Shira Gabriel first encountered research on our fundamental need to belong as a young grad student—and she was immediately hooked. Now a professor of social psychology at the University at Buffalo, Gabriel explores why connection is so essential to human beings, and how our relationships with other people, groups and even fictional worlds shape our happiness and sense of self.
In this wide-ranging conversation with host Cheryl Quimba, Gabriel explores the evolutionary roots of our need to belong and the surprisingly varied ways we fulfill that need—from sharing an experience with a group of strangers to losing ourselves in a book to swapping silly memes with friends. She explains how even small moments of connection can add joy and meaning to our lives, and how we can make ourselves more attuned to them in the everyday. At a time when our differences seem to loom larger than ever, Gabriel offers a more hopeful vision—of a universal yearning for connection that ties us together despite the forces trying to pull us apart.
Credits:
Host: Cheryl Quimba
Guest: Shira Gabriel
Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman
Production and editing by UB Video Production Group
Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.
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