Anthropologist Helen Fisher studies gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. She’s best known as an expert on romantic love.

Why you should listen

Fisher's several books lay bare the mysteries of our most treasured emotion: its evolution, its biochemical foundations and its vital importance to human society. Fisher describes love as a universal human drive (stronger than the sex drive; stronger than thirst or hunger; stronger perhaps than the will to live), and her many areas of inquiry shed light on timeless human mysteries like why we choose one partner over another. Her classic study, Anatomy of Love, first published in 1992, has just been re-issued in a fully updated edition, including her recent neuroimaging research on lust, romantic love and attachment as well as discussions of sexting, hooking up, friends with benefits, other contemporary trends in courtship and marriage, and a dramatic current trend she calls “slow love.”

What others say

“In hands as skilled and sensitive as Fisher's, scientific analysis of love only adds to its magic.” — Scientific American

Helen Fisher’s TED talks

More news and ideas from Helen Fisher

Science

How to be lucky in love

March 28, 2018

Being lucky in love isn't like being struck by lightning -- it’s a lot less random and painful. Psychologist Barry Schwartz and biological anthropologist Helen Fisher share their opinions on the subject.

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Live from TEDSummit 2016

Things we think we know: Notes from Session 2 of TEDSummit

June 28, 2016

In Session 2, our speakers debunked received wisdom, looked critically at common knowledge — and restarted conversations we thought were closed. Here, our report:  Antique lamps, new sound. Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay opened Session 2 completely unseen. In near pitch-black darkness, broken antique lamps lit up one by one — each perfectly matched with an electronic musical […]

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Live from TEDSummit 2016

Go behind the scenes at TEDSummit all week, inside the Facebook Live Studio

June 26, 2016

Get exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to TEDSummit inside our Facebook Live Studio. Join some of your favorite TED speakers for conversational interviews — and you can ask them your questions in the comments. See everything on TED’s Facebook page as it happens: Here’s the schedule: Sunday, June 26 4pm Eastern: TED speaker coaches share public-speaking tips Monday, June 27 3:30pm Eastern: Celeste […]

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