The Neuroscience of Likability, Social Connection, and Brain Health | Ben Rein

0:00

-1:00:39

Ben Rein, PhD is a neuroscientist who studies the biology of social behavior and explains the brain to an audience of over 1.2 million people online. He serves as Chief Science Officer of the Mind Science Foundation, Head of Science Communication at ResearchHub Foundation, and teaches at Stanford University.

In this episode we talk about:

• Distinguishing between science and online “neurobullshit”

• Three research-backed ways to protect your brain health and boost social connection, even for introverts

• Why isolation shows up in the body like a low-grade injury

• The real difference between loneliness and isolation, and why we rarely recognize either in ourselves

• The power of pets in reducing stress and inflammation

• Whether sugar is really more addictive than cocaine (short answer: no, and here’s why)