If men on average make more money than women, what should a heterosexual couple who has a baby do to maximize income for the family unit as a whole? Elaine Schwartz explores why men are less likely to take parental leave than women in The (Hidden) Paternity Leave Problem.
Matt Ridley asks Why Is It So Cool To Be Gloomy? Ridley writes:
Studies consistently find that people in developed societies tend to be pessimistic about their country and the world but optimistic about their own lives. They expect to earn more and to stay married longer than they generally do. The Eurobarometer survey finds that Europeans are almost twice as likely to expect their own economic prospects to get better in the coming year as to get worse, while at the same time being more likely to expect their countries’ prospects to get worse than to improve. The psychologist Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania suggests a reason for this: We think we are in control of our own fortunes but not those of the wider society.
There are certainly many causes for concern in the world today, from terrorism to obesity to environmental problems, but the persistence of pessimism about the planet requires some explanation beyond the facts themselves.
There is a lot of handwringing about the dangers of video games, but esports might be a good way for the elderly to keep their minds and dexterity sharp through the camaraderie and competition of on-line gaming. Samantha Bresnahan profiles one group of elderly gamers in The world’s oldest esports team is gaming their way to longer lives.