Happiness Formula

According to Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert,

Happiness = marriage, money, and no children

1. Marriage: People in good marriages are happier, healthier, and live longer than unmarried 
2. Money: Some money buys a lot of happiness, a lot of money only marginally increases it ... with the golden per capita income hovering between $50,000 to $75,000. Richer people can increase happiness by staying active and spending their wealth on others.
3. Children: childless couples are happier than their counterparts

eBay Lessens Looting

When eBay began, archaeologists were scared that online buying and selling antiquities would increase stealing and trafficking of archaeological treasures. Contrary to expectations, eBay's existence has lessened looting because 1) eBay created a market for cheap fakes which lowered the incentive to steal real artifacts and 2) Collectors are more wary of buying on-line.

Money Buys Happiness

A previous post noted that spending on others generates happiness. Another study finds that money spent on experiences made people happier than buying things if those experiences are enjoyable and enhance the individual's life in non-material ways.

In the study, half of the participants wrote a paragraph about a recent experience they purchased (e.g. dining out or going to the movies). The other half wrote a paragraph about something they bought. Both groups wrote down their feelings about what they purchased. Those who bought experiences were significantly happier and said it was money well-spent.

These feelings might come from feeling connected to friends. Also we don’t get tired of happy memories, but we can get tired of a purchase.

Money and Weight Loss

Research finds that people rewarded with a few $100 for losing a few pounds were much more successful in losing weight than those who just dieted.

In one study subjects earned money if they lost 16 pounds in 16 weeks. In the other, participants invested their own money, which they lost if they didn’t achieve the same goal. A control group dieted without any economic incentive.

53% of paid dieters, 47% of investor dieters and only 10.5% of regular dieters met their goal. Also, regular dieters averaged 4lbs loss vs. 14lbs for paid dieters.

Money CAN Buy Happiness

Money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it on someone else.

In one experiment, volunteers rated their happiness and were then given $5 or $20. Half were told to spend on themselves, half to give it away. Those who gave away the money were the happiness, even if it was only $5.

The finding supports another famous study on happiness.

Butterflys vs. Counterfeiters

Butterfly wings have brightly colored wings that give off various colors in light. Pigments don't create the colors - rather microscopic structures on the insects’ wings reflect light. They're like the inside of an egg carton, with alternating layers of cuticle and air. Light bounces off the structures so scales look like they shimmer.

Nature reports that Cambridge researchers used nanofabrication techniques to create scales identical to the butterflies’.

Based on this premise, researchers hope to design money or credit cards.