In the 54th episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, a special Valentine’s episode, Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by guest Joe Compton, independent author, filmmaker, and creator of Go Indie Now, for an exploration of love in all its forms.

What is love, really? Strip away the poetry and you’re left with chemistry: dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, and endorphins firing neural circuits in predictable patterns. But if love is just biology, why does it feel transcendent? Why does it reorganize our priorities, rewrite our memories, and convince otherwise rational minds to abandon safety and logic?

The conversation journeys through the evolutionary roots of attachment behavior, the ancient Greek’s categories of love, and the murky intersection of love and consent. From the honeymoon phase to long-term bonding, from fandoms and idol worship to AI companions and body horror.

Along the way, they discuss indie artists’ authentic connections with fans versus the detachment of stadium-filling superstars, debate whether we could bottle love like a drug, and share their favorite love stories in film (spoiler: tissues recommended). They also tackle the darker side: obsessive love, one-sided attachments, and why horror might understand love better than rom-coms.

Perfect for Valentine’s season, or any time you want to question what love’s really got to do with it.

Follow Joe Compton

Go Indie Now

Link to Joe on Joe Compton’s 21 Grams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kzg2O7wDSM

Check out what the RHR crew is creating

Joe:

Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!

Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?

Essay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in Fiction

It’s Science for Weirdos

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We want to Hear From You (leave a comment):

If you could experience that “honeymoon phase” forever, constant dopamine hits and butterflies, would you choose it, or is there something valuable in moving past it into long-term love?

If someone invented a real love potion (full consent aside), would you take it to fall in love, or would knowing it’s “just chemistry” ruin the whole thing?

Joe Compton asked: can you prove you love someone? How would you try?

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