'Money can't buy you happiness' is either a well-known piece of folk wisdom, or a tired cliché. Is it right, though? Scientifically speaking, the answer is... mixed.
A recent study carried out at the University of Bath has once again looked at the relationship between income and happiness. It seems that, up to a point and within a specific set of circumstances, money can buy happiness. But beyond that, the relationship between money and happiness becomes more uncertain.
WHAT MAKES US HAPPY?
At the most fundamental level, the things that make us happy or at least that provoke a positive response in our brains - are those that satisfy our basic biological needs. We humans, as living organisms, need many things to ensure our survival, such as food, water, air, sleep and security. Our brain recognises these things as being 'biologically significant', so if we obtain them, we experience a sense of reward.
Because the human brain can make intuitive and abstract leaps, it can easily recognise that receiving money means we can now more easily obtain food, water, shelter, etc. This, as a study carried out by the Wellcome Trust in 2007 found, can be both rewarding and motivational, two things that could both be considered to fall under the umbrella of happiness.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2022-Ausgabe von BBC Science Focus.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2022-Ausgabe von BBC Science Focus.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?
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WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?
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WHAT IS MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE?
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HOW CAN I TELL IF I'VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?
Cortisol is a hormone produced by glands in our bodies called the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, reducing inflammation and helping the body respond to stress. While essential for our health, chronic elevation of cortisol levels can lead to several issues.
THE LUNGFISH
In 1836, European scientists discovered a peculiar animal from the River Amazon that they struggled to identify. Its eel-like body was a few feet long and its air-filled lungs persuaded anatomists it must be a reptile.
ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?
The Stone Age might conjure up images of early humans, sitting around a campfire or hunting prehistoric beasts, but evidence shows that we're not the only species that has learned how to work with stone tools. Wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use stone tools to crack open nuts.
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THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS
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