The 17 Happiest Science Facts Of All Time

1. Lovers’ heartbeats synchronise when they stare into each other’s eyes.

Scientists got 32 couples to sit and face each other for three minutes (not all at the same time, we presume). After the time was up, the heart rates of the couples were in sync. They didn’t sync for people not involved in romantic relationships.

2. That warm feeling you get when you read nice messages from your friends and family actually makes you feel warmer.

3. Expressing your gratitude to other people has been shown to make you happier.

So has writing down three good things about your day every evening.

4. Lions cuddle and rub heads to maintain their friendships.

Life is harsh for lions, but at least they have their friends.

5. Whales and dolphins have been known to have interspecies friendships.

6. Humpback whales form lifelong friendships.

7. Even sharks make friends.

8. There’s a nebula that looks like a manatee, so scientists renamed it the Manatee Nebula in a special ceremony.

9. Astronauts grew a rose in space just to see if it would smell different than a rose on Earth.

And it did! Volatile compounds that make a flower smell a certain way act differently in microgravity.

10. Falling in love raises levels of nerve growth factor, a protein important for maintaining the central nervous system.

11. Chimpanzees build a new tree nest to sleep in every night and use the softest leaves as a pillow.

12. Science has shown that some things are just so cute you can’t help but want to squeeze them.

14. Dung beetles can use the Milky Way to navigate.

15. This loggerhead turtle was given prosthetic flippers after losing her own, and now she can swim again.

16. During the Ice Age, 32,000 years ago, a squirrel buried a seed. Now the seed has been used to grow a flower.

17. And of course, almost every element in your body was made in an exploding star.

Which means we really are all made of stardust.