THE SKIN DEEP presents: The Science of Human Connection

From the very beginning The Skin Deep has been driven to explore big questions. In 2014 we started on an inquiry exploring how the rapid rise of new technology is changing the emotional experience of being human.

This led to the Emmy-award winning project {THE AND}, creating the space and using questions to illuminate the emotional space between people. After 13 years and hosting thousands of conversations around the world, we know there is something powerful in these experiences where people explore their relationship and feel deeply connected to one another. 

We want to understand more about this power and potential. 

So we’re heading into new territory, in partnership with academic researchers and scientists. We want to explore The Science of Human Connection.

What can we learn through a more scientific understanding of human connection?

How can a better understanding of human connection help solve some of society's biggest challenges?

To begin this journey, we’re partnering with The Consortium for Interacting Minds, a leading neuroscience research group at Dartmouth University, to explore how {THE AND} conversations can be analysed to help us better understand how deep conversation and authentic connection impacts people. 

Together we’ll be exploring some big questions

• What happens in the brain when we have an emotional experience? 
• Why do we click more easily with some people, but not others? 
• Why do we make eye contact? 
• What happens in the body when we feel connected with someone?
• What happens in our bodies when we feel empathy and trust? 
• What changes in us when we become vulnerable?

To us, these kinds of questions aren’t just interesting, they feel essential to understand how we can relate to ourselves, each other and what it means to be human. And even more so now, as we all grapple with the speed in which modern technology is changing our lives and re-shaping our world. 

It seems like the perfect time to be deeply exploring and understanding what makes us most human.  

We are excited to see where this journey will take us. 

Follow along at: theskindeep.com/science