It's all about the dopamine

"We have believed that dopamine was always engaged in reward and processing the hedonic feeling," Tsien said. "What we have found is that dopamine neurons also are stimulated or respond to negative events."

I love the example they use: "Eating chocolate or falling off a building -- or just the thought of either -- can evoke production of dopamine." Yes, falling off a building would be a negative event. Scientists are so great. The language alone is worth reading white papers.

Anyway, so this could explain addiction. You might not get the great effect from the drug anymore, but your brain gets that dose of dopamine. And that's what it really wants - to be soaked in dopamine. Just in case you missed the millions of times we've talked about dopamine, what it is is a neurotransmitter in the brain, basically bringing the good (or now bad) feelings and increasing heart rate. It's that internal drug that gives you the rush feeling.

Why do we seek out that rush? That soak of dopamine? People do it in drugs and alcohol, sex, food, or even extreme sports. But why? Cause it feels good. It makes you laugh sometimes when you've avoided falling off that building. It makes you feel extra-relaxed after. We seek out things that feel good. And why not?