Yale's most popular class ever, "The Science of Well-Being,"
was designed by professor Laurie Santos. She collected all the
psychological science related to happiness and came up with a
step-by-step process for boosting your own happiness.
The class has already
been taken by more than 225,000 students online. About one in
four students at Yale have taken it since it was first offered.
Santos designed the course for three reasons: to synthesize what
psychologists have learned about making our lives better, to
help undergrads overcome stress and unhappiness on campus, and
to live a better life herself.
A few exercises
include:
Focus on your strengths - Identify your signature strengths and
refocus on them each day. Studies show happiness increases and
depression decreases when a person uses his or her signature
strengths regularly.
Invest in experiences -
Going for a walk or traveling to a new place are much better
investments in terms of happiness than buying material things.
Your stuff loses "happiness value" almost as soon as you have
purchased it. Paying for experiences, however, has multiple
benefits for happiness, including the anticipation of the
experience leads to more happiness and joy. Also, talking about
the experience afterward with friends reignites your own happy
memories and, sharing these tales with friends tends to boost
their happiness, too.
Apr 12, 2019
Apr 5, 2019
Happy Friday
Destiny is a decision
and so is Happiness.
I always decide to be happy and celebrate a Happy Friday!
I always decide to be happy and celebrate a Happy Friday!
Butte vs. Mesa vs. Plateau
A butte is a prominent isolated hill with steep
sides and a small, flat top. The word “butte" comes from a
French word meaning “small hill." Buttes are taller than they
are wide
A mesa is distinguished from the butte by its much larger size. Buttes usually have a surface area of less than 10,000 square feet. Mesas can have as much as four square miles of surface area. Mesas are wider than they are tall.
Many plateaus form as magma deep inside the earth pushes toward the surface, but fails to break through the crust. Instead, the magma lifts up the large, flat, impenetrable rock above it.
Butte: a small isolated piece of highland.
Mesa: a large isolated piece of highland.
Plateau: a large area of highlands, not necessarily isolated (often delimited in just one side by a cliff).
A mesa is distinguished from the butte by its much larger size. Buttes usually have a surface area of less than 10,000 square feet. Mesas can have as much as four square miles of surface area. Mesas are wider than they are tall.
Many plateaus form as magma deep inside the earth pushes toward the surface, but fails to break through the crust. Instead, the magma lifts up the large, flat, impenetrable rock above it.
Butte: a small isolated piece of highland.
Mesa: a large isolated piece of highland.
Plateau: a large area of highlands, not necessarily isolated (often delimited in just one side by a cliff).
Vegan Vegetarian Study
According to a poll of 11,000 Americans, 84
percent of vegetarians and vegans return to eating meat.
Eggplants are Berries
In botany, a berry is a fleshy fruit without a
stone produced from a single flower containing one ovary.
Berries so defined include grapes, currants, and tomatoes, as
well as cucumbers, eggplants, and bananas, but exclude certain
fruits commonly called berries, such as strawberries and
raspberries.
By this definition, oranges, kumquats, blueberries, and even tomatoes can be considered part of the berry family. The term berry refers generically to any small, edible fruit with multiple seeds. Aggregate fruits, such as the blackberry, the raspberry, and the boysenberry, which develop from several ovaries are berries in this sense, but not in the botanical sense.
By this definition, oranges, kumquats, blueberries, and even tomatoes can be considered part of the berry family. The term berry refers generically to any small, edible fruit with multiple seeds. Aggregate fruits, such as the blackberry, the raspberry, and the boysenberry, which develop from several ovaries are berries in this sense, but not in the botanical sense.
Spacesuit Facts
According to NASA:
A spacesuit is also known as Extravehicular Mobility Unit.
Spacesuits provide protection from extreme temperature to providing a pressurized environment for astronaut body.
Spacesuits are puncture proof.
A spacesuit weighs approximately 280 pounds on the ground - without the astronaut in it. In the micro-gravity environment of space, a spacesuit weighs nothing.
They have an internal pouch attached to contain urine. They have a separate pouch for drinking water.
Shuttle spacesuit materials include ortho-fabric, aluminized mylar, neoprene-coated nylon, dacron, urethane-coated nylon, tricot, nylon/spandex, stainless steel, and high-strength composite materials.
Putting on a spacesuit takes 45 minutes, including the time it takes to put on the special undergarments that help keep astronauts cool. After putting on the spacesuit, to adapt to the lower pressure maintained in the suit, the astronaut must spend a little more than an hour breathing pure oxygen before going outside the pressurized module.
The reason that spacesuits are white is because white reflects heat in space the same as it does on earth. Temperatures in direct sunlight in space can be more than 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
It has a liquid cooling and ventilation system inside the spacesuit.
No difference exists in a male's or female's suit, other than size.
Spacesuits are designed to be made of many interchangeable parts, to accommodate the large number of astronauts with widely varying body sizes.
Body measurements of each astronaut are taken, then the measurements are plotted against the size ranges available for each spacesuit component.
A spacesuit is also known as Extravehicular Mobility Unit.
Spacesuits provide protection from extreme temperature to providing a pressurized environment for astronaut body.
Spacesuits are puncture proof.
A spacesuit weighs approximately 280 pounds on the ground - without the astronaut in it. In the micro-gravity environment of space, a spacesuit weighs nothing.
They have an internal pouch attached to contain urine. They have a separate pouch for drinking water.
Shuttle spacesuit materials include ortho-fabric, aluminized mylar, neoprene-coated nylon, dacron, urethane-coated nylon, tricot, nylon/spandex, stainless steel, and high-strength composite materials.
Putting on a spacesuit takes 45 minutes, including the time it takes to put on the special undergarments that help keep astronauts cool. After putting on the spacesuit, to adapt to the lower pressure maintained in the suit, the astronaut must spend a little more than an hour breathing pure oxygen before going outside the pressurized module.
The reason that spacesuits are white is because white reflects heat in space the same as it does on earth. Temperatures in direct sunlight in space can be more than 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
It has a liquid cooling and ventilation system inside the spacesuit.
No difference exists in a male's or female's suit, other than size.
Spacesuits are designed to be made of many interchangeable parts, to accommodate the large number of astronauts with widely varying body sizes.
Body measurements of each astronaut are taken, then the measurements are plotted against the size ranges available for each spacesuit component.
Did You Know
JAB Holding, a German private conglomerate, headquartered in
Luxembourg owns Bruegger's Bagels, Einstein Brothers Bagels,
Panera Bread, Krispy Kreme, Peet’s Coffee, Caribou Coffee,
Stumptown Coffee, Clearasil, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, 7Up, Sunkist,
Au Bon Pain, Calgon, Keurig Green Mountain, Mighty Leaf Tea, and
Bally, among others.
Wordology, Red Herring
The actual origin of the figurative sense of the
phrase can be traced back to the early 1800s. Around this time,
English journalist William Cobbett wrote a presumably fictional
story about how he had used red herring as a boy to throw hounds
off the scent of a hare.
An extended version of this story was printed in 1833, and the idiom spread from there. Although many people are more familiar with red herrings in pop culture, they also crop up in political spheres and debates of all kinds. Robert J. Gula, the author of Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language, defines a red herring as "a detail or remark inserted into a discussion, either intentionally or unintentionally, that sidetracks the discussion."
The goal is to distract the listener or opponent from the original topic and it is considered a type of flawed reasoning or, more fancifully, a logical fallacy.
An extended version of this story was printed in 1833, and the idiom spread from there. Although many people are more familiar with red herrings in pop culture, they also crop up in political spheres and debates of all kinds. Robert J. Gula, the author of Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language, defines a red herring as "a detail or remark inserted into a discussion, either intentionally or unintentionally, that sidetracks the discussion."
The goal is to distract the listener or opponent from the original topic and it is considered a type of flawed reasoning or, more fancifully, a logical fallacy.
Aspirin and Heart Attacks
Taking an low-dose aspirin every day to prevent
a heart attack or stroke is no longer recommended for most older
adults, according to guidelines released a few weeks ago.
Doctors said for decades that a daily 75 to 100 milligrams of
aspirin could prevent cardiovascular problems, the American
College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association just
reversed that idea.
This change comes after a large clinical trial found a daily low-dose aspirin had no effect on prolonging life in healthy, elderly people, and actually suggested the pills could be linked to major hemorrhages. The recommendations say low-dose aspirin should not be given to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease on a routine basis to adults older than 70 or any adult with an increased risk of bleeding.
“Clinicians should be very selective in prescribing aspirin for people without known cardiovascular disease,” Roger Blumenthal, co-chair of the new guidelines said in a statement. "It’s much more important to optimize lifestyle habits and control blood pressure and cholesterol as opposed to recommending aspirin."
Only select people with a high risk of cardiovascular disease and low risk of bleeding might continue using the pain killer as a preventative, as told by their doctor, Blumenthal said. I you are taking one, consult your doctor before quitting.
This change comes after a large clinical trial found a daily low-dose aspirin had no effect on prolonging life in healthy, elderly people, and actually suggested the pills could be linked to major hemorrhages. The recommendations say low-dose aspirin should not be given to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease on a routine basis to adults older than 70 or any adult with an increased risk of bleeding.
“Clinicians should be very selective in prescribing aspirin for people without known cardiovascular disease,” Roger Blumenthal, co-chair of the new guidelines said in a statement. "It’s much more important to optimize lifestyle habits and control blood pressure and cholesterol as opposed to recommending aspirin."
Only select people with a high risk of cardiovascular disease and low risk of bleeding might continue using the pain killer as a preventative, as told by their doctor, Blumenthal said. I you are taking one, consult your doctor before quitting.
Seven More Body Facts
In an adult human, 25% of bones are in the feet.
The gluteus maximus in the buttocks is the body’s largest muscle.
A human’s ears and nose never stop growing.
A human’s little finger contributes over fifty percent of the hand’s strength.
If a human being’s DNA were uncoiled, it would stretch 10 billion miles, from Earth to Pluto and back.
There are more than 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your body.
For an adult human, taking one step uses up to 200 muscles. I am already tired just thinking about it.
The gluteus maximus in the buttocks is the body’s largest muscle.
A human’s ears and nose never stop growing.
A human’s little finger contributes over fifty percent of the hand’s strength.
If a human being’s DNA were uncoiled, it would stretch 10 billion miles, from Earth to Pluto and back.
There are more than 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your body.
For an adult human, taking one step uses up to 200 muscles. I am already tired just thinking about it.
Mar 29, 2019
Happy Friday
A person wrapped up in
happiness makes a wonderful gift.
I love to get wrapped up in happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!
I love to get wrapped up in happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!
Six Body Facts
The lining in a person's stomach is replaced every 4 to 5 days
to prevent it from digesting itself.
An adult human small intestine is about 18 to 23 feet long, which is about four times as long as an adult is tall.
Semen normally contains 1-8 billion sperm per fluid ounce (140-300 million sperm per millimeter).
Feet have about 500,000 sweat glands and can produce about a pint of sweat a day.
A human sneeze can travel about 100 mph or more.
The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.
An adult human small intestine is about 18 to 23 feet long, which is about four times as long as an adult is tall.
Semen normally contains 1-8 billion sperm per fluid ounce (140-300 million sperm per millimeter).
Feet have about 500,000 sweat glands and can produce about a pint of sweat a day.
A human sneeze can travel about 100 mph or more.
The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.
More Cancer Causing Myths Debunked
Dental fillings from years ago likely
have mercury in them, but they also have other metals, including
silver, tin, and copper. According to the American Dental
Association, the combination of these metals makes the fillings,
known as dental amalgams, completely safe. "It's important to
know that when combined with the other metals, it forms a safe,
stable material," the ADA says. Also the type of mercury used
in the fillings is not the same type (methylmercury) that has
been shown to cause health problems.
Sugar may do some bad things to your body, but does not cause cancer. This is true despite research suggesting that cancer cells consume more glucose (blood sugar) than normal cells. You actually need some sugar in your diet, because it is necessary for your immune system, according to Anton Bilchik, MD, chief of medicine and gastrointestinal research at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center.
Lucky Charms has an interesting list of ingredients, including trisodium phosphate. It is found in many food items and it is also in cleaning products and paint thinners. TSP is a leavening agent similar to baking soda (also in foods and cleaning products). The amounts in Lucky Charms (and other foods) are so tiny that there is no cancer threat.
You may have heard that candy canes contain the scary-sounding titanium dioxide, but that is just a pigment that turns candy canes (as well as sunblock and toothpaste) brilliant white. Titanium dioxide is not a known carcinogen.
Parents everywhere panicked when the news that Nutella could cause cancer came out. Nutella does contain palm oil which, when heated above around 400 degrees F, can be cancerous. The makers of Nutella say they never get their product that hot.
Sugar may do some bad things to your body, but does not cause cancer. This is true despite research suggesting that cancer cells consume more glucose (blood sugar) than normal cells. You actually need some sugar in your diet, because it is necessary for your immune system, according to Anton Bilchik, MD, chief of medicine and gastrointestinal research at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center.
Lucky Charms has an interesting list of ingredients, including trisodium phosphate. It is found in many food items and it is also in cleaning products and paint thinners. TSP is a leavening agent similar to baking soda (also in foods and cleaning products). The amounts in Lucky Charms (and other foods) are so tiny that there is no cancer threat.
You may have heard that candy canes contain the scary-sounding titanium dioxide, but that is just a pigment that turns candy canes (as well as sunblock and toothpaste) brilliant white. Titanium dioxide is not a known carcinogen.
Parents everywhere panicked when the news that Nutella could cause cancer came out. Nutella does contain palm oil which, when heated above around 400 degrees F, can be cancerous. The makers of Nutella say they never get their product that hot.
Six Strange US Laws
Any person who attempts to pass off margarine, oleo, or
oleomargarine as real butter is guilty of a simple misdemeanor
in the state of Iowa, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a
$625 fine.
In Alaska, it is illegal to give alcohol to a moose.
In Louisiana it is illegal to steal someone’s crawfish. Crawfish theft in excess of $1,500 can land the offender up to ten years in prison or a $3,000 fine.
In Minnesota, since 1971, it is considered a misdemeanor to operate, run, or participate in any activity where a pig is oiled up and released with the object of being recaptured.
In Nevada, it is illegal to use an x-ray device to determine someone’s shoe size.
In New York City, “altered” bagels (sliced, toasted, or served with cream cheese, etc.) carry an eight cent sales tax. Uncut bagels are tax exempt.
In Alaska, it is illegal to give alcohol to a moose.
In Louisiana it is illegal to steal someone’s crawfish. Crawfish theft in excess of $1,500 can land the offender up to ten years in prison or a $3,000 fine.
In Minnesota, since 1971, it is considered a misdemeanor to operate, run, or participate in any activity where a pig is oiled up and released with the object of being recaptured.
In Nevada, it is illegal to use an x-ray device to determine someone’s shoe size.
In New York City, “altered” bagels (sliced, toasted, or served with cream cheese, etc.) carry an eight cent sales tax. Uncut bagels are tax exempt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)