Drinking can make us feel good. It can also make us feel very, very bad. Like, want-to-die, wish-we-were-never-born bad. For such a simple dichotomy, the science behind drinking is more complicated than you might think.

Neuroscientist Shannon Odell puts your education above her sobriety to explain how alcohol affects the brain. She explores the different chemical reactions that make us feel happy, wobbly, free of inhibitions, sick, and, sometimes, act like your crazy aunt. One drink per hour is all your body can effectively metabolize, so if you’ve ever had two drinks in less than 60 minutes, you’re pushing it. Three to five drinks is when things start to get messy. After that, it all gets a little blurry.

Safety Warning: We did the experiment so you don’t have to.