Lemondrop

Whether you're moonily pining over the main man in your life or thinking of all the ways in which you despise your slovenly roommate, the same parts of your brain are at work. Scientists have discovered that when it comes to brain chemistry, there's a thin line between love and hate.

A recent report suggests that the brain's response to loathing is almost the same as it is to romantic love. The researchers hooked up 17 men and women to brain scanners and showed them an assortment of pictures of old flames, rotten co-workers, frenemies and one controversial president (middle initial "W").

Scientists identified a pattern called the "hate circuit" that was activated when the subjects viewed people they felt strongly about one way or another. To save you from science-term overload, that's basically a part of the brain that lights up like a Lite-Brite when triggered.

The important anatomical parts here are the putamen and insula -- regions that are linked to aggression and distress and are equally activated by love or hate. But, while the opposite emotions have some surprising similarities, the most notable difference is the absence of cerebral cortex activity in love. That's right: The area of your brain that's linked to judgment and reasoning has no part in romance.

Now we understand why we're such mushy morons until we're out of a relationship. We're done judging you now, Anne Hathaway.