Finding and maintaining a best friend is something we seek out from childhood. It turns out it's a crucial part of being human, writes Katie Rosseinsky

What does being a 'best friend' actually mean?

In 2018, a study by academics at the University of Kansas discovered that on average, it takes more than 200 hours of time together before you consider someone your top pal 

The alliance hypothesis suggests that we’re prone to gathering allies for potential disputes (if you came of age in the mid-00s, you’ll know that curating your MySpace’s Top 8 with military precision certainly felt a lot like assembling an alliance)

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How do we form that much-mythologised BFF bond, and why do we crave it in the first place? 

Science of friendship: what does being a ‘best friend’ actually mean?