Main content
Pleasure: Why We Like the Things We Like
The science of pleasure and why we like the things that we like. Mike Williams finds out how our pleasure circuit can be triggered by some obvious and not so obvious things.
Why do we like the things that we like? At the root of it is 3, 4 -Dihydroxyphenethylamine - or Dopamine - a chemical produced by the nerve cells in the brain to signal to others. But as Mike Williams finds out our pleasure circuit can be triggered by some obvious and not so obvious things.
(Photo: a young woman listens to music on headphones. Credit to Shutterstock)
Last on
Mon 15 Feb 201614:32GMT
BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East, West and Central Africa, East and Southern Africa, East Asia & South Asia only
Clip
![]()
Why does funk music make us want to dance?
Duration: 02:18
Broadcasts
- Fri 12 Feb 201620:32GMTBBC World Service UK DAB/Freeview, Online, Europe and the Middle East & Americas and the Caribbean only
- Fri 12 Feb 201621:32GMTBBC World Service West and Central Africa, East Asia, Australasia & South Asia only
- Mon 15 Feb 201602:32GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 15 Feb 201603:32GMTBBC World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & East Asia only
- Mon 15 Feb 201604:32GMTBBC World Service South Asia
- Mon 15 Feb 201605:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Mon 15 Feb 201607:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
- Mon 15 Feb 201613:32GMTBBC World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Mon 15 Feb 201614:32GMTBBC World Service Europe and the Middle East, West and Central Africa, East and Southern Africa, East Asia & South Asia only
Podcast
![]()
The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions




