Stop Whining, Be Happy

By Every Possible Measure, This Is the Best Time to Be Alive in Human History

In her classic reinterpretation of Western history, The Legacy of Conquest, Patricia Nelson Limerick writes of an entrepreneurial young man in St. Louis eager to get in on the 1849 Gold Rush. He hands over $200 to a fledgling new carrier called the Pioneer Line that promises comfortable and speedy (60 days, give or take) coach service to the coast, food and drinks included.

Things don’t go as smoothly as advertised. Passengers have to walk part of the way on account of the wagons being overloaded and the ponies being …

by Andrés Martinez | December 1, 2014

Are American Children Better Off Today Than They Were in 1989?

The Convention on the Rights of the Child Is the World’s Most Widely Adopted Human Rights Treaty. But 25 Years After Its Passage, the U.S. Still Won't Ratify It.

by Jody Heymann | November 28, 2014

In 1989, as a new mom and a new doctor, I spent my days tending to young patients as a pediatrician in training, and my nights caring for my own …

California’s Massage Industry Explosion

Why Did a Law Intended to Regulate Massage Parlors Have the Opposite Effect?

by Joe Mathews | November 20, 2014

For the record, I did not intend to get naked for this column.

But the woman at the local massage parlor insisted that I remove my pants and underwear before she …

Could Ebola Kill Global Trade?

Western Nations Need to Remain Open to Africa—and Break a Centuries-Old Pattern of Restricting Commerce in Response to Disease

by Mark Harrison | November 16, 2014

“Health consists of having the same diseases as one’s neighbors,” the English writer Quentin Crisp once quipped. He was right: When a disparity occurs, the sense of threat to our …

Do Hugs Work Better than Quarantines?

President Obama's Reassuring Embrace of a Recovered Ebola Patient Was the Best Way to Say the Virus Can Be Beaten

by George Merlis | October 29, 2014

The Constitution stipulates that the president is the commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, but chief executives since Washington have accrued to the office a number of additional unstipulated “in-chief” …

Ebola Is Bad, But Measles Was Worse

This Year’s Terrifying Outbreak Won’t Spread as Far or as Fast as Historic Epidemics

by Gerardo Chowell-Puente | October 6, 2014

As an epidemiologist who works with mathematical models to analyze outbreaks, I can tell you–despite the disclosure of a U.S. case in Dallas last week–there is some good news in …

health

Stop Whining, Be Happy

By Every Possible Measure, This Is the Best Time to Be Alive in Human History

Are American Children Better Off Today Than They Were in 1989?

The Convention on the Rights of the Child Is the World’s Most Widely Adopted Human Rights Treaty. But 25 Years After Its Passage, the U.S. Still Won't Ratify It.

California’s Massage Industry Explosion

Why Did a Law Intended to Regulate Massage Parlors Have the Opposite Effect?

Could Ebola Kill Global Trade?

Western Nations Need to Remain Open to Africa—and Break a Centuries-Old Pattern of Restricting Commerce in Response to Disease

Do Hugs Work Better than Quarantines?

President Obama's Reassuring Embrace of a Recovered Ebola Patient Was the Best Way to Say the Virus Can Be Beaten

Ebola Is Bad, But Measles Was Worse

This Year’s Terrifying Outbreak Won’t Spread as Far or as Fast as Historic Epidemics

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Will We Ever Conquer Old Age?

We’ve Gotten Good at Postponing, If Not Avoiding, the Grave. But Improving Our Record May Not Require Science.

Adjust Your Seat Backs, Tray Tables…and Attitudes

The Call of Home at the End of Life

My Quanzhou-Born Father Needed to Say Goodbye to China Before We Said Goodbye to Him

Yes, You Can Be Happy in Sad Times

Scholars Say Happiness—Along With Connectedness and Meaning—Can Make You More Resilient When the World Gets Rough

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