Pursuit of Happiness

(Newser) - Unrequited romantics can stop blaming facial symmetry and voice pitch for their woes: A new study suggests finding love might be as simple as declaring it, the Independent reports. Social cues such as eye contact, smiling, and verbal come-ons play an important role in beckoning Cupid, researchers concluded after showing hundreds of men and women flash cards of faces with different expressions. More »

(Newser) - Author Susan Squire takes a long view of marriage—about 5,000 years, in fact. Her new book, I Don’t: A Contrarian History of Marriage , traces matrimony’s bizarre historical journey, from pure mating ritual to Christian "lust-containment facility" to modern romance. In an interview with Salon, she says that love had nothing to do with marriage until Martin Luther said it did. More »

(Newser) - Just months into their relationship, former Beatle Paul McCartney and girlfriend Nancy Shevell are road-tripping across legendary Route 66, but an extended journey spent in a car can be deadly to romance, Mary Schmich writes in the Chicago Tribune . "A road trip is a compatibility test on wheels, one that many couples have flunked," she writes. More »

(Newser) - The number of unmarried heterosexual couples living together reached a record 6.4 million in 2007, or 10% of all hetero couples who share a home, according to the Census Bureau. It's a snapshot of the changing American family. Some 2.5 million of the couples—45.5%—are raising at least one biological child of either partner, and 1.3 million—21%—have a child together, reports USA Today. More »

(Newser) - Bhutan's parliament has banned members from bringing laptops to work in an attempt to keep lawmakers focused on government business, the BBC reports. "I have seen many of our lawmakers playing computer games when others are debating serious issues," said the speaker of the new democracy's National Assembly. Most MPs accept the ban, but they deny they were goofing off. More »

(Newser) - People around the world are getting happier, according to a new study. Researchers asked people in 52 countries how happy they were annually for an average of 17 years, and the world's happiness index has risen substantially, reports LiveScience. The team speculates that reasons include economic growth and increased social tolerance for women and minorities. More »

(Newser) - While the jury's still out on whether money can buy happiness, a higher gross domestic product certainly doesn't. In rich countries, well-being really does depend on non-material things like family stability, a friendly community, and job security—and economists should start incorporating quality-of-life issues into policy, John Cassidy writes in Portfolio. More »

(Newser) - Homeless couples have nothing to rely on but each other, Justin Clark writes on Nerve, but sometimes half the relationship is keeping the other on the streets. One Los Angeles couple has been together for 25 years, destitute since November. Paul abandoned computer studies, and his sole source of income, to help Sharon beat her drinking problem. More »

(Newser) - Conservative people are happier than liberal ones, a fact explained by righties’ ability to rationalize society's socioeconomic gaps, a study finds. Conservatives are more likely to express sentiments like, “It is not really that big a problem if some people have more of a chance in life than others.” Lefties are often left frustrated by status inequality, LiveScience reports. More »

(Newser) - Time is truly the currency of the rich, and W offers tips on today's ultimate luxury. How to save a few of those grains in the hourglass: Delegate: Outsourcing isn’t just for heartless CEOs—pay people to break in your smoking jackets for you. Don’t bother with books: Enlist a minion to do the reading, then give you the highlights. More »

(Newser) - Adrian starts painting in the middle, but Hannah wants the wall layered methodically. Adrian storms out, and Hannah works alone. The DIY dispute is no anomaly: 35% of British homeowners said in a recent study that home improvements caused domestic rifts. Underlying the debates on paint color and floorboards is a power struggle, marital therapist Andrew G. Marshall writes in the Times of London. More »

(Newser) - Happiness really does come with age, researchers have discovered in one of the widest-ranging studies ever of happiness in America. Measures of happiness steadily climbed among study participants into their mid-60s. Levels dipped only slightly after that, and people in their 80s still tended to be happier than people under 40, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. More »

(Newser) - Looking for lengthy love? It may be time to sleep single. More couples are opting for separate beds, and 60% of custom-built homes in the UK will have dual master bedrooms by 2015, the London Times reports. Many in modern times consider separate beds the end of love, but in fact sleep disturbance is what creates friction, researchers say. More »