Laurie Santos is a cognitive scientist and professor at Yale whose class on happiness became the most popular course in the school’s history. Through her podcast “The Happiness Lab” and her free online course, “The Science of Well-Being,” her reach has extended far beyond the classroom. @DrLaurieSantos joined Lulu Garcia-Navarro on “The Interview” to talk about what research has revealed about happiness, how it connects to loneliness and American ideas about productivity and why, with so many happiness tips flooding our feeds, it has still been so hard for many people to do the things that can boost their own happiness. This episode first published on The New York Times website on May 30, 2026. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/magazine/laurie-santos-interview.html [00:00] Introduction to Dr. Laurie Santos and her research [02:40] Hedonic vs. eudaimonic happiness [05:04] Is happiness nature or nurture? [07:04] Happiness is not a destination [10:14] The problem with “toxic positivity” [13:31] A brief history of happiness [17:00] Technology and social connection [19:36] AI will likely make things worse [24:58] Is the time crisis real? [29:03] The benefits of solitude [31:50] Gen Z and lawnmower parents [36:20] American obsession with optimization [41:18] Social structures, safety nets and happiness “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Download the New York Times app: https://bit.ly/4gZdoip #theinterview #psychology #happiness