Researching The Theory That Money Can’t Buy Happiness

Whether or not money buys happiness remains a collective fixation—and many scholars endeavor to answer the question through countless studies. In a much-cited paper published in 2010, psychologist Daniel Kahneman and economist Angus Deaton determined that an individual’s life satisfaction improved as their income increased, but emotional wellbeing plateaued once a household achieved an income of $75,000 (equal to about $90,000 now). Around the same …

Yale’s Psyc 157 aka The Happiness Class

With a goal to rewire the way Yale students viewed the pursuit of happiness, Professor Laurie Santos developed what has become the most popular course in the institution’s history. Aimed at addressing mental health, sleep, stress and happiness, Psych 157 utilizes Santos’ understanding of positive psychology and behavior change. Broken down into twice-weekly lectures, the class empowers by driving home topics like “time affluence” and …

Wearable Tech Gets Emotional

London-based studio Vinaya's minimalist Zenta bracelet goes beyond tracking activity

London-based tech design studio and lab Vinaya wants wearables to make us feel more human and less hamster. For its debut line Altruis, they developed luxe—albeit still bulky—jewelry in iPhone-evoking colors that vibrates different patterns under specific conditions you set: a call from mom, emails from your team, texts from a potential date, a personal alarm, etc. All with the goal to focus on the …