"New Study: BFF Brains Light Up The Same"

"Scientists long ago understood that 'birds of a feather flock together,'" said Carolyn Parkinson, director of the Computational Social Neuroscience Lab at UCLA. And apparently, they were right.

According to a study released Tuesday, close friends have more in common than they realize: Their brains.

That's right folks, you and your BFF really do think alike.

"Our results suggest that friends process the world around them in exceptionally similar ways," said Parkinson. "You can predict who people are friends with just by looking at how their brains respond."

The study included 42 volunteers connected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) viewing short video clips of news reports, music videos, comedy skits, and documentaries, while researchers watched neural activity in their brains. The findings? Close friends have "eerily comparable neural responses to life experiences." And as an extra added attraction, their brains light up in all the same places making them a natural match. Link: Best Friends' Brains Light Up The Same

"The closer the relationship, the more alike the neural patterns in parts of the brain governing emotional response, high-level reasoning, and the capacity to focus one's attention," the authors of the study said. And conversely, "the relationships we forge with individuals who are clearly different from us--not of our 'tribe'--tend to be practical, task-oriented and short-lived, research has shown." In other words, if you want to "know yourself" take a good, long look at your friends.

A wise man once said: "As a Christian, you should avoid anything that would compromise your relationship with Jesus. That includes entering into a relationship, business deal, or any other association that would tempt you to lower your standards or discredit your integrity. When you team up with someone who does not love and fear the Lord, that relationship can dramatically weaken you spiritually." -- Greg Laurie, Harvest Christian Fellowship

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." Proverbs 13:20

News:

• The New York Times: Oprah Winfrey Drops Russell Simmons From Spiritual Advice Book After Multiple Women Accused Him Of Sexual Misconduct
• Associated Press: Leading Islamic Scholar In Custody Amid Rape Claims In Paris
• WND: FBI Says Explosive FISA Surveillance Memo 'Accurate'; Dems did everything they could to hide info from American people