Have you ever wondered why you can become revved up and an exuberant risk taker, when flying high, or hesitant and risk-adverse, when cowering from your losses in the stock market? We have the impression that it is our deliberative mind that makes the most important decisions in our life: where we work, where we live, whom we marry. But contrary to this, biological evidence points toward a decision process in our brain system—the basal ganglia—brain circuits that consciousness cannot access. For a better understanding of this, let’s dive deep into the biology of risky behavior (money, food, and sex). Dopamine the pleasure molecule Buried deep in our mid-brain is a small collection of neurons that is important for decision making and these neurons, in the impatient part of our brain, release a neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Dopamine is an intriguing molecule that fuels an almost addictive love of exploration and physical risk taking.  Not only does it surge most ......