>> AND THATS YOUR LATEST
WEATHER.
>> AL, THANKS.
>>> NOW TO SOMETHING NEW WERE CALLING BEST FRIENDS TODAY.RE
CALLING BEST FRIENDS TODAY. EXPLORING THE SPECIAL BONDS IN
OUR LIVES.
OUR LIVES.
FRIENDSHIPS THAT CARRY US
THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AND THE
BAD.
>> JENNA BUSH HAGER IS HERE WITH
NEW RESEARCH OUT OF UCLA,
BREAKING DOWN THE SCIENCE OF FRIENDSHIP.WN THE SCIENCE OF
FRIENDSHIP.
THIS IS FASCINATING. >> IT WAS INTERESTING.
DR. PARKINSON IS EXPLORING HOW
OUR BRAIN MAKEUP CAN INFLUENCE
WHO WE ARE DRAWN TO AND
ULTIMATELY BECOME FRIENDS WITH.
I TOOK PART IN THE STUDY WITH MY
OLDEST FRIEND, TO SEE IF
CHEMISTRY AND FRIENDSHIP IS
BECAUSE OF OUR BRAINS
CHEMISTRY.
♪ NO ONE TOLD YOU LIFE WAS GONNA
BE THIS WAY
>> GLAD YOU CHOSE FRIENDSHIP.
♪ FRIENDSHIP, FRIENDSHIP >> Reporter: THE SAYING GOES,
FRIENDS ARE THE FAMILY YOU
CHOOSE.
CHOOSE.
THEY MAKE US LAUGH IN THE GOOD TIMES, HOLD US THROUGH THE BAD
ONES, AND CAN QUITE LITERALLY
HELP US SURVIVE.
STUDIES SHOW STRONG SOCIAL TIES
INCREASE YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF
SURVIVAL BY 50%.
ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF OTHER
STUDIES, FRIENDSHIP CAN HAVE
MULTIPLE HEALTH BENEFITS.
LIKE REDUCEING STRESS, LOWERING
BLOOD PRESSURE AND CLOSTHOLESTER
AND STRENGTHENING YOUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
AN ABSENCE OF SOCIAL CONNECTION
CAN CARRY THE SAME RISK AS
SMOKING 15 CIGARETTES A DAY.
FARRELL FIELDS IS ONE OF MY
CLOSEST, OLDEST, AND DEAREST FRIENDS. OLDEST, AND DEAREST
FRIENDS.
>> I THINK WEVE BEEN FRIENDS 25 YEARS.HINK WEVE BEEN FRIENDS 25
YEARS.
>> I THINK WE MET IN THE FOURTH
GRADE.
CAMP LONGHORN.
>> NOBODY THOUGHT I WAS THAT
COOL AT CAMP LONGHORN.
I WAS LOCKED OUT OF THE CABIN
NAKED.
>> YES, YOU DID.
>> I WAS VERY DRAMATIC.
>> YOU WERE VERY DRAMATIC.
I WAS LIKE, IM GOING TO MAKE
HER MY FRIEND.
I THINK SHES SUPER COOL. >> Reporter: OUR BOND FORMED AT
CAMP HAS STAYED STRONG THROUGH
HIGH SCHOOL, MARRIAGES, AND
KIDS.
KIDS.
THE DAY THAT MILA WAS BORN, YOU HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A PANIC YOU
HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A PANIC ATTACK.
ATTACK.
>> I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE YOU
WERENT ANSWERING.
>> I WAS GIVING BIRTH.
>> I KNOW.
I WAS LIKE, SHES NOT ANSWERING.
SOMETHING IS GOING ON. >> THAT DESCRIBES YOU PERFECTLY.
YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS.
YOU CHECK IN ON PEOPLE. YOU MAKE SURE THEYRE FEELING
GOOD.
GOOD.
>> Reporter: FARRELL AND I HAVE ONLY GROWN CLOSER THROUGH THEVE
ONLY GROWN CLOSER THROUGH THE YEARS.
YEARS.
ITS A TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMITMENT TO FRIENDSHIP AND OUR
LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.
YOURE VERY GOOD ABOUT STAYING
IN TOUCH.
IN TOUCH. WE HAVENT SPOKEN IN, I THINK,
TWO WEEKS, THATS STRANGE FOR
US.
US.
>> BECAUSE WE HAVE GROWN UP
TOGETHER.
WE JUST HAVE THIS UNIQUE BOND THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DONT
HAVE.
HAVE.
>> Reporter: WE FEEL LUCKY. >> IM FIERCELESS PRO LESSLY PRO
YOU, AND YOURE SUPER LOYAL TO
ME.
ME.
ITS WORKED. >> Reporter: THANK YOU FOR BEING
PROTECTIVE OF ME.
>> YOURE GOING TO MAKE ME CRY.
>> Reporter: I APPRECIATE IT.
DO THE REASONS WE CLICK GO BEYOND OUR SHARED EXPERIENCES
AND MEMORIES?
AND MEMORIES?
DR. PARKINSON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND RESEARCHER AT
UCLA, BELIEVES SO.
HER RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE
CONNECTION BETWEEN FRIENDS HAS
MORE TO DO WITH SIMILARITIES IN
OUR BRAINS WIRING AND HOW WE
PROCESS THE WORLD AROUND US.
>> PAST RESEARCH HAS BEEN
FOCUSED ON SURFACE LEVEL
CHARACTERISTICS, LIKE ARE YOU OF
THE SAME GENDER?
ARE YOU OF THE SAME ETHNICITY?
WE WANTED TO BRING IMAGING TO
SEE IF YOUR BRAINS PROCESS THE
WORLD IN AN EXCEPTIONALLY
SIMILAR WAY, COMPARED TO PEOPLE
WHO ARENT FRIENDS.
>> Reporter: USING AN MRI
MACHINE, DR. PARKINSON MONITORED
BOTH OF OUR BRAINS AS WE WATCHED
RANDOM VIDEO CLIPS.
THE GOAL WAS TO SEE IF THE SAME
REGIONS OF OUR BRAINS LIT UP AT
THE SAME POINTS DURING THE
VIDEOS.
VIDEOS.
IF THEY DID, IT WOULD PROVE THE WAY WE VIEW AND INTERACT WITHHE
WAY WE VIEW AND INTERACT WITH THE WORLD IS THE SAME.
HOW IMPORTANT IS FRIENDSHIP?
>> THERES A LOT OF WORK SHOWING
THAT IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL NEED,
LIKE FOOD, WATER, SHELTER.
SOCIAL CONNECTION IS EXACTLY THE
SAME WAY.
SAME WAY.
>> Reporter: THE NEXT DAY, WE STOP BY DR. PARKINSONS OFFICE
FOR THE RESULTS.
>> WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE IS BASICALLY A MOVIE OF THE
BRAIN ACTIVITY.
BRAIN ACTIVITY. WHEN THE COLORS ARE HOTTER, IT
MEANS THERE IS MORE BLOOD FLOW
TO THE AREA.
BRAIN WAS MORE ACTIVE IN THAT
AREA.
AREA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THEM AND COMPARE
THEM, YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF IN SYNC WITH ONEUYS
ARE KIND OF IN SYNC WITH ONE ANOTHER.
ANOTHER.
>> WE ARE COMPATIBLE?
>> YEAH, I GUESS SO. >> WE CAN BE FRIENDS FOR 25 MORE
YEARS.
YEARS.
>> GOOD.
>> Reporter: THE PATTERN IN OUR BRAINS SUGGESTED THAT FARRELLUR
BRAINS SUGGESTED THAT FARRELL AND I HAD SIMILAR RESPONSES TO
THE VIDEOS WE WERE SHOWN.
COMPARED TO THE SCANS OF TWO
PEOPLE WHO WERENT FRIENDS, AND
WHOSE BRAIN ACTIVITY DID NOT
SYNC UP.
SYNC UP. WE KNEW THE RESULTS WOULD BE
THIS WAY.
THIS WAY.
WE HOPED. WE WERENT GOING TO END OUR
FRIENDSHIP IF THEY WERENT.
>> WELL STAY FRIENDS.
>> IF YOULL HAVE ME.
>> I WILL HAVE YOU.
>> THERE ARE ALL THESE STUDIES
ON FRIENDSHIP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE LONELIER NOW MORE
THAN EVER.
THAN EVER. FRIENDSHIP ALSO MAKES YOU WORK
HARDER, BY THE WAY.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL FRIENDS AT
WORK HAVE ONLY A 1 IN 12 CHANCE
OF FEELING -- IF YOU DONT HAVE
REAL FRIENDS -- 1 IN 12 CHANCE
OF FEELING ENGAGED.
THOSE WHO HAVE BEST FRIENDS ARE
SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO FEEL
ENGAGED.
ENGAGED.
>> INTERESTING.
>> I HAVE TO SAY, ONE OF THE BEST SURPRISES ABOUT THIS JOB,
IS ALL OF YALL.
I MEAN, I FEEL THAT WAY.
YALL ARE SOME OF MY BESTIES.
THATS WHY WE WORK SO HARD.
>> WE DO.
>> WE DO. >> LIGHT?RIGHT?
>> LIGHT?RIGHT? >> DOESNT FEEL LIKE WORK.
WE ALL FEEL TIGHT.
>> IN THE AGE OF FACEBOOK
FRIENDS, WERE LOANNELYLONELIER?
>> SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, IS
DRIVING US APART.
>> REACH OUT TO YOUR BEST
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS.
>> YES.
>> OR REACH OUT TO A NEW FRIEND.