The Science of Happiness

The Science of Happiness interviews poet and novelist Yersa Daly Ward and Johns Hopkins neurology professor Dr.

Host Dacher Keltner presents a writing exercise developed by psychologist Charlotte van Oyen Witvliet designed to increase feelings of hope by reflecting on past moments when hope was justified and was fulfilled.

Host Dacher Keltner speaks with Abby Wambach, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Best Player, about how pursuing athletic excellence for years did not deliver the sense of worth and love she had anticipated, and how sobriety and writing her book We Can Do Hard Things reshaped her understanding of self-worth.

Chris Fujinaka-Hine, a shy community organizer, describes two BART conversations that became unexpectedly personal within minutes.

This episode guides listeners through a loving-kindness meditation practice focused on cultivating self-compassion to reduce anxiety and stress while increasing resilience and well-being.

Dacher Keltner opens with a memory of moving from Bend to Amsterdam and then Zurich, where transit passes, benches, and the ease of wandering made the street feel like an invitation.

This episode features poet Yursa Daly Ward sharing meditative reflections on how embracing stillness, uncertainty, and silence can foster personal growth and emotional well-being during National Poetry Month.

This episode explores how poetry can reduce anxiety and depression, boost emotional processing, and serve as a form of medicine for the mind, featuring poetry readings and expert insights.

A daughter describes caring for her father, who has dementia, and how her visits help keep him buoyant.

A guided meditation episode teaching listeners to practice self-compassion and make space for clarity and healing.

Suzanne Simard, a forest ecologist at the University of British Columbia, explains how mother trees connect with seedlings through mycorrhizal fungal networks.

This episode guides listeners through a 'circle of care' meditation to increase awareness of support and improve well-being.

This episode explores how digital media and phone use affect our attention, relationships, and happiness, featuring insights from author Adam Becker.

A guided self-compassion meditation to embrace and celebrate one's accent and heritage, led by Chris Cuervo.

A Jeopardy champion discusses achieving intense focus and the challenge of applying it outside the game, leading into a discussion on mindfulness and happiness.

This episode explores how soothing music, particularly lullabies, can help manage perinatal anxiety and deepen parent-child connection, with insights from a guest and a neuroscientist.

This episode explores the underestimated value of friendship and how to build deeper connections, featuring psychologist Marissa G.

This episode explores the science of love through a personal story of a couple who met on Tinder and maintained their connection through handwritten letters.

This episode explores how small daily acts can strengthen relationships, featuring a couple's journey through a 7-Day Love Prescription based on Gottman research.

This episode explores the emotion of awe, its benefits, and how shared experiences of wonder can foster connection.

This episode explores the science behind dance and its benefits for mental and physical health, featuring a NASA engineer's personal experience.

This episode explores the personal connection to water and its role in emotional well-being, leading into a discussion of the science behind nature's calming effects.

This episode honors producer Ben Manilla and explores the tradition of Dia de los Muertos as a way to stay connected to lost loved ones.

This episode explores the science of happiness through a breathing practice called humming bee breath, and features a trans athlete discussing the challenges of identity and sport.

This episode introduces cyclic sighing as a science-backed breathing technique to reduce anxiety, drawing from personal experiences with breath hold training in surfing.

The host shares personal struggles with guilt and perfectionism, then introduces an episode exploring self-compassion through research and expert insights.

This episode explores how developing curiosity and listening skills can help bridge divides between opposing viewpoints, based on the host's experience facilitating dialogue between pro-choice and pro-life groups.

This episode explores lab-tested methods for achieving lucid dreaming, featuring a personal account of a lucid dream experience.

A personal story about an encounter with a sea bream during a stressful wildfire event, illustrating a moment of relief and connection with nature.

The host shares a personal story about taking his son on an adventure to Washington Square Park, illustrating the joy of sharing awe-inspiring experiences.

A person shares their experience of managing stress from teaching English and renovating multiple properties in Japan, and how mindful yard work helps them unwind.

A restaurant owner shares how the pandemic led him to start a non-profit, a fire destroyed his business, his health declined to diabetes, and Qigong helped him recover and find peace.

This episode guides listeners through a Pilina meditation practice focused on interpersonal connection to enhance well-being.