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.
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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