Picture this: it’s a cold February day in Ithaca, and you’re sitting in a cafe sipping a steaming drink over your homework. By chance, you look up from your problem set and meet the gaze of a cute stranger across the room. Your heart starts beating fast and you experience that all-too-familiar feeling of butterflies in your stomach. As you debate whether to approach this person, your nucleus accumbens — commonly known as the brain’s “reward center” — starts releasing dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasurable experiences like getting a good grade or eating delicious food, according to Prof. Alex Ophir, psychology.  At the same time, the hormones oxytocin —…