ScienceDaily: Living Well News

F-bombs notwithstanding, all languages skew toward happiness: Universal human bias for positive words Posted: 09 Feb 2015 01:11 PM PST Arabic movie subtitles, Korean tweets, Russian novels, Chinese websites, English lyrics, and even the war-torn pages of the New York Times -- research examining billions of words, shows that these sources -- and all human language -- skews toward the use of happy words. This Big Data study confirms the 1969 Pollyanna Hypothesis that there is a universal human tendency to "look on and talk about the bright side of life."

Sunlight and vitamin D levels higher for coastal populations Posted: 09 Feb 2015 09:28 AM PST People living close to the coast in England have higher vitamin D levels than inland dwellers. Exposure to sunlight is a crucial factor in vitamin D production and the research has also found that English coasts tend to see a greater amount of sunlight across the year when compared with inland areas. The study is the first time that data on sunlight and vitamin D levels have been linked to detailed geographical information.

Both Liberals, Conservatives Can Have Science Bias Posted: 09 Feb 2015 08:30 AM PST New research suggests that liberals, as well as conservatives, can be biased against science that doesn’t align with their political views.

Energy drinks significantly increase hyperactivity in schoolchildren, study finds Posted: 09 Feb 2015 06:50 AM PST Middle-school children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66 percent more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, a new study has found.

Can't sing? Do it more often Posted: 09 Feb 2015 05:36 AM PST If you've ever been told that you're 'tone deaf' or 'can't carry a tune,' don't give up. New research suggests that singing accurately is not so much a talent as a learned skill that can decline over time if not used. The ability to sing on key may have more in common with the kind of practice that goes into playing an instrument than people realize, according to experts.

Consumer preferences and the power of scarcity Posted: 06 Feb 2015 11:52 AM PST How does scarcity, or the appearance of scarcity, affect choice when several consumer products are presented at once? Researchers found a clear pattern: Scarcity polarizes preferences.

Teens likely to combine multiple forms of tobacco, study finds Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:14 AM PST Teens who use tobacco products are likely to use more than one product, including e-cigarettes, hookahs and pipes, and smokeless tobacco, according to a new study.