Sometimes a phone call is as good as being there

Some researchers stressed some adolescent girls by making them give an impromptu speech and solve a series of math problems in front of a panel of strangers. Their cortisol levels soared. Then some were comforted by hugs from mom, some by a phone call from mom, and some watched an emotionally neutral movie.

The interesting result was that the phone call increased oxytocin and reduced cortisol as much as the hug from mom.

Oxytocin: A wonder drug

We already knew that oxytocin

• Induces labor
• Bonds mom and baby
• Is released copiously during orgasm
• Makes you trust people more, and therefore makes negotiators come to deals easier
• Allows Aspergers kids to understand other people's intentions

Now it turns out that getting oxytocin in a nasal spray makes men more empathetic. We gotta find a way to put this into the water supply, or at least make it available in an over-the-counter spray. We could wear it like perfume.