In this episode, my guest is Dr. Kay Tye, Ph.D., Professor of Systems Neurobiology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. We discuss the neural circuit basis of social interactions and loneliness. We also discuss how animals and people establish themselves in a group hierarchy by rank and how the brain responds to dominance and subordination.

Much of our discussion relates to how social media impacts our sense of social connectedness or lack thereof. The topics covered in this episode are directly relevant to anyone interested in the neuroscience of mental health, work-life balance, abundance versus scarcity mindset, and interpersonal dynamics.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Dr. Kay Tye  

00:02:56 Sponsors: LMNT  

00:06:40 Amygdala; “Valence”  

00:12:43 Novelty; Reward & Punishment Response  

00:20:06 Amygdala & Hunger; Social Interaction  

00:26:21 Social Media & Social Connection; Tool: Email & Time Management  

00:31:21 Sponsor: AG1  

00:36:30 Social Media; Friction & Feedback, Leadership  

00:43:44 Social Isolation, Harlow Experiments, “Loneliness Neurons”  

00:51:47 Social Homeostasis, COVID-19 Pandemic & Loneliness  

01:01:29 Quality of Social Contact, Social Homeostasis, Social Media  

01:09:42 Social Media, Relationships; Social Isolation & Exclusion  

01:18:26 Empathy: Friend vs. Foe  

01:28:40 Background & Empathy, Diversity, Emotional Regulation  

01:34:34 Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset  

01:37:22 Social Rank & Hierarchy, Sibling Order, Development  

01:45:54 Dynamic Hierarchy; Dominants vs. Subordinates; Mentors  

01:55:32 Psychedelics: Research & Mechanisms; Psilocybin  

02:06:28 Work-Life Balance, Fitness & Extracurriculars  

02:11:56 Personal Life, Diversity, Happiness; Typical Day  

02:15:42 Science & Academia; Future Directions  

02:23:48 Research & Science Outreach  

02:28:48 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures