The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane

The number of victims killed in the Turkey-Syria earthquake continues to climb…tens of thousands of people and counting. From afar, we see city blocks flattened and desperate families and rescue workers digging, listening and searching for survivors with fading hope.

What kind of mark does a natural disaster of this scale leave on survivors who have lost everything so suddenly? Is recovery for them even possible? And is there something unique about the trauma endured from an earthquake, hurricane or wildfire that is different from that of mass shootings, a terrorist attack or the daily threat of gun violence that is sadly commonplace in many U.S. cities?

APRIL NATURALE, a traumatic stress specialist who directed the New York State response to the 9/11, helped launch the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the National Disaster Distress Helpline.

ROBIN GURWITCH, a professor of psychology at Duke University School of Medicine and a senior advisor at the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress in the Terrorism and Disaster Program.  She is currently in Moldova working with Ukrainian refugees.

Super Bowl LVII is the event Eagles and Chiefs fans have been dreaming of, and it’s finally here. All the years spent cheering and crying and the hours watching the games on the couch or in the stands are about to pay off…or turn to heartbreak. Only one team will pull out a victory, and in the days that follow, the streets of Philadelphia will either turn into a sea of green or look cold and dreary without a celebration in sight.

Why do so many people get emotionally tied to a team and players they’ll likely never meet? And it’s not just professional sports – there are hardcore fans for rock bands, movie franchises, board games, celebrities and more.

We’ll look at the psychology of fandom, talk about the ups and downs of being a fan and the ways it becomes deeply intertwined with our identity.  

LYNN ZUBERNIS, a Clinical Psychologist and Professor at West Chester University. She’s the author of four books on fan psychology.

ADAM EARNHEARDT, Professor of Communication at Youngstown State University, where he studies sports and fan behavior.

MARCUS HAYES, Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist

The longest relationship most of us will have is with a sibling – someone who, unlike a friend or partner, we didn’t choose to bring into our lives. Ninety percent of people grow up with a sister or brother watching them struggle through awkward adolescence into adulthood, sharing a home, parents and family resources. It’s no wonder these relationships can be so close and supportive but often frustrating, competitive and contentious.

Today we explore all sides of our sibling relationships and how they shape who we are, from children to adults. We’ll talk about why people from the same family can be so different, ways to heal old resentments and jealousies, and how to stay close to our siblings – if we want to – when life pulls us apart.

KARL PILLEMER, Professor of Human Development at Cornell University and Professor of Gerontology in Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College. He’s the author of the book, Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them. 

LAURIE KRAMER, Professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University and a clinical psychologist.

What makes a happy and healthy life? That’s the question at the heart of the longest study on happiness, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938. Researchers have been following participants for 85 years, trying to untangle what it takes to thrive in this world. And the answer they found? Fulfilling relationships. In our debut episode of The Connection, we talk with the study’s researchers about why positive relationships are the essential ingredient to happiness. They’re the co-authors of  the new book, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

Our guests

Who doesn’t feel burnt out by the stresses of life, with the pressures of work and family and the onslaught of bad news? It’s easy to feel helpless, overwhelmed and confused. One key experience that can guide us through the challenges we all face is human connection. It makes us feel understood, valued and gives us a sense of purpose and belonging. In fact, connections have allowed us to survive as a species and are critical to our wellbeing as individuals. Every Friday at noon on WHYY, The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane will feature unique and wide-ranging conversations about developing a richer understanding of the bonds that unite us, the forces that can drive us apart, the possibilities that life offers all of us and the qualities that make us unique…and human.