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

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Dan Minea

Monkeys

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