By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Poets, songwriters and playwrights have all had their say about love, so why not a science writer?

“Crazy little thing called love…”

Queen was in the ballpark with that one, according to Kayt Sukel, author of the book, Dirty Minds, How our Brains Influence Love, Sex and Relationships. She finds that a lot of what we call “chemistry” is actually, well, chemistry — as in various hormones coursing through our brains.

“But there’s still a lot of romance and mystery. And, I have to say, isn’t it something that all of these little chemicals and our brain cells and our bodies and the way that we interact can create this feeling that can be both so euphoric and also so devastating.”

At first, scientists recoiled at the very idea of trying to measure or define love, but now a lot of its biochemistry has been pinned down.

Sukel doesn’t think that spoils the fun. “I honestly found it very liberating and it really sort of changed my way of dating and way of assessing potential companions. I go a lot with my guy and maybe what my body and my brain is unconsciously trying to tell me about somebody.”

Part of her sex research was self-stimulation in a medical scanner, a new way of willing one’s body to science.