Discover the Power of Friendship with these 12 Fascinating Fun Facts!

1. Tickle Fights Strengthen Friendships

Next time you're prepping for a tickle fight, consider its benefits for friendship: A study from the University of North Carolina revealed that shared laughter, rather than laughter in general, strengthens relationships by fostering a sense of connection and similarity between the chuckling comrades, ultimately easing everyday interactions and providing a solid foundation for navigating difficult conversations.
Source => greatergood.berkeley.edu

2. Oxytocin: The Frenemy Hormone

Turns out the "love hormone" is a bit of a frenemy: Although oxytocin is commonly linked to feelings of trust and friendship, recent research reveals that its effects are largely dependent on social situations, potentially leading to negative sentiments toward those outside one's social circle – making its role in friendships a lot more complicated than we assumed.
Source => psycom.net

Did you know that love is a roller-coaster ride powered by brain chemicals like dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, causing euphoria, obsession and even potential blind spots in relationships? Discover the sweet, wild science behind love!

=> Fun Facts about Love

3. No Oxytocin Boost in Dog-Human Interactions

Hold on to your fetch toys, dog lovers: Contrary to popular belief, a study discovered that oxytocin levels in both dogs and humans don't significantly increase after positive social interactions, regardless of whether it's a BFF or just a casual acquaintance. This finding suggests we might need to paws and reconsider the methodologies used to investigate oxytocin in dog-human interactions.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

4. Dolphin Divas Whistle Their Names

Step aside, Mariah Carey, for dolphins are the true divas of the ocean, whistling their own theme songs: Bottlenose dolphins actually use unique signature whistles to identify themselves and communicate with others in their social group throughout their lives, showcasing their impressive cognitive abilities as a species.
Source => theguardian.com

5. Fungusbook: Redwoods' Social Network

Who needs Facebook when you've got Fungusbook?: Redwoods and mycorrhizal fungi form a mutualistic bond, wherein the fungi's mycelium combines with the tree roots, resulting in an efficient nutrient and moisture absorption system while providing the fungi with sugars from the tree. This creates a complex "wood wide web" network, similar to the internet, aiding plant life in the forest with information and nutrient exchange.
Source => nps.gov

6. Win Standoffs with Steady Eye Contact

Ever been in a stare down with a pesky salesman, feeling like you're in a wild west standoff with pistols drawn? Worry not, partner: Research shows that direct eye contact can actually bolster your resistance to persuasion, making you less likely to be swayed by attempts to influence you. So next time you're caught in a negotiating tango or a difficult conversation, keeping your gaze steady could just be your secret weapon!
Source => betterup.com

7. Friendship Chemistry Elements

If meeting new friends feels like chemistry class all over again, don't worry: you're not the only one experimenting! In a study on friendship chemistry, it turns out people with agreeable, open, and conscientious personalities have a higher chance of bonding right away. Factors like mutual interests, reciprocal candor, personableness, similarity, and even physical attraction all affect how quickly these buddy bonds form, with gender, age, and ethnicity also playing a part. So, here's to finding your perfect "element" in the periodic table of friendship!
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

8. Heartbeats Synchronize in Love

If Romeo's heart sang like a lark for Juliet at dawn, it's probably because it was literally in tune with her heartbeat: Research has revealed that heart rhythms of couples in long-term, loving relationships tend to synchronize when they are near each other, and this synchronization also extends to mothers and their infants across their nervous systems, heart rhythms, and behaviors, with social connectedness playing a crucial role in improved public health, increased longevity, and overall happiness.
Source => lifespa.com

9. Friendships Lower Anxiety & Depression Risks

Friends: the secret ingredient to happiness soup, the anchor keeping you from floating away in the sea of teenage angst, the human swiss army knife that won't let you down: Studies have actually found that nurturing close friendships during adolescence can lower the risk of experiencing anxiety or depression in the future. So be sure to stock up on those buddies, people!
Source => mentalhealthfirstaid.org

10. Tudor England's King's Toilet Assistant

Forget the royal flush: back in Tudor England, the Groom of the Stool was the crème de la crème of court positions, responsible for aiding the king with his…erm…thronely duties. No joke: while the groom's exact responsibilities are debated, they most likely included handing over necessary items and keeping tabs on the king's health, eventually evolving into a virtual minister of the royal treasury with significant influence in fiscal policy. Now that's a dirty job with a clean payoff!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Tarsiers' Ultrasonic BBQ Party

When tarsiers get together for a backyard BBQ, the only thing on the menu is moth-steaks and katydid-kebabs, and their party music is bumping with ultrasonic bangers only they can hear: The tarsier, a wee primate, boasts the ability to detect ultrasonic waves up to 70 kHz, allowing them to hunt ultrasonic-communicating prey like moths and katydids while also using these secret sound frequencies for their own communication undetected by predators.
Source => petshealthmag.com

12. Monkey Business Makes Bigger Brains

Who says you can't monkey around and still be a brainiac? The rhesus macaques have got it all figured out: A study found that those with larger social networks had an increased brain structure related to social decision-making and bonding, developing over time through social interactions and expanding their smarty-pants circuits.
Source => zmescience.com