CIENCIASMEDICASNEWS: What makes a good life?

jueves, 18 de febrero de 2016

What makes a good life?

Welcome to Demography Is Destiny. We launched this to counter two media memes: that humans are a cancer which is destroying our planet and that world population is spiralling to unsustainable levels. The real story is that intelligent and inventive humans will rise to the challenge of climate change and that our real problem is the coming demographic winter. The editors of Demography is Destiny are Marcus and Shannon Roberts, who live in Auckland, New Zealand. Send them your comments and suggestions. - See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/if-you-could-have-dinner-with-anyone/17635#sthash.zUpELqoN.dpuf

THURSDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2016

What makes a good life?

BY SHANNON ROBERTS

Masterfoods recently released an advertisement in which parents are asked who they would most like to eat dinner with. The parents struggled to think of their favourite celebrities, but their children were quick to respond with suprisingly similar answers. It's a good reminder. You can watch the short clip here:

The children are probably onto something. This Ted talk is slightly longer, but also well worth the time. While many aspire to wealth, career and fame, subconsciously taking on perceived societal values, it turns out what we have always known is true - those people that focus most on family and relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. This clip discusses a long, one-of-a-kind Harvard study which followed the fortune of people's lives from birth until death and answers the question, 'What makes a good life?', based on its findings from the study participants.

- See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/if-you-could-have-dinner-with-anyone/17635#sthash.zUpELqoN.dpuf

Of the many tributes to US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to appear since his sudden death last weekend – the most touching that I have read comes from fellow Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. I suppose it is well known in the States that these two ideological sparring partners have been at the same time “best buddies”.

Though they disagreed on such vital subjects as abortion and gay marriage – and, more to the point, on whether the US Constitution supported a right to either of those things – they both loved opera and delighted in each other’s company – along with family and friends. Here is part of Justice Ginsberg’s generous tribute to “Nino”:

We disagreed now and then, but when I wrote for the Court and received a Scalia dissent, the opinion ultimately released was notably better than my . initial circulation. Justice Scalia nailed all the weak spots—the 'applesauce' and 'argle bargle'—and gave me just what I needed to strengthen the majority opinion. He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh. The press referred to his 'energetic fervor,' 'astringent intellect,' 'peppery prose, ‘acumen,' and 'affability,' all apt descriptions. He was eminently quotable, his pungent opinions so clearly stated that his words never slipped from the reader’s grasp.

Justice Scalia once described as the peak of his days on the bench an evening at the Opera Ball when he joined two Washington National Opera tenors at the piano for a medley of songs. He called it the famous Three Tenors performance. He was, indeed, a magnificent performer. It was my great good fortune to have known him as working colleague and treasured friend.”

The lesson of this surprising friendship seems to be that friendship is not about finding a replica of oneself, but of finding something to respect and admire in the other. It may not be their ideas. However, when there is a meeting of minds and hearts, that is something very powerful.

And this is what has brought the name of the late pope, Saint John Paul II, into the headlines this week, and caused me to write a few lines about the women in his life.