Why close friends matter | Top 10

+ Bach's creepiest composition; medieval medicine lives on US Edition - Today's top story: Friendship research is getting an update – and that's key for dealing with the loneliness epidemic [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [It’s not just about facts: Democrats and Republicans have sharply different attitudes about removing misinformation from social media]( - [Israel-Hamas war puts China’s strategy of ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the Middle East at risk]( Not so long ago, one of my weekly joys was a Sunday run with my best friend, Marc. I would trek into Manhattan from the Bronx, and we’d do a lap – or two, when I was more fit – around Central Park, and he’d treat me to a cappuccino afterward or maybe breakfast with his wife and young son. It’s become a lot harder now that I’ve moved to the ‘burbs, but I still try to join him for a run when I can. I know how lucky I am to have such a good friend at a time when many men report having fewer close buds than in the past. But having strong relationships is also vitally important to mental and physical health. Boise State behavioral scientist Jessica D. Ayers explains how people can cultivate such beneficial – and powerful – relationships. In one of last week’s articles that most engaged readers, including me, she recaps [the evolving understanding of how these relationships develop]( – and why it makes a lot of sense that, for me as a male, my closest friend is also my running buddy. Later this week, we’ll bring you stories about shifting political strategies around abortion, the brain science around word retrieval, and our ongoing coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks Despite stereotypes to the contrary, men can prefer close, one-on-one friendships. Westend61 via Getty Images [Friendship research is getting an update – and that’s key for dealing with the loneliness epidemic]( Jessica D. Ayers, Boise State University Psychology researchers have focused on the idea that people form friendships with those who are similar, familiar and nearby. But how do individual people pick those who will become their friends? - [American individualism lives on after death, as consumers choose new ways to put their remains to rest]( Diana Blaine, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences For some people, the decision over how to dispose of their body represents one last adventure – and one last consumer choice, a scholar explains. - [Rupert Murdoch’s empire was built on a shrewd understanding of how media and power work]( Bruce Drushel, Miami University As Rupert Murdoch prepares to hand over the keys to his media empire, what will his legacy be? - [Jewish response to Hamas war criticism comes from deep sense of trauma, active grief and fear]( Dov Waxman, University of California, Los Angeles Many people who aren’t Jewish are responding as if what’s been taking place is just another episode of Israeli-Palestinian violence. But it’s different for many Jews. - [Cancer has many faces − 5 counterintuitive ways scientists are approaching cancer research to improve treatment and prevention]( Vivian Lam, The Conversation From math to evolutionary game theory, looking at cancer through different lenses can offer further insights on how to approach treatment resistance, metastasis and health disparities. Editors' picks In Bach’s era, the pipe organ was one of the world’s most technologically advanced instruments. Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images [How Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor became Halloween’s theme song]( Megan Sarno, University of Texas at Arlington The famous composer certainly didn’t have haunted houses in mind when he wrote the piece. - [Modern medicine has its scientific roots in the Middle Ages − how the logic of vulture brain remedies and bloodletting lives on today]( Meg Leja, Binghamton University, State University of New York Your doctor’s MD emerged from the Dark Ages, where practicing rational “human medicine” was seen as an expression of faith and maintaining one’s health a religious duty. - [Defending space for free discussion, empathy and tolerance on campus is a challenge during Israel-Hamas war]( David Mednicoff, UMass Amherst A scholar of the Mideast at a large public university says that caring and a commitment to free speech have been central to his campus’s response to students upset and angry over the Israel-Hamas war. - [Collaborative water management can be a building block for peace between Israelis and Palestinians]( Clive Lipchin, Tel Aviv University; Richard Friend, University of York As the war between Hamas and Israel grinds forward, two experts explain how Israelis and Palestinians have cooperated to tackle their region’s water challenges. - [Gaza bombing adds to the generations of Palestinians displaced from their homes]( Michael Vicente Perez, University of Memphis A scholar who has studied Palestinian refugees for 20 years explains the history of their displacement and the stakes involved for those living in an indefinite exile. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on AI, Houthis and spookiness. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](