From Project BFF HQ, Terri + Manya riff about the science behind friend relationships.

Why are we friends with the people we are friends with? What causes that "click" when you know it's right?

Scientists have done a study (of course) that shows that friends have "remarkably similar" patterns of activity in their brains. Based on that connection, scientists we actually able to predict the strength of two people's bond based on their brain scans.

We also discuss the "rules of friendship," thanks to Oxford psychologists, Michael Argyle, and Monika Henderson wrote a paper on the topic in the 1980s.

Check out episode 33 where we talk with Jesper Algaard, founder and CEO of the Venn app, about machine learning and friendships.

Resources:

• What pushes our ‘like’ button? The revealing science behind our friendships, Amanda Hooton in the Sydney Morning Herald
• The 6 Rules of Great Friendship, Brooke Meredith on Medium.com

#BeAFriend  

*****
Thank you for listening.

After much reflection, we have made the difficult decision to shut down Project BFF and the podcast. Our last podcast episode aired on August 23, 2024. We are leaving the podcast live on Buzzsprout through the end of 2024.

We are proud of this podcast and honored to have hosted such amazing and engaging guests.

Our hope is that Project BFF and Friendshipable have inspired you to form new friendships, strengthen existing ones, and encourage others to do the same

Thank you for being a part of our story. The two of us have truly deepened our friendship during this time, and we look forward to new and memorable adventures together in and around New England, which serves as the adopted home for both of us.

With gratitude and friendship,
Manya and Terri

To contact us, you can email Manya at [email protected]