One evening back in May of 2011, tornado sirens went off in a small city in Southwestern Missouri called Joplin. Thousands of homes were destroyed in the tornado, about a third of the town’s 50,000 residents were displaced and around 160 people died.
Read more Prosperity gospel and the American dream
And in the months following the tornado, the town became known not just for the destruction, but the kindness and cooperation that led to its recovery.
So how is it possible that people’s worst moments can lead them to think about others?
Scientists who have studied behavior after mass traumas say, disasters can spark an outpouring of kindness and form powerful bonds between strangers. Stanford Social psychologist Jamil Zaki actually has a term for this. He calls it catastrophe
Read more Britain left the EU 10 years ago. Its politics has been an unruly mess
“Catastrophe compassion is the idea that after something terrible happens, people, instead of falling apart and focusing on themselves, come together and try to do for one another,” Zaki says.
Reporter Pauline Bartolone joins Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong to share the science behind this phenomenon.
Read more What to know about a cold storage warehouse fire in Los Angeles