Sunday Pick: Interview: What happens to your brain without any social contact? with Dr. Vivek Murthy
TED Talks Daily
TED
4.1 • 12.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 January 2026
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, TED Health host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider invites Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, to discuss the ongoing loneliness epidemic.
After the interview, Shoshana shares a TED-Ed talk from Terry Kupers, "What happens to your brain without social contact?" Everyone needs time to themselves, and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits. But when being alone is forced upon you, the effects can be surprisingly extensive. And though different people experience distinct effects, symptoms tend to become more severe and persistent the longer they're isolated. So, how exactly does isolation affect your body and brain? Terry Kupers investigates. [Directed by Camille Bovey, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey TED Talks Daily listeners, I'm Elise Hu. Today we have an episode of another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, handpicked by us for you. |
| 0:15.5 | Everyone needs some time to themselves and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits. But when being alone is forced |
| 0:23.3 | upon you, the negative effects can be extensive and surprisingly pervasive in all areas of your |
| 0:29.5 | life. In this episode from TED Health, host Shoshana Ungerlider interviews Dr. Vivek Murthy, |
| 0:35.4 | the former Surgeon General of the United States, on the loneliness |
| 0:38.8 | epidemic and what happens to our brains when we lack social contact. |
| 0:43.9 | After the conversation, she shares a TED ed lesson from educator Terry Cooper's, who investigates |
| 0:48.8 | the question, how exactly does isolation affect your body and brain? |
| 0:54.0 | You can listen to more of this special series on TED Health wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:58.4 | Learn more about the TED Audio Collective at audiocollective.ted.com. |
| 1:02.7 | Now on to the episode. Enjoy. This is Ted Health, a podcast from Ted, and I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleiter. |
| 1:20.4 | I've been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to go through an entire day without a real conversation. |
| 1:29.2 | You know the kind I mean, not just a quick text or a passing like, hey, how are you? I mean, an actual moment of connection |
| 1:34.8 | where someone really sees you. We're recording this episode in January, and I see this trend |
| 1:41.2 | happen more and more in the wintertime. Many of us are spending more time |
| 1:45.5 | indoors as the weather gets colder, and sometimes the holiday season can leave us with amplified |
| 1:50.2 | feelings of loneliness for those who are far from family or going through a difficult time. |
| 1:56.1 | If that's you, know that you're not alone, because according to experts, it turns out many of us are missing |
| 2:02.9 | this kind of deeper connection a lot more than we'd like to admit. And from a health perspective, |
| 2:08.4 | social isolation really, really isn't good for us. In this week's episode, I'm excited to bring |
| 2:14.7 | you a conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st |
| 2:18.7 | Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Morthy is a physician and public health leader. He's also |
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