23 articles
Having a baby doesn't just change your sleep schedule — it quietly dismantles your social world. Here's the science of what happens to your friendships when you become a parent, and a practical playbook for rebuilding community from scratch.
Mika Torres·
You feel closer to your CrossFit classmates than friends you've known for years. That's not an accident — it's cardiac synchrony, shared suffering, and a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle. Here's the 3-layer framework behind why sweat builds bonds faster than almost anything else.
Ren Castillo·
The standard loneliness advice is to get out there and meet people. The science has a sneakier suggestion: turn your attention outward and give something away. Here's the surprisingly robust evidence that kindness and volunteering reduce loneliness — in the giver.
Jules Nakamura·
Most of us confuse solitude with loneliness — and spend our lives chasing a kind of social life that was never going to nourish us. The science reveals a more honest distinction, and a quieter path forward.
Sage Lindgren·
You've been meaning to have people over for months. Science says stop waiting — sharing a meal is one of the most powerful community-building tools available, and a potluck is the lowest-stakes way to do it.
Mika Torres·
Your friendship network isn't shrinking because something's wrong with you. It's following a predictable arc — and knowing where you are on it changes everything about how you tend it.
Dani Okafor·
You can live ten feet from someone for five years and never actually meet them. Here's the science of what it actually takes to turn proximity into community — and a practical playbook for the person ready to make it happen.
Mika Torres·
We tend to think of warmth toward others as a personality trait — something you either have or you don't. The science says otherwise. Here's what loving-kindness research reveals about the trainable inner orientation that changes how connected you feel.
Sage Lindgren·
Being ghosted stings. But the science says it's usually inertia, not cruelty — and there's a practical protocol for both sides. Here's exactly what to do when a connection goes silent.
Ren Castillo·
Having a baby is one of the most joyful things in a life — and one of the most socially disruptive. Here's the science behind the friendship fade, why new-parent bonds form so fast, and a practical framework for building the village from scratch.
Mika Torres·
Sibling bonds are the longest relationships most of us will ever have — yet adult drift is nearly universal. Here's the science behind why it happens, and a practical playbook for reinvesting before the distance becomes permanent.
Mika Torres·
Faith communities produce some of the most durable social bonds on earth. The mechanisms behind them — awe, synchronized ritual, meaning-infused service — are well-documented social science. Here's the playbook, for believers and non-believers alike.
Mika Torres·
Fandom gets dismissed as parasocial noise — but the science says something different. Here's what happens in a crowd of people who love the same thing, and why your fellow fan might be the most underrated connection opportunity in your life.
Dani Okafor·
Your rec league isn't just a workout. Here's the science behind why group physical activity is one of the most powerful community-building tools available — and a practical checklist for turning sweat sessions into actual belonging.
Mika Torres·
You could have grabbed takeout alone. Instead, you stayed. Here's why eating together does something to humans that no other shared activity quite replicates — and how to use it deliberately.
Dani Okafor·
Your earliest friendships were doing invisible developmental work — and the science says what they taught you still shapes every connection you'll ever make. Here's what childhood social bonds reveal about the hidden grammar of closeness.
Sage Lindgren·
Most people invest in friendships and family — and overlook the one developmental relationship research says shapes us most. Here's the science behind mentorship bonds, and five practical moves to build yours.
Jules Nakamura·
Your chosen family might matter more than your biological one — and the science agrees. Here's how chosen families actually form, why they work, and how to deliberately build yours.
Jules Nakamura·
The pressure to be socially abundant misses the point. Here's what neuroscience says about the power of a small, close circle — and why introverts' deepest instincts may be better calibrated than they've been told.
Sage Lindgren·
Retirement, loss, and life transitions quietly dismantle the structures that kept us socially wired. Here's what the science says actually works — and a practical checklist for building meaningful connection in later life.
Mika Torres·
Your barista probably liked that conversation more than you think — and the science backs it up. Here's what research on weak ties and the "liking gap" means for your Tuesday morning routine.
Jules Nakamura·
How connected your teenager feels at school turns out to predict their mental health for a decade. Here's what the research says — and what adults in their lives can actually do about it.
Dani Okafor·
Your neighborhood is packed with connection infrastructure — parks, clubs, events, and programs. Here's a practical framework for actually plugging in and using it.
Ren Castillo·