UC Berkeley, Lior Pachter's University, Offers MOOC Course on 'Science' of

In a recent blog post, Berkeley researcher Lior Pachter explained why he was negative about offering MOOC courses. Here is a ‘science- backed’ MOOC course from his university that may change his mind, unless he is reading other ‘scientific’ material from Arianna Huffington’s book.

The first MOOC to teach positive psychology. Learn science-based principles and practices for a happy, meaningful life.

About this Course

We all want to be happy, and there are countless ideas about what happiness is and how we can get some. But not many of those ideas are based on science. Thats where this course comes in.

The Science of Happiness is the first MOOC to teach the ground-breaking science of positive psychology, which explores the roots of a happy and meaningful life. Students will engage with some of the most provocative and practical lessons from this science, discovering how cutting-edge research can be applied to their own lives. Created by UC Berkeleys Greater Good Science Center, the course will zero in on a fundamental finding from positive psychology: that happiness is inextricably linked to having strong social connections and contributing to something bigger than yourselfthe greater good. Students will learn about the cross-disciplinary research supporting this view, spanning the fields of psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and beyond.

and look who will make a special appearance on the show? The positivity lady !!

The courses co-instructors, Dacher Keltner and Emiliana Simon-Thomas, are not only leading authorities on positive psychology but also gifted teachers skilled at making science feel fun and personal. Theyll be joined by world- renowned experts discussing themes like empathy, mindfulness, and gratitudeexperts including Rick Hanson, Barbara Fredrickson, Paul Ekman, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Health professionals who register can earn continuing education units for their participation.