Discoveries, ideas and people to watch
A new Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education has
been launched at the School of Medicine, with the aim of doing
scientific research on the neural underpinnings of these thoughts and
feelings. The Dalai Lama provided $150,000 in
seed money for the center—the largest sum he has ever given for a
scientific venture—and has agreed to return to Stanford for a future
visit.
Tagged: altruism, compassion, neuroscience, Human Health, Medicine
People hate asking for help. Stanford researchers have found that because potential helpers do not take this into account, they
consistently overestimate the likelihood that others will solicit them
for assistance. Conversely, research also shows that people grossly underestimate how likely others are to agree to requests for assistance.
Tagged: altruism, psychology, Business
Drop something in front of a 2-year-old, and she's likely to pick it up
for you. Can't get into a cabinet because your hands are full? Count on
the watchful toddler to wander over and open the door. When Michael Tomasello watches young children in
the experiments he's designed, he sees acts of altruism and
cooperation—along with more examples of what sets humans apart from
other species.