What’s in the Hat creative lead Hannah Nolan (centre) with host Alice Momjian (left) and guest Lara Aknin (right).
Why do we laugh, and what makes giving feel so good?
UBC Psychology alumnus Hannah Nolan is helping make academic research more accessible in a fun and inclusive way. As creative lead of the Social Media Fellowship, Hannah collaborates with a community of creators with disabilities who have freedom to lead, experiment, and create content about whatever sparks their curiosity.
In this role, Hannah noticed how rarely mainstream media made room for the creators beyond their disability. This led her to create What’s in the Hat? Laughing Matters, a series that brings together hosts from Vancouver’s disability community and academic experts for conversations about big ideas in funny, human ways.
In each episode, hosts pull questions from a hat, and create humorous and unpredictable conversations that encourage researchers to share their expertise in a relatable way.
Drawing on her experience as a UBC Psychology student, Nolan has built a platform that bridges the gap between research and everyday life, while creating a space for people with disabilities to lead candid conversations.
Recently, UBC Psychology alumnus Dr. Lara Aknin (PhD ’12), a psychology professor at Simon Fraser University, and Dr. Liane Gabora, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia’ s Okanagan campus, joined What’s in the Hat to explore the psychology of humour and the science of kindness and happiness.
Watch the episode with Dr. Lara Aknin:
We spoke with Hannah about the inspiration behind the series, the importance of accessible science communication, and where to watch the series.
What inspired you to create What’s in the Hat: Laughing Matters?
I lead the Social Media Fellowship, a cohort of creators with disabilities who are some of the funniest, sharpest, most curious people I know. Yet I kept noticing how rarely mainstream media made room for them beyond their disability. I wanted to change that. Drawing on my own experience as a UBC Psychology student, I saw an access gap between academic knowledge and the people who could benefit from it most. I realized our group, as radio hosts and podcasters with lived experience, was uniquely positioned to bridge those two worlds. I designed What’s in the Hat? Laughing Matters around that idea: a space where people with disabilities ask their own questions and learn directly from researchers, while researchers learn to translate years of expertise into something playful and easy to connect with for all audiences. The hat of questions keeps things humorous and unpredictable, so hosts and experts can meet on a level playing field to laugh and learn together.
“Drawing on my own experience as a UBC Psychology student, I saw an access gap between academic knowledge and the people who could benefit from it most. I realized our group, as radio hosts and podcasters with lived experience, was uniquely positioned to bridge those two worlds.”
How can these conversations make science and higher education accessible?
When people hear “higher education,” accessibility usually isn’t the first word that comes to mind. I don’t think that’s from a lack of interest, but often from a lack of the right space, or the right people in the room to make it happen. That’s why we built the show around a game-like hat of questions, taking people out of their typical roles and into a format built for connection. We wove a human theme into every episode for the same reason: while we might not all be experts in higher education, we’re all experts in our own experiences. Our psychology guests brought that to life. Dr. Liane Gabora took us into the Psychology of Humour and Creativity, while Dr. Lara Aknin explored the Psychology of Happiness and why generosity feels so good. Hosts and guests alike shared how these topics show up in their own lives, not just in the research, and that’s what makes the science feel relatable.
Watch the episode with Dr. Liane Gabora:
What do you hope audiences take away from watching the series?
If there’s one thing I hope this show proves, it’s that people with disabilities belong in these conversations, not just as subjects but as hosts and thinkers shaping how science gets told. I hope viewers see that expertise isn’t only academic; it’s also lived, and that both can sit at the same table. More than anything, I hope audiences walk away feeling like part of the conversation themselves, because we all have something to learn from each other.
“If there's one thing I hope this show proves, it's that people with disabilities belong in these conversations, not just as subjects but as hosts and thinkers shaping how science gets told.”
Where can people watch the show?
What’s in the Hat? is available on all major platforms, as well as streaming on Telus Optik TV. Beyond Psychology, the season also digs into History, Political Theory, Linguistics, and Comedy, with experts in those areas, so be sure to check them out! You can find all our socials, and the show itself, at our website: socialmediafellowship.ca.
