The science of awe and the awe of science with Dr. Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. A renowned expert in the science of human emotion, Dr. Keltner studies compassion and awe, how we express emotion, and how emotions guide our moral identities and search for meaning. His research interests also span issues of power, status, inequality, and social class. He is the author of The Power Paradox and the bestselling book Born to be Good, and the co-editor of The Compassionate Instinct. His latest book is titled Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. 

In this episode we talk about: 

1. What drew Dacher to the scientific study of awe 
2. How awe differs from wonder and beauty 
3. What has surprised him the most about what he learned through his research 
4. What are the causes and triggers of awe, and why it matters for us to experience it 
5. How might experiences of awe facilitate scientific inquiry? And conversely, can scientific work deepen our sense of awe and mystery? 
6. Can awe lead us to both action as well as contemplation?    
7. Are there problems with the structure or culture of science that inhibit experiences of awe? 
8. How can we nurture awe in research culture?  
9. What is the relationship between awe and spirituality? 
10.  How can we practically cultivate awe in our daily lives? 

To learn more about Dr. Keltner’s work, visit: www.dacherkeltner.com

Resources Mentioned:

• Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
• Edmund Burke on the Sublime and the Beautiful
• Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species
• The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

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