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The World's Oceans Need Our Help

Reinventing the Outdoors contest: Check out how Surfrider Foundation is tackling some of the biggest threats to ocean health.

Good Is
By Good IsMay 04, 2011
Good Is
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Launched on Monday April 4, GOOD and Ford will be devoting six weeks to amazing organizations like this one that are redefining the way we live, work, and play outside.

Come back everyday for a new story about the people, celebrities, and programs behind each organization and learn how you can help take part.

And be sure to check in on Monday, May 16, when the the contest opens for voting! Vote for your favorite group up to once a day until Friday, May 20. The winner of the $50,000 grand prize will be announced on Tuesday May 24.



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Scientists have found the physical reason why music feels good.

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Neuroscientists find that those who think music is 'like a drug' are actually right

They say music soothes the soul, but many people feel music in their bodies. Not just through dancing, but by people literally feeling good and getting chills listening to their favorite songs. Your heart beats differently, the skin on your arm bubbles with goosebumps, and whatever is troubling you seems to melt away. Listening to some songs can feel like a drug going through your system. Well, it turns out a recent Finnish university study shows that comparing music to a drug isn’t too far off.

A long-held scientific mystery is that music doesn’t appear to offer any true survival benefit, such as physical protection from predators or storing of calories, yet it is a part of every studied culture. Findings from research on music’s connection to the brain from Turku PET Centre and the University of Turku in Finland show through brain imaging that music activates the same natural opioid system that gives pleasurable feelings when eating delicious food or bonding with someone. For centuries, people reported feeling euphoric and pleasurable chills when listening to their favorite music, but now this study is zeroing in on the physical reasons why such feelings occur.

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7 beautiful quotes about depression from the great Robin Williams

It has been over a decade since the world lost Robin Williams, a comedic force of nature whose energy seemed inexhaustible. When he took his own life in 2014 after battles with depression and Lewy body dementia, the silence that followed was deafening. How could the man who brought us the Genie, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Mork be in such pain?

But looking back at his vast body of work—from his frantic stand-up sets to his tender dramatic roles—it is clear that Williams possessed a profound understanding of the human condition. He didn't just make us laugh; he made us feel seen, especially those of us who have struggled with our own darkness.

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In a recent r/AskReddit thread, a valuable question was offered, "Except for time and money, what is the #1 thing you wish you had more?" The responses were rather insightful and reveal a great deal about what brings people happiness—and what they feel is lacking in their lives.

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I suffer from situational awkwardness—a self-diagnosis, mind you, but one I feel pretty confident about, given the evidence. My ability to follow social norms fluctuates depending on the setting: the ages of the people I’m around, the general vibe of the people I’m around, how well we know each other, even the physical environment. (Is this a home game or an away game?) Basically, if I’m visiting a stranger’s house and meeting their rowdy kids for the first time, I will probably be a different person than if I’m hanging around my parents at a restaurant. I envy people who always seem comfortable in their own skin.

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If you own a smartphone and aren’t addicted to it, I sincerely salute you from afar. It’s so easy to grow obsessed with the passive dopamine rush of browsing internet headlines and scrolling our social feeds.

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