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'Pantsdrunk' and the Finnish art of relaxing
Drinking home alone in your underwear just might be what you need to be as relaxed as the Finnish.

- Päntsdrunk is the latest trend to come out of Northern Europe and it involves drinking alone at home.
- Finnish writer Miska Rantanen outlines the philosophy in his newest book titled: Pantsdrunk: Kalsarikanni: The Finnish Path to Relaxation.
- Kalsarikänni is a word in Finnish that literally means "drinking at home and alone in your underwear."
It seems like you can always count on the Nordic people for coming up with the most novel of lifestyle trends. Päntsdrunk is the anglicized term for the Finnish word Kalsarikänn, and it's a philosophy and way of life that many Finns swear by. The concept is something most young adults can get behind, no matter where they are in the world.
Päntsdrunk consists mostly of being alone, drinking alcohol and doing whatever you please in the comfort of your home. That might mean binging on Netflix, staring mindlessly at the wall or your phone, or just getting some well-needed rest and recuperation.
It's no surprise the Finns have come up with something like this. After all, they are also one of the most relaxed nations with the least stressful educational systems.Previous notable trends from Scandinavia
Finland Via Getty Images
A long line of trends have continually trickled down from the Nordic countries. They've all been based around one simple mantra – to concentrate on yourself, loved ones, and make life a little less stressful or at least more tolerable.
It's a simple and humble enough goal that all of Scandinavia has been able to put in practice in one way or another. Take Sweden and Norway for example, they put this into practice by the concept of lagom: a saying and precept that means "in moderation," or "in perfect balance."
Lagom is a state where everything is in balance and proportion is maintained. This crosses over to all areas of life. But whereas lagom can start to feel like a bit like a puritan aphorism – where all things must be in moderation, the Danish are well known for their less stringent hygge.
Hygge is the quintessential and picturesque feeling where you'll find yourself sitting beside a ornate fireplace, sipping a warm mug of cocoa and basking in the glow of luxuriant sense of repose.
Author Miska Rantanen finds all of these modes of relaxation all well and good, but feels that pantsdrunk is the most suitable for people all over the world. He states:
"Hygge is the glossy image we've all seen on the pages of interior design magazines and lifestyle blogs. And this is its failing: not all of us have the means to lie by a brick fireplace burning birch logs on stormy autumn evenings. In the Nordic palette of survival strategies, the Finn relies not on lagom or hygge but on kalsarikänni: the primeval yet surprisingly cosmopolitan concept of "pantsdrunk." It can be adapted to every corner of the world, regardless of circumstance, milieu, or mood."
The rest of the world got wise to this phenomenon a few years ago when Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs designed a round of emojis and pictures to describe a number of Finnish words and concepts, like Nokia phones, saunas, and heavy metal (there are more heavy metal bands per capita in Finland than anywhere else in the world). You can download the full emoji set here.
Päntsdrunk is part philosophy and part national pastime
Nokia phone and alcohol in Finland
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As a lifestyle choice, pantsdrunk stands out as one of the most straightforward ways of recuperating. It should be noted that it doesn't encourage binge drinking or alcoholism of any sort. Some research has shown that having a drink once in a while might be an excellent way to reduce stress.
There is no stigma attached to some good alone time, drinking and ultimately trying to reach states of mind that encourages comfort and peace. Pantsdrunk doesn't worry about artificiality or superficial premises. It is an authentic mode of relaxing that doesn't require you share it to the world. Rantanen says that:
"Pantsdrunk is the antithesis of posing, performing, or pretense: one does not post atmospheric images on Instagram while pantsdrunk."
Kalsarikännit isn't as demanding as other supposed relaxation techniques. It doesn't require you to spend a fortune on photogenic furniture or parade your lifestyle around online to show everyone just how "relaxed" you are. It's the closest thing the Finns have to their own personal zen.
Grab your drink of choice. Slip on those baggy clothes and do whatever. It's that simple.
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2 new ways to find aliens, according to a Nobel Prize winner
Physicist Frank Wilczek proposes new methods of searching for extraterrestrial life.
Alien spaceships.
- Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek thinks we are not searching for aliens correctly.
- Instead of sending out and listening for signals, he proposes two new methods of looking for extraterrestrials.
- Spotting anomalies in planet temperature and atmosphere could yield clues of alien life, says the physicist.
1. Atmosphere chemistry
<p>Like we found out with our own effect on the Earth's atmosphere, making a <a href="https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/facts/hole_SH.html" target="_blank">hole in the ozone layer</a>, the gases around a planet can be impacted by its inhabitants. "Atmospheres are especially significant in the search for alien life," <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/looking-for-signs-of-alien-technology-11581605907" target="_blank">writes Wilczek</a> "because they might be affected by biological processes, the way that photosynthesis on Earth produces nearly all of our planet's atmospheric oxygen."</p><p>But while astrobiology can provide invaluable clues, so can looking for the signs of alien technology, which can also be manifested in the atmosphere. An advanced alien civilization might be colonizing other planets, turning their atmospheres to resemble the home planets. This makes sense considering our own plans to terraform other planets like Mars to allow us to breathe there. Elon Musk even <a href="https://www.space.com/elon-musk-serious-nuke-mars-terraforming.html" target="_blank">wants to nuke the red planet.</a></p>The Most Beautiful Equation: How Wilczek Got His Nobel
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-media_id="ijBZzuI2" data-player_id="FvQKszTI" data-rm-shortcode-id="061a3de613c45f42b05432a2949e7caa"> <div id="botr_ijBZzuI2_FvQKszTI_div" class="jwplayer-media" data-jwplayer-video-src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ijBZzuI2-FvQKszTI.js"> <img src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/ijBZzuI2-1920.jpg" class="jwplayer-media-preview" /> </div> <script src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ijBZzuI2-FvQKszTI.js"></script> </div>2. Planet temperatures
<p>Wilczek also floats another idea - what if an alien civilization created a greenhouse effect to raise the temperature of a planet? For example, if extraterrestrials were currently researching Earth, they would likely notice the increased levels of carbon dioxide that are <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases" target="_blank">heating up</a> our atmosphere. Similarly, we can looks for such signs around the exoplanets.</p><p>An advanced civilization might also be heating up planets to raise their temperatures to uncover resources and make them more habitable. Unfreezing water might be one great reason to turn up the thermostat. </p><p>Unusually high temperatures can also be caused by alien manufacturing and the use of artificial energy sources like nuclear fission or fusion, suggests the scientist. Structures like the hypothetical <a href="https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/this-mind-bending-scale-predicts-the-power-of-advanced-civilizations" target="_self">Dyson spheres</a>, which could be used to harvest energy from stars, can be particularly noticeable. </p>Wilczek: Why 'Change without Change' Is One of the Fundamental Principles of the ...
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-media_id="KrUgLGWm" data-player_id="FvQKszTI" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc13c3c65924439c1992935c61ab8977"> <div id="botr_KrUgLGWm_FvQKszTI_div" class="jwplayer-media" data-jwplayer-video-src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/KrUgLGWm-FvQKszTI.js"> <img src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/KrUgLGWm-1920.jpg" class="jwplayer-media-preview" /> </div> <script src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/KrUgLGWm-FvQKszTI.js"></script> </div>As we approach death, our dreams offer comfort and reconciliation
As patients approached death, many had dreams and visions of deceased loved ones.
One of the most devastating elements of the coronavirus pandemic has been the inability to personally care for loved ones who have fallen ill.
Surprising new feature of human evolution discovered
Research reveals a new evolutionary feature that separates humans from other primates.
Human evolution.
- Researchers find a new feature of human evolution.
- Humans have evolved to use less water per day than other primates.
- The nose is one of the factors that allows humans to be water efficient.
A model of water turnover for humans and chimpanzees who have similar fat free mass and body water pools.
Credit: Current Biology
Skepticism: Why critical thinking makes you smarter
Being skeptical isn't just about being contrarian. It's about asking the right questions of ourselves and others to gain understanding.
