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  • This is Michael.

  • Hi

  • He’s 31 years old, lives in a major US city, went to college and earns $60,000 a year.

  • He’s the most common demographic youll find on online dating.

  • And he’s kind of lonely. Actually, really lonely.

  • So pepperlonely

  • ButWhy do we feel lonely?

  • First of all, there’s something we need to clear up. Michael is lonely and he’s also alone.

  • Oh, man...”

  • But there are lots of people who choose to be alone, and are not necessarily lonely.

  • It’s not a bad thing! Some suggest that solitude is essential for creativity

  • and it can help to improve your attention span.

  • ButMichael doesn’t feel that way.

  • deep sigh

  • And some of us are prone to feel just like Michael.

  • Recent studies have linked loneliness to our genes.

  • huh?”

  • People with certain genetic markers - namely, a variant of the serotonin transporter gene,

  • will feel lonelier than people without this genetic marker when theyre in the same situation.

  • Loneliness causes a yearning for social connection and in the same way hunger makes us crave food

  • If Michael is genetically predispositioned to feel lonely, then he’s just really hungry for company.

  • But he’s not the most isolated person.

  • Really?”

  • This honour goes to the seven Apollo command module pilots who orbited the Moon alone while

  • their fellow astronauts walked on the surface.

  • Al Worden, the Apollo 15 pilot, was, at times, 3,600 km away from his colleagues Dave Scott

  • and Jim Irwin in the Imbrium Basin.

  • Al was the most isolated person ever. He spent 3 days alone in orbit, hundreds of thousands of kms away

  • from his home and often out of contact with those on Earth.

  • AndAl enjoyed it. He saidThere's a thing about being alone and there's a thing

  • about being lonely, and they're two different things. I was alone but I was not lonely...

  • On the backside of the Moon, I didn't even have to talk to Houston and that was the best

  • part of the flight.”

  • But being alone for long periods of time isn’t so out of this world. Even if you enjoy it.

  • One study found that actual social isolation increased people’s likelihood of death by 26 percent.

  • Even when people didn’t consider themselves lonely. Isolated people don’t

  • have others around to give them advice, make sure they see a doctor or be there when things go wrong.

  • Being alone is a biological alarm bell. We are social species.

  • But if youre struggling for company,

  • a healthy dose of nostalgia can counteract those lonely feels.

  • So whether you sit on the Michael or Al side of the loneliness spectrum,

  • "Hey,over here!”

  • science says that surrounding yourself with others keeps you orbiting around the sun for

  • more and more years to come.

  • Hey everyone it's Vanessa! I just wanted to pop in and say thank you so much for watching BrainCraft.

  • I also have an announcement, which is next week if you're going to Vidcon, which is that

  • huge YouTube love fest that happens in Los Angeles every year, we're having a meet up

  • with all of the PBSDS hosts.

  • And I'd love for you to come along! If you can't make it, you can follow me on Facebook

  • or Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat, all of those things!

  • So you can feel like you're a part of our meet up as well.

  • And look at this little guy! This is one of the astronauts you just saw. He's like, the

  • size of my fingernail. Crazy.

  • Anyway, see you next - Oh! I won't see you next Thursday because I'll be at Vidcon.

  • See you in two Thursdays time!

This is Michael.

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