1. You only need to eat a little bit healthier to reap big results.
You don't need to change your whole diet to benefit from eating healthy. A new study shows that participants who simply added in a few healthy foods (rather than overhauling everything they ate) saw their risk of dying decrease. All the more reason to please pass the broccoli (even if it's followed by cake). (Time)
2. Scotland is working to make sanitary products free.
This week, Scotland's government launched a program that will distribute free tampons and pads to low-income women and girls for a full six months. The goal is to better understand the feasibility of this type of program to decide whether or not it's something that can and should be done long-term. (The Cut)
3. Eastern and Western cultures have polar opposite views of success.
What defines success? For Americans, it's typically being a big fish in a small pond, while in China people enjoy being smaller fish in big ponds, according to research by a group of psychologists from the University of Michigan. (Quartz)
4. Climate change may increase plane ticket fares.
Due to increased temperatures, which affect the density of air, it is more difficult for airplanes to take off. In addition to reducing the weight of the aircrafts' load, airlines will have to take costly measures to ensure safe takeoff. (Eurekalert)
5. We're very likely to miss this spot when applying sunscreen, according to science.
It's one of our most sensitive areas, but we miss it the most often: Around the eyes and in between them. New research shows that most people completely miss it, even when given facts about facial skin cancer. Now you know! (Science of Us)
6. New research shows that yes, generous people are happier.
Want to up your happiness levels? Give back. A new study out of the University of Zurich found that when people act solely out of their own self-interest, they're a lot less happy than those who act out of interest for others. Even telling yourself you're going to be more generous leads to increased happiness levels. (Science Daily)
Leigh Weingus is a New York City based freelance journalist and former Senior Relationships Editor at mindbodygreen where she analyzed new research on human behavior, looked at the intersection of wellness and women's empowerment, and took deep dives into the latest sex and relationship trends. She received her bachelor’s in English and Communication from the University of California, Davis. She has written for HuffPost, Glamour, and NBC News, among others, and is a certified yoga instructor.