Going Deep with Three Brilliant Doctors on Well Being

How much can we blame DNA for our depression and anxiety? Is something about our mental health pre-written into our genetic code? How much trauma carries over from one generation to the next? How should we think about epi-genetics? These were 4 of the 20 questions I brought to Dr. Francis Collins, the guy who let the team that mapped the human genome. There’s two things I want to say about this episode: I learned so much just studying for the interview and every minute I spent with Francis Collins was a total joy. He is a very special person — direct, deeply informed (maybe moreso on this topic than anyone else on Earth) and delightful. I am so excited to put his guy in your ear — a happy, loving man filled with purpose and eager to share what he knows (and doesn’t) for the greater good. And he laughs easily and a lot. So, I was getting hits of my dad the whole time. A heavenly experience that comes through in every minute of the conversation. Enjoy. Thanks to PBS stations across the country for supporting Tell Me More. You can watch an edited video version of this conversation anytime at PBS.org/kelly.

Writer Courtney Martin wrote this loving, humorous tribute to her mother for her 75th birthday. Along with detailing some of her mom’s quirks that used to drive her crazy (but which at age 43 she now appreciates), Courtney also lovingly describes her many incredible qualities. (Previously aired)

When my girls were young, I must have told them a hundred times: you get what you give. I believe it like I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. Chris Anderson, the genius do-gooder behind TED, believes it too. And with good reason. He’s seen generous giving pay off in big ways — giving his brand to TEDx conferences around the world, giving away TED speeches to anyone who wanted them online, giving attention, support and contributions to the most focused, devoted, strategic efforts on the planet. This is an episode for anyone looking for inspiration. Chris’ new book is Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading

Here’s why I had to sit with Dr. Dima Amso, who teaches and runs a lab that studies developmental cognition at Columbia: in a sea of hyperbole, she offers the voice of sanity and moderation, clarifying basic ideas like “good enough parenting.” For anyone who wonders how well-being is affected by our earliest childhood environments and relationships, this is the conversation for you. Please share widely with everyone who is feeling trapped by their personal history, as imperfect parents or as grown children of imperfect parents. Thanks to PBS stations across the country for supporting Tell Me More. You can watch an edited video version of this conversation anytime at PBS.org/kelly.

Michelle Hurst celebrates her husband and their marriage on the occasion of their 20th Anniversary. From 23 year-old newlyweds finding their way in the world to 43 year-old’s who have shared a puppy, kids, a mortgage and decades of meaningful memories - they have navigated it all together. (Previously aired)

There is a lot to know about what makes love last. People like John Gottman and Helen Fisher have been studying sex, love and connection for decades. Here’s a few excellent ideas to hold on to as you live out the day to day of your core relationships. Very good episode to share with your partner. Will start a valuable conversation! (Previously aired.) Kelly mentions that our episode with Dr. Helen Fisher will air next week, which is not actually the case as this is a replay BUT you can listen to that episode with the incredible Dr. Fisher HERE.

Is it nature? Is it nurture? Is it daily choices or the contexts we live in? What are the drivers of well being? This conversation kicks off a 10-part series of Being Well where we talk to the best researchers and scientists in the country about how to feel good about our lives and in our lives — what’s true and trustworthy and evident in the data … and what’s a bunch of Tik Tok nonsense. Today, we’re with two friends of the show, neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett (How Emotions Are Made) and surgeon and public health lead at USAID, Dr. Atul Gawande (Being Mortal) as well as Dr. Dani Dumitriu from Columbia. Settle in for a conversation that’s as informative as it is delightful. And please share with anyone you know who wants to feel better. Thanks to PBS for supporting this work. You can watch an edited version of this conversation anytime at PBS.org/kelly.

Kelly recently found an old letter (hidden away in a closet in Bozeman) that she had written to her mom, way back in 1991. It’s good to look back sometimes at old letters and half-finished journal entries and be reminded of who we were - and who we wanted to become.

Observations on what cancer made visible to me.

Kelly talks with New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino about identity, culture and the irresistable manipulation of the internet. Jia is a 32-year old intellectual phenom who just came out with her first book of essays called Trick Mirror. She's part feminist, part radical thinker and part cultural critic, and she has a lot to say about what it means to be human in today's world. (Previously aired)