ISU scientists reflect on matters of the heart

by Linda Charles

In the beginning
What do two Christian martyrs and a pagan festival have in common? Valentine's Day. There were at least two St. Valentines, both martyred sometime in the second half of the third century. Their deaths were commemorated with a feast day on Feb. 14. Add to that the Feast of Lupercalia (celebrated in ancient Rome on Feb. 15), when scantily clad young males performed an ancient fertility rite of striking women with strips of goat skin. Eventually, these events merged into St. Valentine's Day.
Source: David Hunter, philosophy and religious studies


She's mine
The "Love Bug" is really a fly, so named because the male and female remain physically coupled after mating. The continued coupling isn't so much a matter of love as it is to keep the female from mating with another male.
Source: Marlin Rice, entomology


Heart flutters
When you're falling in love, your heart really does beat faster. It's your body's reaction to being excited, which is a form of stress. Your blood pressure goes up a bit, too. Things settle down, once the infatuation stage is over.

Source: Warren Franke, health and human performance


Handle with care
Don't worry about your love being pricked by a rose. Reputable florists remove the thorns before selling the flowers. The number of thorns on a rose stem varies by type. Outdoor roses have a lot more thorns than indoor varieties. The thorns help keep predators away.
Source: Richard Gladon, horticulture


So many memories
It's true, women remember special days, like Valentine's, better than men. That's because women's brains more closely link autobiographic and emotional information than men's. So, when a woman has an emotional response to something (like getting roses), she's going to remember it, and likely the day it happened.
Source: Alison Morris, psychology


Sweet heart
That heart-shaped box of chocolates may contain some health benefits. Research indicates chocolate could have a protective effect against heart disease, help lower cholesterol and fight cancer. Dark chocolate is more likely to have these effects than milk chocolate. But before you load up on the sweet confection, you need to know that the research is in its early stages.
Source: Suzanne Hendrich, food science and human nutrition