Despite the fact that so many people profess to dislike making small talk, it turns out that talking to strangers and acquaintances can actually strengthen our mental health and enrich our lives. What do we gain from meeting new people? What have we been missing out on this past year as COVID-19 has restricted these social interactions? And how can we become better at talking to strangers? We discuss these questions with Gillian Sandstrom, PhD, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Essex who studies what she calls “minimal social interactions,” and Jon Levy, a consultant, writer and speaker who founded “the Influencers Dinner,” a regular gathering that brings together strangers who are leaders in their fields.
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Gillian Sandstrom, PhD
Jon Levy
How to cope with political stress this election season, with Brett Q. Ford, PhD, and Kevin Smith, PhD
How Sesame Street teaches kids about emotional well-being, with Rosemarie Truglio, PhD
What déjà vu can teach us about memory, with Chris Moulin, PhD
The psychology of sports fans, with Daniel Wann, PhD
You can learn new things at any age, with Rachel Wu, PhD
Understanding the mind of a serial killer, with Louis Schlesinger, PhD
Coping with family estrangement, with Lucy Blake, PhD
How to help kids navigate friendship, with Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD
Bridging the generation gap at work, with Megan Gerhardt, PhD
Expressive writing can help your mental health, with James Pennebaker, PhD
How music, memory and emotion are connected, with Elizabeth Margulis, PhD
What’s going on inside your cat’s head? With Kristyn Vitale, PhD
Designing cities to improve mental health, with Jenny Roe, PhD
Love and algorithms: The future of dating apps, with Liesel Sharabi, PhD
How video games can help kids learn and grow, with Susan Rivers, PhD
How to use AI ethically, with Nathanael Fast, PhD
How to learn from regret, with Robert Leahy, PhD
How to fail successfully, with Amy Edmondson, PhD, and Samuel West, PhD
Why diversity matters, with Robert Sellers, PhD
The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD
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