anymore.
01:17 How would our economy change?
01:20 Would sex disappear completely?
01:24 And why could a lack of love
01:26 lead to a world full of substance abuse?
01:34 Before we can appreciate how different our lives would be without love,
01:38 we have to understand how it works first.
01:42 Love is not as simple as the
01:44 happily ever after tales you may have heard.
01:46 Instead, it's more like a complex dance of neurochemicals.
01:51 Sounds romantic, right?
01:53 Falling in love starts with an attraction between two people,
01:57 and evolves into an attachment.
02:00 When we fall in love,
02:01 it stimulates the pleasure center of the brain,
02:04 and that results in the release of feel-good chemicals
02:07 such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and adrenaline.
02:14 These chemicals don't just put a smile on your face,
02:17 they're also important for your overall well-being.
02:21 Dopamine creates feelings of pleasure and satisfaction,
02:25 and it boosts your mood and motivation.
02:28 It also helps regulate your learning and your emotional responses.
02:33 Oxytocin is known as the cuddle hormone,
02:35 because we release it when people snuggle or bond socially.
02:40 It's particularly important for women during the birthing process,
02:44 and nursing.
02:46 Adrenaline helps you by giving your body extra energy,
02:49 making it easier to focus,
02:51 and is responsible for the fight or flight response.
02:56 And serotonin is an important neurotransmitter
02:59 that helps regulate anxiety,
03:01 social behavior, and sexual desire.
03:05 If we didn't release these chemicals regularly,
03:11 our lives would be a lot different.
03:15 For one thing, people would be having a lot less sex,
03:18 as it, along with most physical interactions between people,
03:22 would become more of a chore than anything else.
03:27 The economy would take a major hit,
03:30 because we make a lot of money off love.
03:34 The industries most associated with love are
03:36 jewelry, flowers, candy, and greeting cards.
03:41 And they each add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year.
03:48 Even the music industry would be crippled without love.
03:51 It has been estimated that over 100 million love songs have been recorded.
03:57 What would we sing about if we didn't have love?
04:00 And breakups.
04:02 If this world without love becomes the new normal,
04:05 then it will be a less kind world.
04:09 As people won't feel a need to be caring towards each other.
04:14 Friendships will diminish, and family bonds will be strained.
04:19 Bonding between parents and infants will not form as strongly,
04:23 which could seriously affect the child's social and cognitive development.
04:29 Because the happy chemicals released in the brain by love feel so good,
04:34 people may try to recreate those feelings by turning to drugs,
04:38 such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy.
04:43 This could lead to a rise in substance addictions.
04:47 The most alarming long-term effect of all this could be that
04:51 the world's population would begin to decrease.
04:55 Love makes people want to have children and create families.
04:59 If there's no love, humans won't be driven to procreate.
05:04 But the good news is that love is so deeply ingrained in our evolution that
05:10 it's extremely unlikely to disappear overnight.
05:15 Now, although the scenario isn't really plausible,
05:18 imagining a world without love can show you just how much we take it for granted.
05:25 If you were the last person on Earth,
05:27 love would probably be one of the first things you'd miss.
05:31 But that's a story for another WHAT IF.
05:36 [MUSIC]