ESP Biography

This is a crash course in the science of “mind over matter.” Drawing from exciting research in psychology, medicine, biology, and sociology we will discuss how mindsets - the beliefs, expectations, and assumptions that we hold - can help our bodies heal, reduce the negative outcomes of stress, and help us to lead healthier lives. We’ll also be giving an overview of “mindfulness,” or the practice of training our attention, which has been shown to help us feel calmer, connect more with others, and focus better on our homework! Students will have an opportunity to try out a mindfulness practice and share their own ideas about the effects of mindset in our everyday lives.

What is love? Why do people fall in love? How can you make love last? We'll be learning about research in psychology shedding light on these questions - and more - through small group discussions and activities. Come learn about the science behind attraction and relationships at Stanford, home of the nation's best program in social psychology.

"Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?" Stanford social psychologist Philip Zimbardo made these questions the focus of his research. In this class, we will look at how classic experiments have provided some answers. We will see how a fake prison spiraled out of control, how people were willing to shock others at dangerous levels, and why people lied about even the most obvious things.