Emotions | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/emotions/RSS feed for EmotionsenMon, 23 Mar 2026 20:18:19 +0000Finland Is Named the Happiest Country in the World for the Ninth Year in a Rowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/finland-is-named-the-happiest-country-in-the-world-for-the-ninth-year-in-a-row-180988388/The World Happiness Report is an annual ranking of wellbeing around the globe. This year's report spotlighted the consequences of social media useMon, 23 Mar 2026 20:18:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/finland-is-named-the-happiest-country-in-the-world-for-the-ninth-year-in-a-row-180988388/Positive Thinking Might Boost Your Immune System's Responses to Vaccines, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/positive-thinking-might-boost-your-immune-systems-responses-to-vaccines-new-research-suggests-180988056/Researchers found an association between increased activity in a reward region of the brain—primarily stimulated by hopeful thinking—and heightened levels of protective antibodies after receiving a vaccineFri, 23 Jan 2026 20:08:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/positive-thinking-might-boost-your-immune-systems-responses-to-vaccines-new-research-suggests-180988056/These Are the 20 Happiest Countries in the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-are-the-20-happiest-countries-in-the-world-180986288/Finland took the top spot in this year's World Happiness Report, while the United States dropped to its lowest ranking yetTue, 25 Mar 2025 17:43:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-are-the-20-happiest-countries-in-the-world-180986288/Why Does Laughter Have Such a Strange Power Over Us?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-does-laughter-have-such-a-strange-power-over-us-180985999/An anthropologist explores why the phenomenon has the ability to delight, disturb and disruptFri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-does-laughter-have-such-a-strange-power-over-us-180985999/How Can the Brain Overcome Fear? New Study of Mice Offers Clues to PTSD and Anxiety Treatmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-can-the-brain-overcome-fear-new-study-of-mice-offers-clues-to-ptsd-and-anxiety-treatment-180986023/Researchers identified two brain areas in mice that helped the animals learn to suppress their instinctive fears of predatorsTue, 11 Feb 2025 18:29:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-can-the-brain-overcome-fear-new-study-of-mice-offers-clues-to-ptsd-and-anxiety-treatment-180986023/Ancient Texts Reveal How Mesopotamians Felt Emotions—From Happiness in the Liver to Anger in the Feethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-texts-reveal-how-mesopotamians-felt-emotions-from-happiness-in-the-liver-to-anger-in-the-feet-180985675/Researchers found that ancient Mesopotamians associated body parts with emotions, just as we do—but they discovered some hilarious differencesThu, 19 Dec 2024 15:58:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-texts-reveal-how-mesopotamians-felt-emotions-from-happiness-in-the-liver-to-anger-in-the-feet-180985675/What Are Wind Phones, and How Do They Help With Grief?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-are-wind-phones-and-how-do-they-help-with-grief-180985113/A clinical social worker explains the vital role of the old-fashioned rotary phone for those dealing with death and lossMon, 23 Sep 2024 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-are-wind-phones-and-how-do-they-help-with-grief-180985113/The Smell of Human Stress Leads Dogs to Make More Pessimistic Decisions, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smell-of-human-stress-leads-dogs-to-make-more-pessimistic-decisions-study-suggests-180984777/Canines that smelled the sweat of anxious people were less likely to approach a bowl that might have contained food, indicating humans' emotions can affect dogs' behaviorFri, 26 Jul 2024 13:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smell-of-human-stress-leads-dogs-to-make-more-pessimistic-decisions-study-suggests-180984777/Why Do We Want to Squish and Squeeze Things That Are Cute? Science Has the Answerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-we-want-squish-squeeze-things-that-are-cute-science-has-answer-180971143/The response dubbed “cute aggression” by researchers is the brain’s attempt to self-regulate when confronted with intense emotionMon, 31 Dec 2018 15:28:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-we-want-squish-squeeze-things-that-are-cute-science-has-answer-180971143/Sniffing Women's Tears May Reduce Aggression in Men, Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sniffing-womens-tears-may-reduce-aggression-in-men-study-finds-180983509/The findings, which may extend to all humans, suggest emotional tears might serve an evolutionary purposeTue, 26 Dec 2023 17:29:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sniffing-womens-tears-may-reduce-aggression-in-men-study-finds-180983509/