A whiff of tears reduces male aggression – study

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Watching someone cry often evokes an emotional response, but according to a new study published Thursday, human tears themselves contain a chemical signal that reduces brain activity linked to aggression.

The research was carried out by the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and appeared in PLOS Biology, a US science journal. Though it involved female tears because women made themselves available as donors, it probably isn't a sex-dependent effect, the authors say.

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