Tag: Sociology
-
‘Lent can help us be happier by wanting less’
Today is Mardi Gras, the day before Lent. Millions will give things up. But why? Wouldn’t we be happier doing something more positive? Or can self-denial be more fulfilling than we suspect?
-
‘We are hardwired to live in our own bubbles’
In an era of fake news and political division, some fear we are too quick to ignore the facts we don’t like. Now a new book says we evolved to think this way. Can we overcome our nature?
-
‘Sexist’ marriage under fire after court case
A heterosexual British couple have failed to win the right to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. But the law may now change. Should the decline of marriage cheer us or worry us?
-
The awkward handshake that gripped the world
A 19 second handshake between Donald Trump and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe became a viral sensation last week. How much can you really tell about a person by the way they shake hands?
-
Survivalism boom as rich prepare for Doomsday
A catastrophic civilisational breakdown may sound far-fetched. But as global uncertainty grows, more people are hoarding supplies and preparing for the worst. Is this a sensible move?
-
The mind: Trump’s rare, explosive personality
His friends call him a ‘winner’. His children call him a ‘great dad’. His enemies call him a ‘dangerous narcissist’, unfit to be president. What do we know about the mind of President Trump?
-
Last man on the Moon: ‘It’s our destiny’
The last person to set foot on the Moon, Eugene Cernan, has died. He said the experience 44 years ago changed him deeply and forever. What can we earthlings learn from him today?
-
Ex-bodybuilder fights ‘myth’ of ideal shape
The most common new year’s resolutions? Lose weight. Exercise more. Eat better. But a new documentary says the idea of a ‘perfect body’ is wrong -- and we should stop wasting our time.
-
New call for policy to be about happiness
Good mental health and having a partner make people happier than doubling their income, a new study has found. Could this lead to a new politics, in which well-being comes before money?
-
You're off! Gentlemen's game to use red cards
Cricketers have been trusted to uphold the spirit of the game since the 18th century. Now, for the first time, umpires will send them off. Should society mourn the demise of self-policing?
-
‘Stop calling us snowflakes’, say millennials
‘Generation snowflake’ — the supposedly thin-skinned millennials — has been a ubiquitous insult in 2016. But many are saying the term trivialises young people’s concerns. Are they right?
-
Japan’s youth choose virtual love over real
For decades, single young Japanese have been rejecting human partners in favour of fantasy characters. New research confirms that virtual romance is here to stay. Should we welcome it?
-
Facebook reveals who you are, say insurers
A car insurance firm is trying — and failing — to access clients’ Facebook pages to determine their personalities. Is it right to do so? How much do our online profiles really say about us?
-
Leap in the dark: Europe puts its clocks back
Millions of people spent an extra hour in bed after the clocks changed on Sunday. But 100 years after British Summer Time was invented, a growing chorus is calling for the practice to end.
-
Creepy ‘killer clown’ craze spreads to UK
For months, towns in America have been terrified by reports of clowns brandishing knives or luring children into the woods. Now, as Halloween approaches, the phenomenon has reached Britain.