Leading love research from the world’s happiest country

Pärttyli Rinne is a philosopher-researcher, author, and scriptwriter-dramaturge. He works broadly at the intersection of science, art, and academic philosophy. His recent research out of Aalto University in Finland, “Finding Love: Study reveals where love lives in the brain” captivated global audiences when it was released late last year, featuring in hundreds of media outlets across many continents. The study used functional MRI to reveal the areas of the brain that were lit up by different types of love, with parental love generating the most intense brain activity and romantic love coming a close second.

Rinne’s research provides a more comprehensive picture of the brain activity associated with different types of love than previous studies, highlighting the parallels between human love and the fundamental biological attachment systems that we share with other mammals.

On the type of love that lights up the brain the most:

“In parental love, there was activation deep in the brain’s reward system in the striatum area while imagining love, and this was not seen for any other kind of love.”

On love for pets:

“When looking at love for pets and the brain activity associated with it, brain areas associated with sociality statistically reveal whether or not the person is a pet owner. When it comes to the pet owners, these areas are more activated than with non-pet owners.” 

On the parallels between love in animals and human love:

“The wonderful complexity of human love emerges from and is built upon fundamental biological attachment systems that we share with other mammals. Understanding that brain activity related to human love is similar to that of prairie voles reinforces a sense of compassion and connection to nature and the greater planetary community of living beings.”

On the importance of his team’s love research:

“By better understanding love, we can foster the development of a more compassionate and benevolent human culture. Understanding love helps facilitate its expression. Cultivating compassionate love toward oneself and others would be highly beneficial for the long-term well-being of all beings on Earth.”

In addition to literary writing, Pärttyli Rinne is a visiting researcher at Aalto University, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering.

Rinne is available for expert comment on love around Valentine’s Day.

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