By now, we all know that alcohol is basically social lubricant in a bottle.

It smooths out the rough edges, adds a touch of charisma you don’t actually possess, and makes that guy from accounting seem hilarious.

But is drinking with others actually more fun? Or is that just the booze whispering sweet nothings in your ear? A new study published in Psychopharmacology (Molla et al., 2024) suggests that, yes, alcohol makes social interactions feel better—but the magic really happens when both people are drinking.

This is great news if your idea of a good time involves cocktails and camaraderie. It’s also, perhaps, a cautionary tale.

Is love just a code to crack?

For centuries, love has been treated as a mystical force, governed by fate, chemistry, or the divine. And yet, here we are in 2025, with relationship advice being handed out by AI chatbots and dating apps running on machine-learning models designed to optimize romance.

Which raises the question: Is love really hackable? Can a relationship be "optimized" like a tech startup, with a set of rules, inputs, and algorithms to ensure long-term success?

The short answer: Kind of. The long answer: Love isn’t math, but it does have patterns—and science is pretty good at spotting them.

Let’s dive into the "love algorithm" and see if we can use relationship science to engineer (or at least troubleshoot) a happy partnership.

Love is a marathon, not a sprint (and you’re both carrying groceries).

At some point in every long-term relationship, there comes a shocking revelation: love isn’t self-sustaining. That intoxicating early romance? It fades.

The “spark” everyone talks about? It’s not actually lost—it just got buried under laundry, mortgage payments, and a vague but ever-present resentment over the way your partner loads the dishwasher.

This isn’t because love is a cruel trick of evolution, baiting us into pair-bonding only to dump us into emotional entropy.

It’s because relationships require work, and not the glamorous kind you see in rom-coms where a grand gesture fixes everything in the third act.

It’s the quiet, daily, hidden labor that keeps love alive—work that often goes unrecognized, undervalued, and, unfortunately, unequally distributed.

The question is: Why does maintaining a relationship feel like a full-time job? And how can we make sure it doesn’t turn into unpaid emotional labor?

Let’s unpack what social science has to say about the hidden work of love, why it’s necessary, and how to make it a little less exhausting.

Nathan had a talent for predicting disaster. If there was a worst-case scenario, he’d already mapped it out. Flight delay? He packed extra snacks and a toothbrush.

Heavy rain in the forecast? His car trunk had a spare poncho, just in case. If his favorite team made the playoffs, he preemptively mourned their inevitable loss.

“I don’t just expect things to go wrong—I plan for it,” he told me in session.

In his mind, expecting disappointment was just practical. “If you assume people will let you down, you’re never blindsided when they do.”

When things miraculously went well, it was a fluke, an exception. But when they didn’t? At least he’d been right. There was a certain grim satisfaction in that.

Nathan’s pessimism wasn’t just a personality quirk—it was a cognitive habit that reinforced itself.

Scientists, those tireless chroniclers of our messy human desires, have concluded that yes, sex leaves a glow brighter than a neon sign on a rainy night (Meltzer et al., 2017).

This “sexual afterglow” lasts for at least 24 hours, sometimes longer—science’s version of a warm-and-fuzzy fortune cookie (Dolan, 2025).

But here’s where it gets deliciously complicated. Mutual initiation—when both partners say, “Let’s dance”—yields the longest, brightest afterglow.

Let's talk about love, shall we?

It turns out that romantic relationships are more than just candlelit dinners and cute texts; they might hold the key to a woman’s psychological well-being.

A recent study from Behavioral Sciences set out to crack the code on what really makes women feel good in their romantic partnerships.

The researchers behind this study, Elif Yöyen, Süreyya Çalık, and Tülay Güneri Barış, weren’t content with surface-level answers.

They wanted the whole messy, beautiful picture. Their mission? To figure out how empathy, sexual satisfaction, relationship stability, intimacy, and even having kids influence women’s mental well-being.

For centuries, humanity has debated what makes someone irresistible.Is it charm? Intelligence? The ability to make a perfect cup of coffee at 7 a.m. without speaking a word?

Well, science is here to rain on the poetry parade with a firm, evidence-based conclusion: it’s strength.

According to a new study published in Evolution and Human Behavior, people with stronger upper bodies tend to have more sexual partners over their lifetimes.

Men with superior grip strength were not only more likely to have more romantic partners but also more likely to be in long-term, committed relationships.

Women with stronger upper bodies? Same deal—more partners overall.

Yes, folks. The humble hand grip, that unsung hero of physical fitness, might just be one of the biggest predictors of mating success.

Forget the six-pack and the chiseled jawline—the ability to squeeze stuff really hard is apparently the secret to love.

It’s a Tuesday night, and you’re holding a bingo card, dabbing away like your cognitive health depends on it, because It might.

A new study from Rush University Medical Center suggests that being a social butterfly—even if your wings only take you to bingo night, Sunday brunch, or the local diner—could delay dementia by a whopping five years.

That’s five extra years of remembering your grandkids’ names, finding your car in the parking lot, and generally keeping your marbles where they belong.

Here’s some trending news. Love doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

In a world where inflation is up, rent is sky-high, and student loans loom like storm clouds, dating can feel like yet another financial burden.

Let’s talk about affordating—the art of keeping romance alive without breaking the bank.

Whether you're in a new relationship or keeping the spark alive in a long-term one, creative and budget-friendly dating can strengthen your bond just as much (if not more) than expensive nights out.

If the thought of aging conjures images of rocking chairs and watching the paint dry, it's time to update your mental picture.

New research is flipping the script on later life, proving that growing older can be less about decline and more about shine.

At the heart of this revelation is a little gem called generativity—the concern for nurturing and guiding future generations. And it turns out, the more generativity you’ve got, the better your life tends to be.

According to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, generativity is a psychological powerhouse, linked to greater well-being and purpose.

Researchers like Mohsen Joshanloo—academic extraordinaire and breaker of ageist stereotypes—are digging into what makes some older adults more generative than others.

What Is Generativity, Anyway?

Ready to take the plunge into the icy waters of mental clarity and sweet dreams?

A new study published in Physiology & Behavior suggests that regular cold-water immersion might just be the frosty miracle you never knew you needed. By dunking themselves in chilly 10°C water three times a week for four weeks, participants experienced improved cognitive function, better sleep, and even a little less worrying. Yes, we're talking about willingly jumping into what most of us would classify as "nope" territory.

But let’s face it—cold-water immersion has been a rising trend, with influencers, athletes, and your neighbor who swears by "polar plunges" singing its praises.

While most people associate it with physical recovery, researchers are now diving deeper (pun very much intended) into its effects on the brain and overall well-being. And guess what? It turns out there might be some icy truth to the hype.

If your daily brew leans unsweetened, your brain might just thank you.

Recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that unsweetened caffeinated coffee could be your secret weapon against Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and Parkinson’s disease.

Before you toss in that sugar packet, let’s unpack why your bittersweet cup might be the key to better brain health.

Coffee and Neuroprotection: What’s Brewing?