I’d be remiss if I let 2011 slip by without a tribute to Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979), who was born a century ago and who now looms larger over contemporary poetry […]
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You searched for: happiness
The USB stick in your hand contains a zip file with your genome on it. You insert the drive into the side of your computer and click the button on the screen that says “Upload.” The machine spits out a prognosis. The secret to your very own personal happiness.
‘Tis the season to be savvy. Here’s a round-up of Big Thinkers’ favorite tech ideas for simplifying – and beautifying – your holiday.
Will the conflict between intellectual property and the value of sharing knowledge be resolved?
So obviously the division of human inquiry into the sciences and the humanities is ridiculous. Reality, after all, is one. The opinion of scientists tends to be that they’re all […]
Maybe there are no atheists in foxholes, as William T. Cummings famously said. But who wants to live in a foxhole? Most of us would prefer a room with a […]
When did the world turn so “inappropriate?” It seems to be getting more so by the year. Inappropriate’s already appeared 26,200,000 times in 2011 on Google-indexed material. In 2010, it […]
Tonight, you’ll pop a bottle of Champagne, and raise a flute to the promise of sweet, newborn 2012. As this is a time for all things reflective, stop to think […]
I’m back! As you may know, I’ve spent the last three days in Springfield, Missouri, having a blast at Skepticon IV. The convention was a weekend of great talks that […]
After our last go-round, Peter Hitchens has posted a further reply. I encourage you to read it in full before reading my response, which follows below: Once again, Peter Hitchens […]
Warning, the four minutes you will spend reading this blog post may be hazardous to your marriage.Or so you might think. New research out of the Netherlands examines the relationship […]
Charles Murray wrote a piece on economic inequality and cultural factors that contribute to it in the Wall Street Journal. He vividly describes inequalities between two groups of white Americans, […]
Charles Murray wrote a piece on economic inequality and cultural factors that contribute to it in the Wall Street Journal. He vividly describes inequalities between two groups of white Americans, […]
Most Americans know that talking on the cell phone while they’re driving is dangerous. And two thirds of Americans say they do it anyway. So it’s not surprising that […]
Nobel prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, author of the new book Thinking, Fast and Slow, knows more than most about how people make decisions. And we often make them badly. As a rule, Kahneman would advise people to slow down their decision-making whenever possible.
The United States is following its peer nations in Western Europe and is projected to become a majority unmarried and “post-marriage” nation within the decade, according to research released this […]
“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” says washed-up silent film star Norma Desmond in the final scene of Billy Wilder’s unforgettable 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. Gloria Swanson […]
To be a successful investor, you don’t want to be jumping from one company to the next. Instead, William Ackman says, pick a company that you can own forever.
War is hell. The culture war is no exception—and the funny bone is usually the first casualty. The recent talk about abortion and contraception got me thinking, what would the […]
Metaphor is extremely powerful: By washing, people can remove a sense of immorality, unlucky feelings or doubt about a decision, say University of Michigan psychologists.
“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you. But the answer requires a little textual analysis. Where does Christmas come from, if not books?
Threats and outrage can no more shut up ideas than a cage made of smoke. It’s time we stop using violent tactics, as ways to voice our disagreements. In case […]
Just as peacocks spread their tails to signal virility, men have used conspicuous consumption to signal wealth and women have used the appearance of youth to signal fertility – all […]
“All of the cells in the body have this potential to make other kinds of cells. This has led to the discovery of human embryonic stem cells and other stem cells, which we’d now like to use to replace tissue and body parts,” says Dr. Douglas Melton.
Recipient of the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals Career Achievement medal, Alfonso Batres has worked to expand medical centers for the nation’s veterans.
Of all the surreal moments in the Penn State sex scandal surrounding the actions of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, the most surreal for me was watching on a […]
This blog was published in 2011 at www.pamelahaag.com Few institutions invite—perhaps require?–cognitive dissonance like marriage. It’s remarkable, a marriage’s capacity to say one thing and do another, while all the […]
I’m hungry. I head to the fridge—but first, I shake my head and say mournfully to myself, there’s nothing to eat. I’m not looking forward to the process of choosing […]
Reuters reports that “leftists” in Mexico City’s assembly are contemplating a two-year, term-limited marriage. They argue that it would spare the city’s married residents—half of whom split, and most within […]
Newt Gingrich was almost right about the Palestinians when he said they were an “invented people” (though the difference between right and almost right, to paraphrase Twain, is the difference […]