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Gen Z is retiring “Karen”—and the replacement name is starting fights
“Karen” had a long run as internet shorthand for entitled, manager-seeking behavior.
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Spanish tops a “happiest language” ranking—and linguists have thoughts
I live in São Paulo, where Spanish and Portuguese dance through daily life.
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If your nights feel like the only “me time,” you’re not alone—and there’s a name for it
Last week, I sat on the couch in our apartment in Itaim Bibi after cleaning the kitchen, prepping Emilia’s snacks, and texting my husband about a grocery list.
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The most personal climate impact yet: whether to bring a child into this world
Last Saturday night, after Emilia fell asleep and the kitchen counters were cleared, my husband and I sat on the balcony with mint tea and the noise of São Paulo in the distance.
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The pollutant you may not see: why constant background noise is becoming a medical issue
On an average weeknight in any big city, the soundtrack isn’t sirens or jackhammers.
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Chewing sounds trigger your rage? Misophonia may be why—and scientists are digging in
If chewing, sniffing, or pen-clicking flips your mood in a heartbeat, you’ve got company—and better science.A new peer-reviewed paper pulls the field toward a clear, testable explanation of misophonia: not “oversensitive ears,” but a fast, learned loop linking sound, attention, emotion, and bodily arousal.
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The 1:11 bay leaf ritual went viral—because it hacks “fresh start” psychology
On the last week of December, my group chats were full of reminders to set an alarm for 1:11 on January 1. The plan sounded simple.
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Love makes you reckless (literally): study finds romantic cues increase risk-taking
You don’t need a laboratory to know that romance can make ordinary life feel charged.
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Let them sleep: weekend catch-up rest linked to lower depression risk in teens
For years, families have argued through the same sleepy standoff: a teenager surfaces at noon on Saturday; an adult taps their watch and worries about “ruining the schedule.” New evidence makes a strong case for a truce.
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A brain-based AI test could point to the best antidepressant for you
If you’ve ever started an antidepressant and spent weeks waiting to see if it helps, you know the hardest part is the guesswork.
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Why using social media feels good for 30 seconds — and awful hours later
The emotional whiplash isn’t just “too much screen time.” Researchers are increasingly pointing to reward learning, social comparison, and sensitivity to social exclusion as mechanisms that can make the quick hit feel irresistible — and the aftertaste surprisingly heavy.
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What researchers found about prolonged singledom and declining happiness
The story that “being single is thriving” has become a familiar cultural script, especially online.