THE HAPPY SCIENCE PODCAST

THE HAPPY SCIENCE PODCAST

By Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of EconomicsSociety & CultureScienceHealth & FitnessMental HealthEducation
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THE HAPPY SCIENCE PODCAST episodes

  • Why Your Future Looks Bright (But Your Enemy’s Doesn’t) - with Professor Hallgeir Sjåstad

    In this fun episode, we explore why people tend to believe that their future will be happier and more meaningful than their past. But does that optimism extend to everyone – or only to ourselves and the people we like?  Tune in to discover what this reveals about hope, fairness, wishful thinking, and why realism may depend on whose future you’re imagining.

    Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3164

    Host: Professor Micael Dahlen

    Guest: Professor Hallgeir Sjåstad
    Producer: Sandra Charléz
    Editor: Nicholas Nikander
    Sound Engineer: Christer Tjäder and Daniel Högberg
    Music: Viktor Bergdahl

    16 min
  • Is It Easier to Be Happy in Anotther Language? How Language Shapes Happiness Ratings - with Political scientist Sofia Axelson

    In this fun episode, we explore whether happiness means the same thing in different languages. Can the language you speak actually change how happy you say you are? Tune in to discover why it may be easier to say you are happy in English than in Swedish, and what that could mean for global happiness surveys and rankings.

    Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00827-7

    Host: Professor Micael Dahlen

    Guest: Political scientist Sofia Axelsson
    Producer: Sandra Charléz
    Sound Engineer: Christer Tjäder and Daniel Högberg
    Music: Viktor Bergdahl

    17 min
  • What Happens to Your Happiness When You Take Money from a Charity? - with Assistant Professor Frank Martela

    In this fun episode, we dig into a slightly uncomfortable question: what happens to our own happiness when we knowingly do something bad to others? We all know giving to charity feels good, but what about the opposite? Tune in to discover why doing good boosts happiness and meaning but doing harm does not always make us feel worse – especially when we find clever ways to justify it.

    Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104114

    Host: Professor Micael Dahlen

    Guest: Assistant Professor Frank Martela
    Producer: Sandra Charléz

    Editor: Nicholas Nikander

    Sound Engineer: Christer Tjäder and Daniel Högberg
    Music: Viktor Bergdahl

    16 min
  • Does the U.S. Election Affect Happiness in Europe? with Assistant Professor Jareef Martuza

    In this fun episode, we explore whether an election in one country can shape happiness, optimism, and even trust in democracy in other countries. A study using data from over 20,000 people in nine European countries during the U.S.s presidential election 2024 gives the answer. Tune in to discover why political wins and losses can ripple across oceans, why democracy satisfaction may be more fragile than we think, and whether these emotional shifts also change how good citizens we are.

    Host: Professor Micael Dahlen

    Guest: Assistant Professor Jareef Martuza
    Producer: Sandra Charléz
    Editor: Nicholas Nikander
    Sound Engineer: Christer Tjäder och Daniel Högberg
    Music: Viktor Bergdahl

    Study:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00827-7

    16 min
  • S2:5 From Parents to Partners: How Divorces, DNA and Daily Connections Shape Our Wellbeing
    In this fun episode, we look at how our social lives, with everything from supportive
    relationships to breakups, impact our wellbeing. Is the pain of a breakup the same for
    everyone? Can relationships protect our happiness over time? And what does your
    DNA have to do with any of it? Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes of the Norwegian
    Institute of Public Health shares fascinating findings from a study of twins. Tune in to
    find out which social factors most strongly predict future happiness and how much of
    our social wellbeing might be shaped before we’re even born!

    Link to the study:
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-024-03832-8

    Guest:
    Research Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes
    18 min
  • S2:4 Climbing the Wrong Ladder? What Happiness Rankings Might Be Missing
    In this fun episode, we dig into a surprisingly overlooked question: What exactly are
    people thinking about when they rate their happiness on global surveys? Is Finland
    really the happiest country in the world or just the best at climbing metaphorical
    ladders? Researcher August Nilsson joins us to explain how the metaphorical “Cantril
    Ladder” works and reveal how tiny tweaks in how we ask about happiness can
    dramatically change the answers we get. What happens if we ask about harmony in
    life instead? Or if we ditch the ladder metaphor altogether? Tune in for a deep dive
    into the psychology behind how we measure happiness and whether we're asking the
    right questions at all.

    Link to the study:
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-52939-y

    Guest:
    Researcher August Nilsson
    18 min
  • S2:3 The Urban Happiness Gap: Are City Dwellers Destined to Be Less Happy?
    In this fun episode, we ask whether city life is secretly dragging down our happiness.
    More people than ever are living in cities, but does urban life come at the cost of
    happiness? Associate Professor Jens Fyhn Lykke Sørensen from the University of
    Southern Denmark shares insights from his research on Denmark’s urban–rural
    happiness gap. From the power of green spaces to the strength of local friendships,
    we explore why rural residents often report greater life satisfaction, and what city
    dwellers might do to catch up. Could a palm tree on your balcony make a difference?
    Tune in and find out.

    Link to the study:
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384554929_Why_are_City_Residents_Less
    _Happy_than_the_Rest_of_the_Population_in_Developed_Countries_Studying_the_
    Urban-Rural_Happiness_Gap_in_Denmark_Using_Blinder-Oaxaca_Decomposition

    Guest:
    Associate Professor Jens Fyhn Lykke Sørensen
    20 min
  • S2:2 Born to Worry? How Genes and Life Events Shape Our Wellbeing
    In this fun episode, we explore how stressful life events like financial strain or
    relationship conflicts can affect your life satisfaction and whether these life events are
    just a matter of bad luck, or partly your parents’ fault? Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes
    of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health shares insights from a unique twin study
    that untangles life experiences from biology. Tune in to discover how genes and
    environment work together to shape how we feel, and why not all bad life events
    impacts us the same way!

    Link to the study:
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-07758-3

    Guest:
    Research Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes
    16 min
  • S2:1 Can Winning The Lottery Buy Lasting Happiness?
    In this fun episode, we explore what happens when people hit the jackpot. Many of
    us often dream of the big win, but does life really change when it happens? Will
    wellbeing improve? Does the rush wear off or can the wellbeing be boosted for years,
    or even decades? Tune in to hear economist Robert Östling from the Stockholm
    School of Economics shares his insights from studying thousands of Swedish lottery
    players to see what really changes when money arrives out of the blue, and what
    stays surprisingly the same.

    Link to the study:
    https://www.nber.org/papers/w24667

    Guest:
    Professor Robert Östling
    19 min
  • 11. Happiness or Good Looks: Which Comes First? - with Professor Delin Sun
    Does happiness make you more attractive, or does being attractive make you happier? In this episode, we explore the intriguing connection between how we feel and how we’re perceived. Professor Delin Sun of Duke University has conducted a brain study to uncover the secrets behind happiness and how attractive we are to others. Which comes first—being happy or being desirable? Tune in to find out, and see if a smile really is your best asset!
    15 min

About THE HAPPY SCIENCE PODCAST

From the publisher's feed

Discover the science of happiness, one episode – one study! In this podcast, host Professor Micael Dahlen explores groundbreaking research with leading experts, uncovering the science behind what…