Vox.com recently commissioned an essay from Torbjörn Tännsjö, a professor of practical philosophy at Stockholm University, on the “the repugnant conclusion,” a belief that asserts our moral duty to increase the population size because, according to the argument, more humans means more happiness.
Grand Rapids Griffins player Jordin Tootoo made a sweet little boy's day after giving him his hockey stick during a recent game.
One way to spoil a national "health and happiness week" is to take away the one thing that makes people happy (before they become hungover and miserable): Alcohol.
A new survey says that "although black women are heavier than their white counterparts, they report having appreciably higher levels of self-esteem." White women are still too fat to be happy.
Acupuncture kids! Stem cells! Text bullies! Boundary effect! Pig drugs! Tainted jerky! Elderly pain! Light brains! And the super Greek diet that will save us all! It's your Monday Health Watch, where we watch your health—pointedly!
Women: what are they smiling about? Gurrrrrl.... U no it's U, gurl!
Remember that study that found cultured men to be generally happier than their uncultured counterparts? Well, there's another new study that says women are less attracted to happier guys! So what's it going to be? Cézanne and contentment? Or Michael Bay and getting laid? The choice is yours. [ScienceDaily.com, photo via Shutterstock]
A new study finds that men who participate in "cultural activities" — either as creators or audience members — are happier those who don't. (The effect is less pronounced in women: "Men seemed to get more of a percieved health benefit from being involved in different receptive cultural activites than women did," study author Koenraad Cuypers told LiveScience.) Is there truth to this? Well, I am very cultured — I know all the art, like the one with Jesus (?), and the one that's just one color (white, I think, or black?) — and I am very, very happy. So... yes. [dons monocle] [LiveScience]
Beyond happiness! Dangerous hospitals! Depressed moms! Tinnitus findings! Morgellon's disease! Skin cancer! Binge drinking! Horse herpes! And coffee men for good prostate love! It's your Tuesday Health Watch, where we watch your health—creepily!
PhD student Alex Davies has set out to discover the happiest places in the world by analyzing Tweets. A noble project! But one that may need some tweaking, given that according to his data, the happiest U.S. state is Tennessee (tied with Arizona as the eighth most-unemployed state in the union) , and the happiest country is Germany (which, c'mon, it's Germany; if it were a happy country we wouldn't have had two different world wars).
Happiness peaks in old age, according to Lewis Wolpert, emeritus—i.e., old—professor of biology at University College London, whose new book is about getting old. Wolpert's book gets a writeup in The Daily Telegraph, which cites a psychologist at UCL to write:
