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
Can a “growth mindset” help students achieve their potential? With David Yeager, PhD
What is it like to remember every day of your life? With Michael Yassa, PhD, and Markie Pasternak
Your Brain Is Not What You Think It Is, with Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD
How to cope with climate anxiety, with Thomas Doherty, PsyD, and Ashlee Cunsolo, PhD
Suicide Prevention, with Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD
What Makes Things Funny? With Peter McGraw, PhD
How the threat of disease has shaped human behavior, with Mark Schaller, PhD
What COVID-19 is teaching us about the importance of smell, with Pamela Dalton, PhD
How We’re Coping One Year into the Pandemic, with Vaile Wright, PhD
How meditation can help you live a flourishing life, with Richard Davidson, PhD
What studying twins can teach us about ourselves, with Nancy Segal, PhD
How children's amazing brains shaped humanity, with Alison Gopnik, PhD
The science of relationships, with Gary Lewandowski, PhD
Can “brain training” games sharpen your mental skills? With Aaron Seitz, PhD
What is it like to be face blind? With Joe DeGutis, PhD, and Sadie Dingfelder
Positive Psychology in a Pandemic, with Martin Seligman, PhD
Why people believe in conspiracy theories, with Karen Douglas, PhD
How the Science of Habits Can Help Us Keep Our New Year’s Resolutions, with Wendy Wood, PhD
Encore: Why boredom is surprisingly interesting, with Erin Westgate, PhD
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