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INSIGHTS

Is Happiness Just a Sip Away?

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What started as a marketing gimmick may have revealed something important about your happiness.

by Howard Bloom

 

What started as a marketing gimmick may have revealed something important about your happiness. 

True Lemon is a product created in Baltimore in 2003 to put the flavor of a lemon slice into a powder that you can pour into your drink.  True Lemon is what its creator, David Schleider, calls a “water enhancer.”

To get publicity for True Lemon, the company’s executive vice president of marketing hired a public opinion company called OnePoll to do a survey on whether a drink of water increases your happiness. A totally unlikely idea.

But OnePoll surveyed 2,000 American adults and found “that the average person experiences 57 ‘little things’ that bring them happiness each week.”

According to Studyfinds.org, the website that brought this survey to the light, that means you and I have roughly eight small minutes of happiness each day.

One of those happy little things, according to 36% of the folks responding to the poll, is drinking enough water.

But there’s more.  Since 1945, the medical community has recommended that you drink eight glasses of water a day.  And the True Lemon poll found that, “Among those who gulped down 10 or more glasses a day, 80% said it was very important to find joy in the small things.”

In other words, 80% of those who drank a lot of water focused on finding tiny joys.  But the percentage of water scrooges, folks who drank “less than one glass” of water a day, who thought it was important “to find joy in the small things” was nearly half what it was for heavy water drinkers.

What’s more, twice as many of the heavy water drinkers reported that they were “very happy” as the water Scrooges did.

On top of all that, a whopping 70% of the heavy water drinkers thought of themselves as glass half full types, while 78% of the water Scrooges apparently saw themselves as glass half empty.

But are the results uncovered by this poll for real?  Is the poll just a clever way of putting True Lemon’s “water enhancer” on your radar and mine?  Or can drinking water really make you happier?

The answer to the happiness question appears to be yes, water can boost your happiness.

Rigorous scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals suggest that going without water during the day can shrink your ability to think, diminish your memory, make you grouchy, and send you into brain fog.

But drinking a substantial amount of water during the day ups your level of a crucial neurotransmitter, serotonin.  And serotonin is one of the key hormones of happiness.  In fact, serotonin is the chemical that many anti-depressants aim to boost.

And you can boost serotonin by drinking a glass of water.

Drinking water also ups your level of another hormone of happiness, endorphin, your body’s own version of morphine.  Endorphin is another joy producer.

In addition, drinking water ups the activity of your sympathetic nervous system, the system that can yank you out of brain fog and put you vigorously in touch with the world around you.  And the researchers emphasize that this impact of drinking a glass of water on your sympathetic nervous system is fast.

But that’s not all.  Drinking water after you’ve gone without it for a long time can perk up your judgment and your decision making.

To hammer that point home, there’s the study of 23 six and seven year olds in the peer-reviewed journal Appetite titled “Does having a drink make you think?”  The answer to the question is yes.

Having a glass of water upped these tykes’ cognitive ability. More specifically, it increased these children’s “visual attention and visual search.”

And most important of all, it increased their happiness.

 

References: 

https://studyfinds.org/key-to-happiness-hydration/

Jordan, J., Shannon, J., Black, B., Ali, Y., Farley, M., Costa, F., Diedrich, A., Robertson, R., Biaggioni, I., & Robertson, D. (2000). The pressor response to water drinking in humans: a sympathetic reflex?. Circulation, 101 5, 504-9. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.101.5.504

Yamamoto, T., Sako, N., & Maeda, S. (2000). Effects of taste stimulation on β-endorphin levels in rat cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. Physiology & Behavior, 69, 345-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(99)00252-8

Takahashi, H., Motomatsu, T., & Nobunaga, M. (1986). Influences of water deprivation and fasting on hypothalamic, pituitary and plasma opioid peptides and prolactin in rats. Physiology & Behavior, 37, 603-608. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(86)90293-3

Edmonds, Caroline J., and Ben Jeffes. “Does having a drink help you think? 6–7-Year-old children show improvements in cognitive performance from baseline to test after having a drink of water.” Appetite 53, no. 3 (2009): 469-472.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.10.002

Richard, Dawn M., Michael A. Dawes, Charles W. Mathias, Ashley Acheson, Nathalie Hill-Kapturczak, and Donald M. Dougherty. “L-tryptophan: basic metabolic functions, behavioral research and therapeutic indications.” International Journal of Tryptophan Research 2 (2009): IJTR-S2129.  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.4137/IJTR.S2129

Patsalos, Olivia C., and Volker Thoma. “Water supplementation after dehydration improves judgment and decision-making performance.” Psychological research 84, no. 5 (2020): 1223-1234.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-018-1136-y

https://www.cnet.com/health/mental/heres-why-drinking-water-is-the-key-to-good-mental-health/

______

Howard Bloom of the Howard Bloom Institute has been called the Einstein, Newton, and Freud of the 21st century by Britain’s Channel 4 TV.

One of his seven books–Global Brain—was the subject of a symposium thrown by the Office of the Secretary of Defense including representatives from the State Department, the Energy Department, DARPA, IBM, and MIT.

His work has been published in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, Psychology Today, and the Scientific American.

For more, see http://howardbloom.institute.

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INFO-COMM

The Painful Truth about AI & Robotics

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By 2045, there will be virtually nothing a human can do that a machine cannot to better for a tiny fraction of the cost. A robot that has a lifetime cost of $10,000, works 22 hours per day, and lasts 5 years would have an hourly marginal cost of just 25 cents. And when robots are building all the robots, they will cost a lot less than $10,000.

The marginal cost of labor will plummet toward zero as adoption of humanoid robots powered by increasingly capable AI explodes across every virtually industry worldwide. Humans simply will not be able to compete.

Join Adam Dorr, RethinkX Director of Research as he relays his latest insight on the inevitable and painful truth of the coming disruption of the human labor engine by AI and humanoid robots…

Visit the RethinkX Website for more groundbreaking insights: https://www.rethinkx.com

 

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Connecting the Dots

A Call for Public Media in a Broken Democracy

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Courtesy of Pressenza

To confront the barrage of executive orders and undiplomatic policies from the U.S. government, the opposition is focusing on restoring institutions to their pre-Trump state—without recognizing that it was precisely those institutions that created the conditions for the current crisis.

The democracy they claim to defend was largely formal: it worked for some while leaving millions marginalized. For decades, no serious action was taken to stop the relentless concentration of wealth, the decline in living standards, or the dehumanizing effects of unchecked technological development. These issues remain unaddressed.

Now, the new administration is threatening to cut federal funding for public radio and television, accusing these outlets of being too “leftist” or “woke.”

But perhaps even more revealing than the threat itself is the reaction of public media institutions. WNYC in New York, for example, has leveraged this threat primarily as a fundraising opportunity, urging listeners to donate out of fear rather than conviction.

This response exposes a fundamental contradiction. These institutions speak of “democracy” and “public service,” yet they are unable—or unwilling—to mount a truly democratic response. Why aren’t they calling on people to stand up for public goods? Why not organize a large-scale campaign, like a concert in Central Park, to advocate for a federal public funding system that remains independent of presidential politics? New York has plenty of artists ready to contribute and stand up for others.

The question becomes clear:

Will institutions like WNYC and NPR help advance genuine democracy, or will they gradually transform into privatized versions of non-profit entities? If we want democracy, we need active public participation. If we accept privatization, we merely need people’s money.

Today, there is no visible leadership in our so-called democratic institutions that is mobilizing the population to build a new democratic system—one that addresses economic redistribution and real public participation. This isn’t just about public broadcasting. What future awaits Social Security, Medicare, the U.S. Postal Service, public libraries, and other essential public services?

These institutions cannot be privatized. No modern society can develop without deepening democracy, improving standards of living, and ensuring collective well-being. A society governed primarily by self-interest ultimately undermines itself.

So today, my call is to WNYC and NPR: Please stop trying to merely save yourselves in a collapsing system. Instead, help move the country forward. Mobilize people. Inspire engagement. Become a force in building a new, inclusive society for all.

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INSIGHTS

Flip the Script: An Open Call to Community Leaders Everywhere

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In every corner of the world, communities are confronting intersecting crises: environmental collapse, social injustice, economic inequality, misinformation, and broken systems. But behind the headlines—beyond the noise—a different story is being written.

It’s a story of courage, collaboration, and collective wisdom.
It’s a story that isn’t being told loudly enough.

That’s where you come in.

We are MobilizedNews.com, and this is an open invitation to flip the script—to break free from crisis-driven media loops and become part of a global, cooperative network of community leaders, media makers, and changemakers who are turning knowledge into action and stories into systems change.

 Why “Flip the Script”?

Because we’re tired of narratives that divide, distract, and disempower.
Because we know there’s more to the world than corruption, conflict, and catastrophe.
Because we’ve seen what’s possible when communities lead with ethics, inclusion, and imagination.

“Flipping the script” means reclaiming the narrative—telling the stories that corporate media won’t, and building the systems that status quo institutions can’t.

It means showing what’s working, who’s rising, and how we’re moving forward together.

What Is Mobilized News?

MobilizedNews.com is not just a media platform—it’s a collaborative movement and a living library of solutions, strategies, and shared wisdom.

We connect:

  • Community leaders and organizers
  • Educators, researchers, and policy thinkers
  • Regenerative businesses and cooperatives
  • Artists, journalists, technologists, and designers

Together, we’re co-creating an ethical, decentralized media ecosystem that amplifies truth, fosters cooperation, and spotlights real, systemic solutions—across sectors, cultures, and continents.

What We Offer

✅ A platform to publish your stories, initiatives, and blueprints for change
✅ Access to a growing global network of changemakers and collaborators
✅ Toolkits for ethical storytelling, regenerative systems, and cooperative action
✅ Workshops, events, and live broadcasts that center local voices
✅ A non-commercial, ad-free, community-powered digital commons

Whether you’re launching a circular economy hub, leading a mutual aid network, running a local school garden, or organizing for indigenous land rights—your story matters here.

Who We’re Calling In

  • Neighborhood organizers and social justice leaders
  • Indigenous elders and youth visionaries
  • Local food growers and climate resiliency advocates
  • Co-op builders, educators, and public health champions
  • Tech-for-good creators and ethical journalists
  • Dreamers. Doers. People like you.

You don’t need a fancy press kit or a big budget.
You just need a truth to share—and a will to build.

Get Mobilized

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Visit www.MobilizedNews.com
  2. Create your profile and join a circle of aligned changemakers
  3. Share your work, your insights, your call to action
  4. Collaborate with others—locally and globally
  5. Flip the script—and help rewrite the future

Final Word: This Is the Media We Need

Corporate news thrives on fear.
We thrive on connection, co-creation, and courage.

Mobilized News is the future of media made by and for the people—a place where movements can move together.

So if you’re ready to reclaim the narrative…
If you’re building something rooted in justice, care, and imagination…
If you believe another world is possible—and happening now…

Flip the script. Get Mobilized. Join us.

Mobilized News: The Media for an Empowered World.
www.MobilizedNews.com

 

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