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Connections
Connections

Why fun is serious business: science and joy of play

By Noelle E. C. Evans,
Megan Mack, Veronica Volk, Julie Williams
Published April 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM EDT
Four people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at foreground left has short grey hair, a grey goatee and is wearing a grey blazer, light blue button-down shirt, black pants and brown shoes; a woman at foreground right has long brown hair and is wearing glasses, an orange sleeveless dress and black boots; a man at background left has short brown hair, a brown beard and is wearing a light blue t-shirt; a man at background right has short brown hair and is wearing glasses, a blue blazer and a white button-down shirt.
George Yeadon
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Scott Eberle, (background) Keith Gomez and Stephen Demanchick with guest host Noelle Evans on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, April 23, 2025
A smiling woman with long brown hair sits in front of a microphone wearing glasses and a sleeveless orange dress.
Julie Williams
/
WXXI News
Noelle Evans guest hosting "Connections with Evan Dawson"

How does play shape our minds and our bodies? And why do the experts say it's just as important for adults as it is for kids? Most importantly, how do we integrate it into our everyday lives?

This hour, guest host Noelle Evans explores those questions. She talks about the science and joy of play with a panel of researchers and facilitators who say fun is serious business.

In studio:

Connections
Noelle E. C. Evans
Noelle E. C. Evans is WXXI's Murrow Award-winning Education reporter/producer.
See stories by Noelle E. C. Evans
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Veronica Volk
Veronica Volk is a senior producer and editor for WXXI News.
See stories by Veronica Volk
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson" and is also the office administrator for radio, news and technology and operations. She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams