Surprising Science — April 30, 2012

Happstr

Happstr is a mobile app that allows you to mark geographical locations where you’re feeling happy, and to see others’ “happiness spots” on the map.

Happstr challenges users to focus on and record the best moments of their lives, and enables them to benefit from the well-being of others. Research shows that your happiness can be easily elevated by the network effect of those around you.

Happstr is a prime example of technology being used to elevate emotional fitness and amplify a positive human trait.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”https://floatinguniversity.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3x5/” _mce_href=”https://floatinguniversity.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3x5/”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

a computer generated image of a human brain.

Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

Building destroyed by the Halifax Explosion. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

a collage of photos of a man with a hat and a book.

High Culture

6 great books with wildly unreliable narrators

Dive into the twisted truths and concealed realities told by literature’s most unreliable narrators.

a group of five matches on a pink background.

The Well

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

▸

7 min

—

with

Laurie Santos

Starts With A Bang

The trick to instantly identifying JWST images

If you can identify a foreground star, the spike patterns are a dead giveaway as to whether it’s a JWST image or any other observatory.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Sonar

Sonar is a mobile app that lets you know when friends and the friends of your friends are in your vicinity. The app uses information from networks such as Facebook, […]