Why we tell stories | Max van Duijn | TEDxDelft

Throughout the years social networks have gotten larger and larger. As a result, establishing and maintaining relationships has become more important. Stories can play an important part in this process, as Max van Duijn explains. Max is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University, where he previously obtained a degree in Dutch language and literature. He is fascinated by storytelling, more specifically what happens in the brain when someone tells or listens to a story, believing it could help lead to a better understanding of humanity. Van Duijn studied at Leiden University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Dutch Language and Literature, in addition to following a minor in Business Administration. He followed this up with a Master’s in Literature/Linguistics. Having attained his MA, he embarked on a multitude of projects. He became a PhD fellow at Leiden University, and worked at the University of Oxford as a Visiting Researcher where he was affiliated with the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, headed by Professor Robin Dunbar (known for formulating Dunbar’s number, which says that people have a cognitive limit to the number of stable relations a person can maintain). Since 2015 Van Duijn has been working as an Assistant Professor at Leiden University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

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• #tedxtalks
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• #netherlands
• #social_science
• #brain
• #ideas
• #social_interaction