happiness

Here's the Philosophy Essay Vox Found Too Upsetting to Publish

Torbjörn Tännsjö · 08/28/15 01:46PM

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.

Hamilton Nolan · 07/17/14 02:11PM

Researchers say that "the closer a nation is to the genetic makeup of Denmark, the happier that country is." Unless the Olympics are happening.

Hamilton Nolan · 03/28/13 11:15AM

All things considered, teachers are pretty happy. Weird.

Stabbing Your Kids Is Okay Now

Hamilton Nolan · 11/21/11 04:44PM

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!

Cultured Men Are Happier

Max Read · 05/23/11 11:00PM

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]

There Are Not Bugs Crawling Under Your Skin, You're Just Crazy

Hamilton Nolan · 05/17/11 04:42PM

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!

Tennessee Is the Happiest State, According to Twitter

Max Read · 04/05/11 06:40PM

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).

Your Happiness Will Peak at Age 85

Max Read · 03/27/11 09:01PM

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: