What is love?

Summary

Who Smarted? – “What is Love?” (March 6, 2026)

Podcast Overview
In this episode, the Trusty Narrator embarks on a humorous and heartwarming journey to answer the big question: “What is love?” The episode explores the science, history, and different types of love, from family bonds to crushes, making sense of our feelings in a way that’s both enlightening and entertaining for young listeners.

---

Main Themes

• The many faces of love: family, friends, pets, and even favorite things
• The science behind love — what’s happening in your brain and body
• Love throughout history, including how the ancient Greeks categorized love
• Crushes vs. real love and how kids can navigate tricky feelings
• The importance of kindness, respect, and emotional awareness

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Different Kinds of Love

• The narrator shares personal examples of loving pets, friends, and grandma’s unique cooking, sparking a discussion: “Do you feel different types of love for different people, animals or things in your life? Or does all love feel the same?” (03:05)
• Ladybug (the “Love Bug”) explains:
  “The science tells us you do feel different types of love for the people, animals or things in your life. Of course, people have thought about that for a long time. The ancient Greeks even identified several different types of love.” (03:21)
• Types of Love from Ancient Greeks:
  • Love for family (identified as “natural affection and bond”) (06:25)
  • Platonic love for friends — “Love of friends, known as platonic love, is usually based on choice, shared interests, and mutual support…” (07:05)
  • Love for pets, explained as “custodial love” — “...the love you feel for your dog, cat, hamster...activates parts of your brain that have to do with social bonding and pleasure...Love of pets is sometimes referred to as custodial love because you don’t just love them, but you also care for them.” (07:53–08:21)
• Memorable Moment:
  Silly examples of loving things like meat cake or pizza add humor and relatability for kids (02:19–02:30).

2. Where Do We Feel Love? Heart vs. Brain

• Narrator quizzes listeners: “Where do you feel love? A) your heart, B) your stomach, or C) your brain?” (08:39)
• Love Bug reveals:
  “If you said C your brain, you were sure using yours to answer that question.” (08:58)
• Historically, people thought the heart controlled emotions because your heart beats faster when you’re excited, which is why hearts are symbols of love, not brains. But science has found that love is a brain event, primarily involving the mesolimbic system, which governs rewards and motivations. (09:16–10:12)
• Quote:
  “The mesolimbic system relates to rewards and motivations.” (10:06)

3. Brain Chemicals and Love

• Neurotransmitters involved: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin
  “Since brain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are some of the neurotransmitters that get released when you feel happy.” (10:33)
• Love feels good! That’s why you want to be with people or do things that you love. (11:09)

4. Who Controls Your Feelings?

• Old myths vs. reality:
  “Even though things that happen in your brain because of love can have a strong effect on the way you behave, you are the only person who can control your behavior...The truth is, you and you alone are in charge of your own actions.” (11:30)
• Important Takeaway: Be responsible and respectful with your feelings, and remember others’ feelings matter too. (12:07)

5. Love and Health

• Love is good for you! It “increases your awareness of what other people need and increases your connection with others. Some scientists even believe love can slow down aging.” (12:42)

6. What is Love, Scientifically?

• Love is both emotional and about connection: “Love happens in moments of shared positivity that comes with positive, warm connections.” (13:19)
• Not just a passing emotion — real love involves trust, openness, and responsiveness, with changes in heart rate and breathing (respiration). (13:31–14:06)
• True love needs real sensory connection: “To feel true love, you need a real time sensory connection, which usually happens when you are face to face.” (14:25)

7. Crushes vs. Love

• What’s a crush? “The kind we’re talking about is B, romantic feelings towards someone. For some kids, this can happen as early as elementary school or middle school.” (15:11)
• If your crush doesn’t feel the same, “you should accept it and still be nice to that person.” (15:32)
• Types of crushes:
  • Identity crushes: You admire someone and want to be like them (16:09)
  • Romantic crushes: You have romantic feelings, even if you hardly know the person
  • Celebrity crushes: “This is a crush on a famous person...Usually you will never interact with this person in real life.” (16:51)
• Crushes are a natural part of growing up and help people “see the possibilities of romantic love, which can hopefully lead to positive experiences and relationships.” (17:14)

---

Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• Trusty Narrator:
  “For the Smarty Pants, what can I say other than I love being the trusty narrator of WhoSmarted.” (00:14)
• Love Bug:
  “The science tells us you do feel different types of love…” (03:21)
• Trusty Narrator (joking about candy brains):
  “Plus, eating candy brains sounds a little gross and zombie-like. Brains!” (09:34)
• Trusty Narrator:
  “We all like doing things that feel good.” (11:14)
• Love Bug (on action and responsibility):
  “You are the only person who can control your behavior.” (11:54)
• Love Bug (on love in the body):
  “When that happens, your brain chemicals react and you may also experience some things in your body like changes in heart rate and respiration, which is a fancy word for breathing.” (13:31)
• Trusty Narrator (on Valentine’s Day):
  “Then how come we don’t give brain-shaped cards and eat candy brains on Valentine’s Day?” (09:06)
• Love Bug (final wisdom):
  “While it may be stressful to have a crush, it can be an important part of growing up.” (17:14)

---

Memorable Segment Timestamps

• [02:10] — Different types of love (examples: pets, friends, grandma)
• [03:21] — Ancient Greeks’ types of love introduced
• [06:25] — Love for family explained
• [07:05] — Platonic (friend) love vs. family love
• [07:53] — Love for pets and custodial love
• [08:58] — All feelings of love start in the brain, not the heart
• [10:06] — Mesolimbic system and love’s reward system
• [11:30] — Only you control your behaviors (Cupid & Venus debunked)
• [12:42] — Love is healthy and can slow aging!
• [13:19] — Love is more than an emotion; it’s connection and chemistry
• [14:25] — You need real, in-person moments for love to flourish
• [15:32] — Dealing with crushes and mutual respect
• [16:09] — Different types of crushes explained

---

Tone & Style

In true Who Smarted? fashion, this episode is lively, inclusive, and filled with jokes, sound effects, and funny asides that make even complex science fun and accessible for kids. Characters like the Love Bug bring warmth and personality, while the narrator keeps things moving with relatable kid-friendly scenarios.

---

Summary

This episode of “Who Smarted?” makes the concept of love accessible and entertaining for children. It blends humor, storytelling, interactive questions, and science to teach listeners that love is complex, brain-based, and comes in many forms. The final message emphasizes that love is about positive connection and kindness — both towards ourselves and others — and that whether it’s a crush, a family bond, or a love for pizza, every kind of love makes us happier and healthier.

Transcript

[A]

And now it's time for Whosmarted.

[B]

Psst.

[A]

Hey, smartypants. In case you couldn't tell, I just wanted to let you know how happy I am to be the Trusty narrator of WhoSmarted. For one thing, I get to go on tons of super fun smarting adventures. I also get to learn so many cool facts about so many cool things. I also get to meet lots of interesting people, creatures and things that normally don't talk. And of course, most of all, I get to be a trusted guide and friend to all of you. For the smarty pants, what can I say other than I love being the trusty narrator of who's Smarted. Aw,

[B]

hello. Did someone say love? I'm pretty sure I heard the word love, and that gets me pretty excited and happy. After all, I know all about love.

[A]

Whipp. Smarty pants, you're not gonna believe this, but a ladybug just landed on me. And of course, it wouldn't be Whosmarted if she didn't start talking.

[B]

Hey, now, I'm not just any ladybug. I'm a love bug.

[A]

But of course. And how nice for us, since the Smartypants and I would love to know more about love.

[B]

You don't say. Well, I'd love to help. What do you got?

[A]

Well, for starters, are there different kinds of love? For instance, is the love we feel for our family different than the love we might feel for our friends or our pets? Where does the feeling of love come from anyway? And how does love register in our brains? And what about crushes?

[B]

Oh, those are great questions, and I would love to help answer them.

[A]

Amazing. Then it's time for a lovely whiff of science and history on who's smarted,

[C]

who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smarted?

[A]

Okay, the first question I have is about the different types of love you or I might have in our lives. I know I feel love for my pets.

[C]

Meow.

[A]

My friends.

[C]

Hey, trusty, wanna go for a ride in my new Chet chopper?

[A]

And of course, who wants meat cake? Um, I just ate an entire pizza pie, Grandma. I'm stuffed.

[C]

Come on, if you love your grandma, you'll try a piece.

[A]

Fine.

[C]

So what do you think?

[A]

Delicious. See?

[C]

I told you you'd love it.

[B]

Uh huh.

[A]

Anything for you, Grandma. Phew. You can even love things that aren't alive. Like your favorite stuffed animal, your favorite food. I pizza, video games, or your favorite sports teams. What do you think smarty pants? Do you feel different types of love for different people, animals or things in your life? Or does all love feel the same? Uh huh. I'm hearing a lot of people say love feels different depending on who or what it is. What do you say love bug?

[B]

The science tells us you do feel different types of love for the people, animals or things in your life. Of course, people have thought about that for a long time. The ancient Greeks even identified several different types of love.

[A]

Oh wow. We'll find out what those are right after a quick break and a word from our lovely sponsors. Spring is here and if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about ixl. It's the award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine covering math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment or push ahead into new material, IXL meets them exactly where they are with no pressure and real encouragement built right in. Kids earn rewards, see their own progress, and actually feel good about learning. And for parents, the real time progress tracking is a game changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun. And you know I love that over 15 million students use IXL and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who Smarted Listeners get an exclusive 20% [e-mail] smarted that's ixl.com smarted for your 20% off. As the trusty narrator, I've taken the smarty pants on countless adventures. I'll do anything for the fans, but off mic I prefer to keep my adventures in the safe space of my own backyard. However, even a homebody like me can't avoid the unexpected chaos that comes with family life. Take last week, for example. My niece was staying with me when she came down with a nasty cold in the middle of the night. I couldn't leave her alone to get medicine. And that's when I remembered doordash is there for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. With a few taps on my phone, I had cough syrup and tissues delivered right to my door. Doordash saved the night and my niece was back to her energetic self in no time. Oh, and did I order a little ice cream for myself. Yes, I did. And doordash brought it right to my door. So while I may not be the biggest fan of real life adventures, I'm grateful that doordash is always there to help me navigate life's little emergencies. When life happens, get a little order delivered with doordash Order now. Now back to who's smarted. Okay, smarty pants, which of these is a type of love that was identified by the ancient Greeks? Was it A, love for family, B, love for a favorite activity, or C love for a favorite food? While I know that you know how much I love pizza, if you said a love for family, nice.

[B]

Love for family is a natural affection and bond between family members. This is what might make you have strong feelings of love for your grandma, even though you don't share those kinds of feelings for her. Meat cake.

[C]

Wait, who doesn't love meat cake?

[A]

Smartypants, I know that I like being with my friends Chet and Robert Maroon, despite him always stealing my lunch and snacks. True or false? The good feelings you have about your close friends are also considered love.

[B]

If you said true, you're going to love being right.

[A]

Ah, but this is the part I'm most curious about. Is it a different kind of love than you have for your family? What do you think, Smartypants?

[B]

It might not surprise you to know it is love of friends. Known as platonic love is usually based on choice, shared interests, and mutual support, whereas love of family or familial love is often rooted in blood, shared history, and obligation. While family offers a foundation of stability, friends provide voluntary companionship, often serving as a support system that you choose rather than one you're born into.

[A]

I know I love making new friends. I find it exciting to show kindness and make a new friend, and it can have a really positive impact on both people. Do you feel the same way, smarty pants?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Great. But what about another kind of love you feel that doesn't involve people?

[B]

Ah, yes. As any pet owner will tell you, pets are often considered important members of your family. And the love you feel for your dog, cat, hamster, turtle, bird, fish, rabbit, snake, gerbil, bearded dragon, or other beloved animal activates parts of your brain that have to do with social bonding and pleasure.

[A]

Are they the same parts of your brain that are activated by your love for other people?

[B]

Kind of. But this brain activity usually has slightly less intensity. Love of pets is sometimes referred to as custodial love because you don't just love them, but you also care for them. But while this love is different, it's also very similar.

[A]

That makes sense we should always show kindness and respect to others, and that includes our pets. When we show love to the people and animals in our lives, it helps us and them feel happy. But where do you feel love? Do you feel it in A, your heart, B, your stomach, or C, your brain?

[B]

If you said C your brain, you were sure using yours to answer that question.

[A]

Hang on. You're telling me we feel love in our brains, not our hearts? Then how come we don't give brain shaped cards and eat candy brains on Valentine's Day?

[B]

A long time ago, people believed the heart controlled people's emotions. This was probably because when you have strong feelings, your heart beats faster. That's how the heart shape became the symbol of love instead of the brain.

[A]

Plus, eating candy brains sounds a little gross and zombie like brains. Anyway, what exactly happens in your brain when you feel love?

[B]

Even though people had some incorrect ideas about where love comes from, real science actually occurs when you feel love. It turns out there's a part of the human brain called the mesolimbic system.

[A]

Mesolimbic system? I can hardly say that, let alone know what it does. So what does that have to do with love?

[B]

The mesolimbic system relates to rewards and motivations.

[A]

Oh, why didn't you say so? Who doesn't love a nice reward?

[B]

Exactly. Which is why when you engage with people, animals, or things that make you happy, your mesolimbic system makes you want to keep engaging with them.

[A]

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Even if we say we love things with all our heart, right?

[B]

Instead, you should say you love things with all your brain. Since brain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are some of the neurotransmitters that get released when you feel happy.

[A]

Smarty pants. You may remember some of these words from our who smarted? Episode on brain chemicals.

[B]

But even if you've never heard of those brain chemicals before, all it really means is when you love someone, it feels good to be with them. And if you love something, whether it's snowboarding, playing Roblox with your friends, or listening to your favorite podcast.

[C]

Too smart.

[B]

And since your brain likes it, it wants to do it over and over again.

[A]

That makes sense too. We all like doing things that feel good. But who has control over your behavior when you have these feelings? Is it A, you, B, the other person, animal or thing, or C mythical figures like Cupid or Venus?

[B]

Even though the things that happen in your brain because of love can have a strong effect on the way you behave towards Others, you are the only person who can control your behavior. A long time ago, people made up stories with mythical figures like Cupid or Venus and said they controlled people in love's behavior as a way to explain these strong feelings. But the truth is, you and you alone are in charge of your own actions.

[A]

That's a relief. I don't know about you, smarty pants, but I don't think I want a flying baby with a bow and arrow controlling my emotions.

[B]

It's also important to remember when you feel love for someone else, that doesn't automatically mean that they feel the same way about you. The best thing to do is treat everyone with respect and take their feelings into consideration, just as you would want them to do that with you.

[A]

That's a great point to remember. Love Bug, here's another question for you. Besides the things that happen in your brain, what else happens when you feel love? In particular, what happens if you have feelings of love towards someone who might not be a close friend or family member, but someone you feel strongly about?

[B]

Believe it or not, love is important for people's health and growth. It increases your awareness of what other people need and increases your connection with others. Some scientists even believe love can slow down aging.

[A]

Whoa. Whoa is right. It sounds like love is good for us in a lot of ways. But what exactly is love?

[B]

That's a complicated question. I would say one big part of love is emotional, but I thought emotions

[A]

were short lived and only lasted seconds or minutes.

[B]

True, but love happens in moments of shared positivity that comes with positive, warm connections.

[A]

Shared positivity? Like when you and someone else are having a good time together?

[B]

Kind of. But there's more to it than that. It's different from the kind of shared positivity you might have with someone if you're watching a funny movie together. Love has more to do with having a positive, responsive connection with someone. When that happens, your brain chemicals react and you may also experience some things in your body like changes in heart rate and respiration, which is a fancy word for breathing.

[A]

Ah, so the heart does have something to do with love.

[B]

Yes, the heart does have something to do with love. And these feelings of love happen during small moments that help people feel like they can be open and trust the other person.

[A]

Smarty pants. Do you think these moments happen better in person or over technology like the phone or computer? Go ahead and shout it out.

[B]

If you said in person, nice job. To feel true love, you need a real time sensory connection, which usually happens when you are face to face. With the other person.

[A]

I see. And what about crushes? Are they the same as love? And why do people have them? We'll find out after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Now back to who Smarted? I've been learning so much about love, but now I want to know about crushes. What does it mean if you have a crush? Is it A a faster heartbeat, B romantic feelings towards someone, or C what you do to an empty can of soda?

[B]

If you said C, that's a different kind of crush. The kind we're talking about is B romantic feelings towards someone. For some kids, this can happen as early as elementary school or middle school.

[A]

What happens if the person you have a crush on doesn't feel the same way about you?

[B]

That can be a hard thing to find out, but if it happens, you should accept it and still be nice to that person.

[A]

Anyway, it's sometimes a good idea to talk to an adult or older sibling or friend, someone you trust, about your feelings.

[B]

I agree, trustee. Keeping feelings bottled up inside can sometimes make you feel bad.

[A]

So, love bug, tell me, is a crush the same thing as love? What do you think, smarty pants?

[B]

Not exactly. While they both have to do with liking someone, you don't need to know a person well or at all to have a crush on them.

[A]

Really? What do you mean?

[B]

There are different kinds of crushes. Identity crushes happen when people find someone they admire and decide they would like to treat this person as a leader or imitate and follow them. Romantic crushes are the type you may have thought was the same thing as love. The difference is, to have a crush, you don't need to know the other person well. What you actually like is just something about that person. You see qualities in them that you value. It could be the way they look, the way they dress, or how they carry themselves. You tend to see those qualities instead of seeing the real person.

[A]

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Are there any other types of crushes?

[B]

Yup. There is of course the celebrity crush, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is a crush on a famous person. It could be a singer or a movie star, or someone you see online. Usually you will never interact with this person in real life.

[A]

Then why do people have crushes if they don't even really know the person they like and may never actually meet them?

[B]

While it may be stressful to have a crush, it can be an important part of growing up. Crushes let you see the possibilities of romantic love, which can hopefully lead to positive experiences and relationships. As they mature.

[A]

Gotcha. Well, thank you love bug. I really loved spending this time with you, learning a lot more about love.

[B]

Thanks, trustee. I loved spending time with you and the smarty pants too. And you know, I just love talking about love.

[A]

Yep. And speaking of, I'd love to head over to my favorite pizzeria and crush some pepperoni and extra cheese slices. They just love me there.

[C]

Nom nom, nom, nom nom.

[A]

Today's shout out goes to Juan and his mummy Anne in the south of Spain. We're so happy to hear you recently started smarting with us and that you love it. We're so glad who Smarted helps make long car rides so much more fun and interesting. And thank you for subscribing to WhoSmarted plus and supporting our show by listening to the ad free version. We're thrilled to have your family as part of our smarty family this episode. Love was written by the lovely Sarah Sweetiek and voiced by Laura Rondinella, Adam TexDavis and Jerry Colber. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam texdavis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Audio production.