The Love Hypothesis

Olive Smith is a biology PhD candidate at Stanford, buried in pancreatic cancer research and trying to be a good friend to fellow student Anh. When she discovers Anh likes her old crush Jeremy, Olive stages an impulsive kiss with Adam Carlsen, the department’s famously intimidating professor, to prove she has moved on. Their fake relationship quickly becomes a structured experiment, complete with rules, shared schedules, and awkward public displays. As campus gossip spreads and long days in the lab turn into unexpectedly tender moments, this romantic comedy leans into nerdy humor, sharp banter, and the slow, uncertain work of trusting someone new.