New research from the University of Virginia suggests that not only is empathy hardwired in our brains, but also that our brains process information about ourselves and our friends in a very similar way. In this study, led by neuroscientist Jim Coan and his colleagues, 22 young adults, an opposite sex friend and study personnel (so-called strangers) were subjected to the threat of electric shock while the participants’ brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).