The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) is a center located at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...

Introduction

The center was founded by

Dacher Keltner Dacher Joseph Keltner is a Mexican-born American professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, who directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center, hos ...

in 2001, with a donation from UC Berkeley alumni Thomas and Ruth Hornaday following the death of their daughter from cancer. Based at the

, it sponsors scientific research into social and emotional well-being. The center draws upon academic fields such as psychology, sociology, education, economics, and neuroscience in its research. It publishes an online magazine, Greater Good; a podcast, The Science of Happiness; the Greater Good in Action website; and classes and events.

Podcasts and print magazine

The center produces the podcast ''The Science of Happiness''. ''Greater Good'' magazine (; 2004-2009) was a quarterly magazine published by the center, edited by

, of the

, and journalist Jason Marsh. The magazine highlighted scientific research into the roots of

compassion Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...

altruism Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the welfare and/or happiness of other human beings or animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a cor ...

, and

empathy Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...

and included stories of compassion in action, providing a bridge between social scientists and parents, educators, community leaders, and policy makers. The magazine was nominated by the ''

Utne Reader ''Utne Reader'' (also known as ''Utne'') ( ) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and ...

'' as one of the top independent publications in the country.

References

Notes

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External links

Greater Good Science Center WebsiteRaising Happiness Blog: Science for Joyful Kids and Happier ParentsGreater Good Education Blog
University of California, Berkeley Social psychology 2001 establishments in California Moral psychology Positive psychology Positive psychology journals