Do objects or experiences make us happier?

FromStuff You Should Know

Start listening View podcast show

Do objects or experiences make us happier?

FromStuff You Should Know

ratings:

Length:

35 minutes

Released:

Feb 11, 2014

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Since Sartre classified things that make us happy into the categories of having and doing, science took up the investigation into materialism and experientialism. The results have been in for a while: experiences win by a wide margin, but why exactly? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Feb 11, 2014

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Skip carousel

How Antibacterial Soap Works: Could the routine use of antibacterial soap increase the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in your home? Learn more about the disadvantages of anti-bacterial soap in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Are Nazi War Criminals Still At Large?: After the close of World War II, Nazi war criminals fled Europe and attempted to hide under assumed identities. Some may still be at large. Learn more about Nazi war criminals in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Altruism Works: Is there such a thing as a truly unselfish act? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about the nature of altruism. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Personal Rapid Transport Works: Personal rapid transport combines the best traits of subways and taxis, and costs less to build than light rail. Could this be the future of transportation? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about personal rapid transport. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Are Dogs Really Man's Best Friend?: Check out the story of Hachiko, a loyal Akita who waited for over ten years for his master to return. Learn more about Hachiko and loyalty in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
Exactly what happens if we run out of water?: In 1995, World Bank vice president Ismail Serageldin declared that "the wars of the next century will be about water." Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn what happens once we run out of water. by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
How Abandoned Cities Work: Cities can become abandoned for a number of reasons, from economic meltdowns to nuclear catastrophes. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about modern abandoned cities. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Why Does Toothpaste Make Orange Juice Taste Bad?: Why does toothpaste make orange juice taste bad? Chuck recounts his first-hand experience, and how it works. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
Can I Survive a Shark Attack by Gouging Out Its Eyes?: Although it can be intimidating, a shark is not invulnerable. Punching its nose, gouging its eyes, or grabbing its gills can stun the shark and give victims a chance to escape. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about shark attacks. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Lame Ducks Work: In U.S. politics, a lame duck is a president who will not be re-elected because he or she has been passed over for election, or already served the maximum two terms. Learn more about the origin of lame duck presidents in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Swearing at Work Works: Swear words are usually considered workplace taboos -- yet the debate continues over whether these words are inappropriate, or examples of free speech. Learn more about using swear words at work in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Guerrilla Gardening Works: You've heard of guerrilla fighting tactics, but how much do you know about guerrilla gardening? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about this "revolutionary" gardening trend. by Stuff You Should Know
18 min listen
How Murphy's Law Works: Murphy's law originates in 1949, and states 'anything that can go wrong, will.' Check out this HowStuffWorks to learn more about how the Air Force discovered Murphy's law. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Can I feel pregnant when my wife is?: Sympathy pregnancy is the condition where a man feels pregnant while his wife actually is. Learn more about the symptoms for sympathy pregnancy in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Does Gum Stay in your Stomach for Seven Years?: Does gum really stay in your stomach for Seven Years? Josh and Chuck take on the parental myth of gum swollowing. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Can People Really Get Hysterical Strength?: During times of emergency, people have been known to preform feats of great strength. Learn more about going from the dull stare of the dairy cow to the eye of the tiger in seconds flat. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Grassoline Works: Could switch grass become the car fuel of the future? Learn more about alternative fuel in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
What are smart mobs?: With the benefit of wireless technologies like cell phones and text messaging, large groups of people are able to coordinate their actions with amazing precision. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn about smart mobs and civil disobedience. by Stuff You Should Know
15 min listen
How Ripperology Works: The unsolved murder spree of Jack the Ripper has captivated generations of amateur investigators, each with their own theory of the killer's identity. Learn more about one particularly thought-provoking suspect in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
What's the most expensive toilet in the world?: The most expensive toilet in the world is made of solid gold and can be found in Hong Kong. Learn more about the world's most expensive toilet in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Albert Einstein's Brain Worked: Albert Einstein is one of the world's most recognizable geniuses. But was his brain any different from that of an average person? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Thomas Harvey, the man who set out to decipher Einstein's brain. by Stuff You Should Know
19 min listen
What's the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant?: The function of antiperspirant and deodorant is to prevent sweat or to mask the scent of body odor. Learn about the function of antiperspirant and deodorant in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
14 min listen
How Carbon Capture Works: Carbon capture is the process of trapping carbon emissions and storing them away from the atmosphere to prevent global warming. Check out our carbon capture article at HowStuffWorks.com to learn more about the possibility of reducing carbon emissions. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Contagious Yawning Works: Yawning is contagious, but why? Check out the leading theories on contagious yawning and empathy in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Trolley Problems Work: The trolley problem is an ethical dilemma that proposes a difficult decision about choosing whether a group of strangers lives or dies. Learn more about ethics and the nature of sacrifice in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Are Dogs a Shark's Favorite Meal?: In 2005, The Sun reported that dogs were being used as live bait in the Indian Ocean. Is it possible that dogs are a delicacy to sharks? Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about the diet of sharks. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Can I Erase My Identity and Start Over?: Everyone dreams of snagging a fresh start at life. Whether you've thought of changing your dull given name, or just disappearing entirely, this HowStuffWorks podcast will tell you what it takes to erase your identity. by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Will we soon be extinct?: Is Earth due for a mass extinction? Population ecologists think so. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more mass extinctions. by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Are there real-life fight clubs?: The 1996 Chuck Palahniuk novel, "Fight Club," has been blamed -- and lauded -- by various groups for inspiring several real-life fight clubs. Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about real-life fight clubs. by Stuff You Should Know
7 min listen
How Death-Proof Cars Work: Could high-end digital auto systems such as blind-spot detection and collision prevention overcome the errors of human drivers? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the death-proof cars of the future. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen

More Episodes from Stuff You Should Know

Skip carousel

The Village People Episode by Stuff You Should Know
54 min listen
Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
The Awful Crimes of Georgia Tann by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Short Stuff: The Sad, Strange Tale of Margaret Schilling by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The Power of the Wind by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
Selects: Special Effects: A Short History by Stuff You Should Know
55 min listen
Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out! by Stuff You Should Know
51 min listen
Short Stuff: The Amazing Tale of Juliane Koepcke by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The Dubious Science of Arson Investigation by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Selects: How Famines Work by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Testosterone and Estrogen: Wondrous Hormones by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Short Stuff: Straitjackets by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The 1977 Women's Conference That Changed America by Stuff You Should Know
50 min listen
Selects: All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
The Everglades: Wowee by Stuff You Should Know
54 min listen
Short Stuff: Knock on Wood by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Greedflation Is Real by Stuff You Should Know
56 min listen
Selects: Who is The Man of the Hole? by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
The Pulitzer Prize: A major award! by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Short Stuff: Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Selects: MOVE: Or When the Philly Police Dropped a Bomb on a Residential Neighborhood by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
Peanuts (the comic) Part II by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
Short Stuff: Mariko Aoki Phenomenon by Stuff You Should Know
12 min listen
Peanuts (the comic) Part I by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
Selects: How Dyslexia Works by Stuff You Should Know
43 min listen
The Alien Abduction Phenomenon of the Mid-20th Century by Stuff You Should Know
51 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Is spontaneous human combustion real?: Scientists have proven that spontaneous combustion, or burning without an external ignition source, can occur in some objects. But what about human beings? Tune in and learn more about spontaneous human combustion in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
20 min listen
How Gene Patents Work: Should a company be able to own the rights to something found inside your own body? In this episode, Chuck and Josh delve into the complicated, controversial world of gene patents. Tune in to learn more about the history -- and future -- of gene patents. by Stuff You Should Know
42 min listen
Short Stuff: Look-Alike Old Couples: You know how some older married couples (sorry, senior adult married couples) start to look alike over time? That’s a really weird phenomenon if you think about it. So science has looked into it and they think they kind of have it figured out. by Stuff You Should Know
14 min listen
Do people have unique scentprints?: Scientists are exploring why and how people's scents are as unique as fingerprints, and research finds that people can sniff out someone's personality, sexual orientation and age. Tune in to learn more about gender differences in body odor. by Stuff Mom Never Told You
29 min listen
How Chaos Theory Changed the Universe: Since the age of Descartes, science has put all of its eggs in the basket of determinism, the idea that with accurate enough measurements any aspect of the universe could be predicted. But the universe, it turns out, is not so tidy. by Stuff You Should Know
55 min listen
Why is it so easy to fail a gender test?: As gender tests reveal, determining physical gender isn't as clear-cut as you'd think. Discover why and how gender can be ambiguous in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff Mom Never Told You
18 min listen
Dr. Michael Shermer — What is Truth?: In this live podcast event hosted by the Santa Barbara Science Salon in conjunction with the Skeptics Society and the Unitarian Society, co-hosted by Dr. Whitney Detar, Dr. Shermer reflects on the question “What is Truth?” in the context of his... by The Michael Shermer Show
69 min listen
How Can Your Birth Season Determine Your Allergies? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
How Déjà Vu Works: Does this episode seem strangely familiar? If so, you might be experiencing déjà vu, a topic that scientists are beginning to study seriously. Discover the myriad theories about how déjà vu works in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
25 min listen
How to Donate Your Body to Science: Donating your whole body to further science and medicine is probably the best thing you could do with your corpse. Which is why the industry that handles those gifts need regulating. by Stuff You Should Know
42 min listen
How Itching Works: It was only in the last few decades that science became aware that itches aren't just low-level pain. And in that time, the mystery of how we itch and why we scratch has gotten even more baffling. by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
Episode 76: Cloaked by Otherworld
52 min listen
How Tickling Works: What's the deal with tickling? Why does it make people laugh, and what's the science behind the reaction? Join Chuck and Josh and listen in as they demystify the curious practice known as tickling. by Stuff You Should Know
22 min listen
EP 1 Who are Sano Genetics?: If you're wondering who are Sano Genetics, we're going to tell you! We're an ethical genetics research platform who value transparency and patient-centric research. In this episode, Patrick Short (CEO) discusses our platform, our current research... by The Genetics Podcast
2 min listen
Why Are Some Words Funny? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
What is the heat index?: Your body has efficient ways to release excess heat, but high temperatures and high humidity create a sticky situation. Find out how the heat index keeps you abreast of dangerous heat situations in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
185. Where philosophy begins by Stoic Meditations
2 min listen
How does SETI at home work?: SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- is an enormous, global undertaking meant to detect signs of life beyond our solar system. Learn how you can help from home in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
The Future of Smells: Vision and hearing get all the glory, but humans might be more controlled by our sense of smell than we realize. The podcasters examine some smelly science and discuss how smells figure in to future tech. by Fw:Thinking
41 min listen
Cruel Summer: What is the difference between global warming and climate change? What's the evidence to support the anthropogenic nature of climate change? What is a scientific consensus? by Fw:Thinking
42 min listen
Can you judge a book by its cover?: It's no secret that first impressions count for a lot, but how does the science of first impressions actually work? Listen in to learn more about how people judge first impressions -- and whether these judgments are accurate. by Stuff Mom Never Told You
32 min listen
The animal kingdom’s mathematicians, with Brian Butterworth: Brian Butterworth, author of Can Fish Count, explains how animals approach counting and mathematics, and how they are more like humans than you might expect. by Instant Genius
24 min listen
From The Happiness Lab: Making Friends as an Adult featuring Casper by The Real Question
34 min listen
How To Train Your Brain: Amazing opportunities present themselves to us all the time, but how often do we act on these and create success for ourselves? This week's Food For Thought podcast explores how everything most people want from life - health, happiness, wealth, lo... by Food For Thought
55 min listen
Are men or women happier?: An objective measure of happiness is difficult to come by, but researchers say there are definite trends. Sometimes men are happier, and sometimes women are. Explore the science of happiness in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff Mom Never Told You
19 min listen
Ep 697: Musk’s brainchild: Neuralink recruits for human trials: Elon Musk’s secretive biotech startup, Neuralink, is recruiting participants for its first human trials. Why has the news been so controversial? by Sensemaker
8 min listen
Is it legal to sterilize addicts?: It's a controversial idea, to say the least: If evidence shows that addicts tend to be irresponsible, abusive parents, then why should they have children at all? In this podcast, Josh and Chuck explore the practice (and legality) of sterilizing addicts. by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
How Human Experimentation Works: Human experimentation is an age-old practice, dating back to 4 BCE. Listen in as Josh and Chuck give you the low-down on the historic, grisly underbelly of science and medicine -- human experimentation. by Stuff You Should Know
28 min listen
Top Alien Hunter: “No, aliens aren’t here!”: Top Alien Hunter: “No, aliens aren’t here!” by Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
48 min listen
Beyond this Vale of Testing: Post-Empirical Science: Most scientists declare empirical falsifiability -- the notion that a theory may be proven right or wrong via scientific investigation -- to be the core principle of science. Others, such as string theorists, think science should move beyond those boundar by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
69 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Do objects or experiences make us happier?

Do objects or experiences make us happier?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Stuff You Should Know

Related podcast episodes