Monday, October 09, 2006
Buying Love, et cetera
A Nottingham University study of lotto winners purports to disprove the old adage that money can't buy happiness. The authors found that winners were more likely to be married after than before, had bigger houses, and, this is the key bit, 97% were at least as happy as before winning.
So really, what this study found, was that winning the lottery did not make the 34 people studied less happy. The most spurious claim is that the money allowed winners to 'buy love' - more people get married later in life, so the passage of time alone could account for differences there, as could, you know, being suddenly able to afford a wedding. DOQRAPS returns!!!
With all that lotto money, you might also be able to pay to put yourself in suspended animation. Well, sortof. Researchers have found that hydrogen sulfide induces a hibernation-like state in mice, but without lowering their blood pressure. That last bit is what's odd, and important: the problem with current sedatives, used in intensive surgeries to reduce organ damage, is that they drop blood pressure, with dangerous effects. A better way of sedating patients' systems could lead to improved surgical outcomes.
Finally, a number of researchers are calling to abolish the term schizophrenia, as it is too messy a concept to be useful in treatment. While I agree that the term carries way too much stigma, and accommodates a huge range of symptoms, it's a well established term. To the extent that different symptomologies can be traced to different etiologies, I would support this move, but since none of that is particularly clear, I'm wary.
So really, what this study found, was that winning the lottery did not make the 34 people studied less happy. The most spurious claim is that the money allowed winners to 'buy love' - more people get married later in life, so the passage of time alone could account for differences there, as could, you know, being suddenly able to afford a wedding. DOQRAPS returns!!!
With all that lotto money, you might also be able to pay to put yourself in suspended animation. Well, sortof. Researchers have found that hydrogen sulfide induces a hibernation-like state in mice, but without lowering their blood pressure. That last bit is what's odd, and important: the problem with current sedatives, used in intensive surgeries to reduce organ damage, is that they drop blood pressure, with dangerous effects. A better way of sedating patients' systems could lead to improved surgical outcomes.
Finally, a number of researchers are calling to abolish the term schizophrenia, as it is too messy a concept to be useful in treatment. While I agree that the term carries way too much stigma, and accommodates a huge range of symptoms, it's a well established term. To the extent that different symptomologies can be traced to different etiologies, I would support this move, but since none of that is particularly clear, I'm wary.
