Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
Best friends can boost resilience during tough times
Best friends are great for celebrating the good times, but a new study suggests that their biggest emotional boosts may come when the going gets tough. Researchers say the preliminary analysis provides the first long-term evidence that having a close, non-romantic relationship can be enormously Read More...
How close are your strangers: A country-to-country guide to personal space
Those who have traveled know that the concept of personal space—how close we stand to our colleagues, our friends, stranger—is not universal. In fact, research shows people in Argentina and other South American countries require less personal space than people from Asia. In Saudi Arabia, people Read More...
Ontario is going to give universal basic income a shot
The idea of basic income is being hailed for its potential to reduce poverty and cut out red tape. Finland recently launched its own trial in January, and now the largest province in Canada is experimenting with giving a basic income to randomly selected people with no strings attached. Single Read More...
Philosophers and scientists agree: this one thing is the key to happiness
Gretchen Rubin, author of "Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives," says strong relationships are the key to happiness. Following is a transcript of the video. I was surprised by how much evidence there is that to be happy and even to be healthy we really need to have Read More...
This incredible brain-art will blow your mind
Want to see the human brain in a way you’ve never seen it before? Using a new technique called micro-etching, two scientists-turned-artists used a single slice of brain tissue and magnified it 22 times to create 11 vibrant images that vividly show the intricacies that make up the human brain. The Read More...
We are smarter together than we are on our own, we need groups to solve problems
The mind is built for collaboration, yet we lionize individual achievement. We imagine our heroes toiling in isolation, mastering all necessary skills, and solving critical problems before moving on to their next world-altering pursuit. This is a myth. According to cognitive science professors and Read More...
Berlin startup offers a year with no money worries
Miko from Berlin may only be five, but he already has 1,000 euros ($1,063) per month to live on -- not from hard graft, but as part of an experiment into universal basic income. He is one of 85 people, including around 10 children, chosen by startup Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income) to receive Read More...
Decision fatigue: Does it help to wear the same clothes every day?
Ever since the late Steve Jobs popularized the idea, some folks have been enamored by the idea that by wearing the same clothes everyday, you are somehow setting yourself up for greater success. The psychological reasoning behind this is the idea that the fewer decisions you have to make every day Read More...
Will blockchain technology be the ultimate disruptor? Harvard says yes!
"Imagine a technology that could preserve our freedom to choose for ourselves and our families, to express these choices in the world, and to control our own destiny, no matter where we lived or were born. What tools and jobs could we create with those capabilities? What new business and services? Read More...
Microvolunteering: what is it and why should you do it?
Solving the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster would constitute a good deed, right? Well on that basis a webcam has been set up overlooking the Scottish loch for anyone to tune in and try to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature. If you see something that looks suspiciously serpentine, you simply Read More...