Hi, we're here from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes.

I'm Cody Guff.

And I'm Ashley Hamer.

Today, you learn about the key ingredients for forging a friendship,

why it's so hard to make decisions with friends,

and what it would mean if dark matter doesn't exist

and the law of gravity is wrong.

Let's satisfy some curiosity.

Back in kindergarten, friendship was easy. You asked the kid next to you to be your friend and the deal was done.

But as people get older, it gets harder to make new friends.

Luckily, sociologists have discovered the three simple ingredients needed to form lasting friendships.

I'll get into each one, but here they are.

Location, Opportunity for Interaction, and Timing.

Let's start with Location. Friendships are more likely

to form between people who live or work in the same office, neighborhood, or city. The closer

the better. One study found that married students living in a housing complex were most

likely to speak to people living in the same building and even more likely to speak to

those living on the same floor. Of course people make plenty of meaningful online friendships, but research suggests that these

friendships lack some of the depth and commitment of traditional friendships. So it's definitely

worth the effort to connect offline as well.

Of course, living in the same city won't help a friendship blossom if you're missing the second ingredient.

Opportunities for interaction.

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