What's the key to happiness? How can we become as happy as those who live in Nordic countries -“the happiest in the world" - according to the United Nations' World Happiness Report 2013? One of the keys is not comparing ourselves to everyone else. Improving people's quality of life and their happiness is not easy. Happiness depends on many factors that are often beyond the … [Read more...] about Does Facebook Conspire against Happiness?
House of Cards, Latin American Style
House of Cards returned to Netflix this weekend, along with Kevin Spacey’s Machiavellian politico Frank Underwood, who now holds all the cards as president of the United States. House of Cards transports millions into Washington’s corridors of power, offering a glimpse into the backroom machinations of policymaking. Of course, as the show suggests, any similarities to real … [Read more...] about House of Cards, Latin American Style
Vaccination: Infectious Misinformation
Public information campaigns are a complex undertaking; how the message is delivered matters at least as much as the content of the message itself. Moreover, getting it right is paramount since undoing the damage of misinformation is difficult indeed. In this regard, the debate over vaccination provides a difficult lesson—one in which the repercussions of poor messaging are, … [Read more...] about Vaccination: Infectious Misinformation
Who Decides the Budget?
President Obama presented his $4 trillion budget proposal for FY2016 to Congress on Feb. 2, outlining his spending priorities for the next 10 years. Big winners under his plan include the poor, middle classes, the military and the construction industry, thanks to a combination of tax breaks and credits, as well as infrastructure and defense spending. On the other hand, the … [Read more...] about Who Decides the Budget?
Crime and Violence: An Expensive Problem
The costs of Latin America’s alarming levels of crime and violence go far beyond even the suffering of the direct victims. They have very real economic, as well as social, repercussions. In Uruguay, crime-related costs absorb 3.2 percent of GDP, diverting critical resources from more productive economic priorities. In Mexico, violence increases unemployment, closes businesses, … [Read more...] about Crime and Violence: An Expensive Problem