THE CUP THAT CHEERS:

In one study, over 700 male and female social drinkers were divided into groups of three strangers and instructed to drink for 36 minutes.

The participants thought the drinks were a prelude to the experiment, but researchers were observing what they did at the table. Initially, the strangers did not smile much. But as they consumed their vodka cranberry drinks, their expressions changed. They not only smiled more, but also caught each other’s smiles, and spoke more in succession. And they shared more of what researchers called ‘golden moments’ when all three strangers smiled as one.

As Edward Slingerland notes in his magisterial book, Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization, alcohol and the social bonding it creates may be the reason for civilization.