Abigail Marsh: Are We Wired To Be Altruistic?

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Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Wired For Altruism.

About Abigail Marsh's TED Talk

When Abigail Marsh was 19, a complete stranger risked his life to save her from a car accident. Today, she studies what motivates us to help others — and why some of us are "extraordinary" altruists.

About Abigail Marsh

Abigail Marsh is a professor in the department of psychology and the interdisciplinary neuroscience program at Georgetown University. Her workfocuses on social and affective neuroscience — researching the motivations of people who do extremely altruistic things. Through brain imaging, she studies whether some of us are wired to be more altruistic than others.

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NPR/TED Staff