What is the best way for humans to live? This talk considers the possibility that our bodies may form an opinion on that matter, and perhaps arrive at different conclusions than would our conscious minds. If we think of the human genome as recording millions of years of experience regarding how best to survive and thrive in this world, what do our genomes have to teach us now, and how might we go about listening? Steve Cole is a Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in the UCLA School of Medicine. His research maps the molecular pathways by which social environments influence gene expression by viral, cancer, and immune cell genomes. He pioneered the field of human social genomics and collaborates with a wide range of medical, social, and behavioral scientists through his role as Director of the UCLA Social Genomics Core Laboratory. His research has been supported by the NIH, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, among others, and he is best known for studies on the molecular impact of loneliness and the surprising power of purpose.