In January 2024, WBI published a newsletter article about Blue Zones, regions known for having significantly higher centenarian rates than national averages. The term "Blue Zone" originated from a 2004 study on human longevity conducted in Sardinia. The authors of this study used a blue...
In 2002, Google launched an ambitious project to scan a large portion of the world's books and create a digital library accessible to everyone. However, this library has not yet materialized due to legal challenges from authors and publishers. Although the public cannot currently access...
In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched its Beagle Brigade. The brigade consisted of sniffer dogs trained to detect up to fifty odors associated with contraband smuggling into the country. International travelers to the U.S. have likely seen and interacted with members of the...
In the Pixar movie, WALL-E, set a few hundred years in the future, humans have no direct contact with one another, are relatively helpless, and spend all day interacting only via television. As did many of my friends, I felt that the film got the...
A group of Oxford University faculty and health advocates launched the Oxford Longevity Project, a community interest company focused on sharing discoveries and insights regarding healthy aging with the broader public. There is growing international attention to what the IMF has labelled the “Silver Economy,” and...
The first day of spring is usually celebrated on March 21. However, in 2025, the spring equinox occurred at 5:01 AM EST on March 20. Additionally, the thirteenth World Happiness Report 2025 was released on March 20, coinciding with the UN-designated International Day of Happiness,...
WellBeing International was founded on the premise that "a responsible caretaker of our world must safeguard people, animals, and the environment, as each element is connected to and dependent on the well-being of the others." The bond between a Veteran and their service dog personifies this...
Just over 20 years ago, on Saturday, October 2, 2004, thirteen people participated in a free, timed 5 km run at Bushy Park in West London. This event marked the launch of the Parkrun charity, which has since grown to an annual budget of around...
The Covid pandemic had a widespread social impact in addition to its effects on public health. For example, in the Washington, DC area, home buyers were focused on homes in the city pre-COVID, and the Washington suburban real estate market was in the doldrums. However,...
In 1964, a provocative essay was published by British social anthropologist Edmund Leach in the proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Psychology. The organizer of the congress, Eric Lenneberg, commented that he used the occasion to invite outstanding scientists to discuss the phenomenon of...
