How does marriage vary across economic systems? Do partners exchange beauty for status? Why do perceptions of a potential partner change over time? Paul and Eli pay homage to the one-and-only Jane Austen by revisiting the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. For show notes, click here. Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel. Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons Artwork by Katie Keil
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49:18
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49:18
High Fidelity (2000)
Are mismatched couples doomed? Why is it essential to calibrate our expectations? What happens when we seek closure on past relationships? Paul and Eli revisit High Fidelity—the seminal text that proclaimed “What really matters is what you like” —and find themselves on a semi-traumatic trip down memory lane. For show notes, click here. Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel. Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons Artwork by Katie Keil
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52:40
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52:40
Materialists (2025)
What happens when we treat dating like a business proposition? How important is height in determining a man’s desirability? If love isn’t “the math,” then what is it? Paul and Eli race from Celine Song’s Materialists to the recording booth, hoping to make sense of the modern dating landscape. For show notes, click here. Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel. Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons Artwork by Katie Keil
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50:08
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50:08
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Is romantic love like an addiction? What is the nature of anti-gay prejudice? How do people come to understand their own sexual identity? Paul and Eli revisit “Brokeback Mountain” in preparation for its 20-year theatrical re-release, while marveling at some truly legendary performances. For show notes, click here. Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel. Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons Artwork by Katie Keil
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54:10
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54:10
Deep Dive: Grand Romantic Gestures
The first Love Factually Deep Dive! Grand romantic gestures pervade romance films. Are they effective? Are they sometimes unethical? Cornell professor Vanessa Bohns (You Have More Influence Than You Think) and bestselling author Dan Pink (The Power of Regret) join Paul and Eli for a freewheeling discussion that reaches some unexpected conclusions.
We're just two professors standing in front of a rom-com, asking it to be the subject of our podcast. Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel explain what your favorite romantic films get right -- and wrong -- about the science of romance.
Because it's time for scientists to take Ryan Gosling as seriously as you do.
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