Podcast examines the biological basis of attraction

Andy Bass

Science of Love,” a new episode of the “What Makes Us Human” podcast series, explores the biological basis of attraction. The podcast series’ third season – “What Do We Know about Love?” – showcases the newest thinking across academic disciplines about the relationship between humans and love.

“Perhaps one of the greatest challenges we face is explaining why and how we interact with each other,” says Andy Bass, professor of neurobiology and behavior and senior associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, in the podcast. “When I think about the biological basis of love, I of course immediately think about the brain.”

As a behavioral and evolutionary neuroscientist, Bass focuses his research on explaining how the expression of various genetic traits in vertebrate brain organization lead to adaptive behavioral phenotypes. His projects use sound-producing/vocalizing fish as models to establish the operating principles of vertebrates’ vocal and auditory systems.

The series is produced by the College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with the Cornell Broadcast Studios and features audio essays written and recorded by Cornell faculty. New episodes are released each Tuesday through the fall semester and air on WHCU and WVBR. “What Makes Us Human” podcasts are available for download on iTunes and SoundCloud and for streaming on the A&S humanities page, where text versions of the essays are also posted.

Linda B. Glaser

Media Contact

Gillian Smith