What really happens when you fall in love at first sight? Why is this often described as the most powerful emotional experience of a lifetime? What do scientists now know about the specific chemistry of the amorous state? Is falling in love a purely subjective experience or, on the contrary, can it be observed from the outside and measured? Are there visible signs in the brain? Does love at first sight serve a biological purpose, determined by natural selection? Is it simply a neurobiological “accident”? Is sex its only goal? And, if consummated, does love cease or is it strengthened? Who is likely to fall in love at first sight? Has a particular personality type been identified? Why do some people fall more deeply in love than others? Is love at first sight an indication that there is a particularly powerful bond between two people, or could one argue that the foundations of “true” love take time to build?

In this book, Lucy Vincent sets out to uncover what happens in the brain when we fall in love. Lucy Vincent holds a doctorate in neuroscience. She is the author of La Forme et la Frime, published by Editions Odile Jacob.