Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Staying Sane in the City

Andrew Price
By Andrew PriceOct 17, 2009
Andrew Price
See Full Bio

We all know that civilization is moving to the cities. In many ways, this is a really positive trend. Having a greater percentage of people living in dense urban areas will be good for resource efficiency.

But this is also going to present some new challenges. Humans, after all, evolved over eons to live on the Sereghetti. Our bodies and minds are designed for an environment very different from Tokyo or Manhattan. How exactly this affects civilization in the future is unclear, but it's worth thinking about. A new study by researchers at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam looked at how close people lived to green areas and how that affected their physical and mental health.Their results confimed that being in contact with the natural world was good for physical conditions including diabetes, coronary heart disease, and various repiratory issues. But they also found that mental health was greatly affected. From the BBC:
The annual prevalence of anxiety disorders for those living in a residential area containing 10% of green space within a one kilometre (0.62 miles) radius of their home was 26 per 1000 whereas for those living in an area containing 90% of green space it was 18 per 1000. For depression the rates were 32 per 1000 for the people in the more built up areas and 24 per 1000 for those in the greener areas. The researchers also showed that this relation was strongest for children younger than 12. They were 21% less likely to suffer from depression in the greener areas.Those numbers shouldn't send us into a panic (anxiety-prone though we are), but they should maybe just get us thinking about the psychological effects of this move to the city, and how we can make sure people have that connection to nature that keeps us sane. It would be interesting to see if urban spaces like Central Park or the High Line satisfy this need.

The Latest

banana, rotten banana, food waste, GMO, genetically modified food, inventions
Science

A company in England has created a banana that stays fresh 12 hours after it's peeled

drew barrymore, drew barrymore show, talk shows, daytime tv
Culture

Drew Barrymore adorably explains why she's such an 'octopus' with her guests

Dolly Parton released a beautifully haunting new song for husband who just passed away
Culture

Dolly Parton released a beautifully haunting new song for husband who just passed away

More For You

14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations

Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.

Keep ReadingShow less

11 hilarious posts describe the everyday struggles of being a woman

Between the bras, makeup, periods, catcalling, sexism, impossible-to-attain beauty standards, and heels, most men wouldn't survive being a woman for a day without having a complete mental breakdown. So here's a slideshow of some of the funniest Tumblr posts about the everyday struggles that women face that men would never understand.

All photos courtesy of Tumblr.

Keep ReadingShow less

Satanists put up a billboard in Florida promoting state's abortion law loophole

This article originally appeared on 12.30.20.



In some states, women are put through humiliating and dangerous pre-abortion medical consultations and waiting periods before being allowed to undergo the procedure. In four states, women are even forced to bury or cremate the fetal remains after the procedure.

These government-mandated roadblocks and punitive shaming serve no purpose but to make it more difficult, emotionally damaging, and expensive for women to have an abortion.

Keep ReadingShow less

Awesome chart shows you how far you can drive on empty.

There are two types of people in this world – those who panic and fill up their cars with gas when the needle hits 25% or so, and people like me who wait until the gas light comes on, then check the odometer so you can drive the entire 30 miles to absolute empty before coasting into a gas station on fumes.

I mean…it's not empty until it's empty, right?

Keep ReadingShow less

19 countries photoshopped one man to fit their idea of the perfect body

If you ask people what they think the “perfect" body looks like, you're sure to get a range of answers, depending on where the person is from. Last year, Superdrug Online Doctor created a project, “Perceptions of Perfection" that showed what people in 18 countries think the “perfect" woman looks like. The project was a viral hit.

They've recently released the male version.

This time, they asked graphic designers—11 women and eight men—in 19 countries to photoshop the same image to highlight the male beauty standards for their country.

Keep ReadingShow less

Trying To Guess Which Twin Smokes Is The Perfect Way To Help You Quit

It's not revolutionary news that smoking wreaks havoc on your body in different ways. More often than not, however, the focus of anti-smoking campaigns is on your internal health, citing emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer, to name just a few consequences.

While the superficial effects may not be as lethal, appealing to people's sense of vanity can have a powerful effect as this clever gallery below shows. Twins, only one of whom smokes, sit side by side, showing the profound damage smoking can cause to your face, hair, and teeth.

Keep ReadingShow less

A viral Twitter thread about body autonomy is a reminder of the ‘fear’ and ‘shame’ women still are forced to confront.

Body autonomy means a person has the right to whatever they want with their own body.

We live in a world where people are constantly telling women what they can or can't do with their bodies. Women get it form all sides — Washington, their churches, family members, and even doctors.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025