Emotions decoded

We have a negative bias: 10 scientific facts about human emotions

Image: Domingo Alvarez E

For most people, recognizing and managing their emotions isn’t easy. And even if we think we know ourselves well, human emotions are a whole world waiting to be explored. From how long they typically last to how they show up in our interactions with others, science has given us fascinating insights. Join us to discover 10 surprising facts about your emotions that you probably didn’t know.

Image: Laura Fuhrman

Memory is closely tied to our emotions. That’s why a perfume can make you feel something even before your conscious mind knows why. Studies show that people usually remember how they felt more than the exact words they heard or the movie they watched: The emotion lingers longer than the content itself.

Image: Agê Barros

Although emotions can feel like they last days, months, or even years, they actually only last about a minute and a half. That’s right! Anger, laughter, or distress typically fade after 90 seconds, unless your brain revisits the situation or memory that triggered them.

Image: Bharathi Kannan

Social media gets a lot of criticism, but there’s one reassuring fact: positive emotions actually spread the fastest online. While it may sometimes feel like "hate" dominates the internet, it’s often videos showing heartwarming human connections or adorable pets that get the most likes and shares.

Image: Vitaly Gariev

We often remember hurtful comments more vividly than kind words. This is often attributed to our ancestors’ need to stay alert to danger, which gave humans a natural negative emotional bias. In other words, when it comes to our own experiences, the brain tends to focus more on the negative than the positive.

Image: Caleb Woods

Emotions are literally tied to physical sensations. Each emotion triggers an instant bodily response (which some people hide better than others). From warmth in your cheeks with embarrassment to a racing heartbeat when nervous or afraid, your body is constantly trying to tell you about how you feel.

Image: Vitaly Gariev

Of course, all humans experience the same basic emotions, no matter where we live. But the facial expressions we use to show them can vary more than we realize. Anthropological studies reveal that while expressions for core emotions like joy, sadness, anger, or fear are easily recognized by everyone, subtler emotions such as surprise or disgust can look quite different across distant cultures.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

Witnessing distressing events or even stressful scenes on TV can make you feel the same way. This isn’t mystical; it’s psychological. Why? The answer is that our brains tend to absorb and mimic the emotions of those around us.

Image: Surface

Some say laughter is the best medicine, and we have to admit, they’re not wrong. Laughter really is one of the best remedies for tension. Whether in a movie, a series, a book, or real life, a good laugh helps relax the mind and melt away negative emotions.

Image: Олег Мороз

We don’t always experience just one emotion at a time. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. This mix of emotions can make them tricky to recognize, but analyzing and understanding them can help us respond in the best way.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

Recognizing emotions means understanding that they are signals from your brain about how you perceive a situation, not instructions on how to act. It’s always wiser to pause, reflect, and choose the best course of action, rather than reacting solely to the emotions that hit you in the moment.

IN GOOD SPIRITS

Do You Know The Origin Of These 10 Alcoholic Beverages?

Image: Adam Wilson

You probably know many alcoholic beverages that you enjoy drinking alone or combined in different cocktails, but do you know where their names come from? From whiskey and gin to rum and absinthe, the origins of spirits have fascinating stories to tell. Are you ready to explore them? You will surely learn some curious facts to share at your next party!

Image: emkanicepic

Whiskey is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world. It is produced by distilling malt fermented with cereals such as wheat, barley, corn, and rye, and the resulting spirit is subsequently aged in white oak barrels.

In the Middle Ages, alcoholic beverages were classified into two main groups: "aqua ardens" (burning water) and "aqua vitae" (water of life). Whiskey falls into the category of "aqua vitae." The Latin term was translated into Middle Irish as usque beatha, which in turn derived into usquebaugh, pronounced: "wiskyba," giving rise to "whisky" (Scotland) and "whiskey" (Ireland and the United States).

Image: Timothé Durand

The word brandy is an abbreviation of brandywine, an English term dating from the early 17th century. It comes from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning "burnt wine" or "burning wine," referring to the distillation process.

Brandy is made from the distillate of wine or fermented fruit pulp, primarily grape skins. There are different types of brandy. Perhaps one of the best known is cognac, a high-quality wine distillate, named after the city in France where it is produced.

Image: John Fornander

Gin is a distilled drink made from juniper berries, among other ingredients. The term gin is an abbreviation of the Old English word genever, which in turn derives from the Dutch jenever and the French genièvre. Moreover, all these words trace back to the Latin word for juniper, juniperus.

This drink emerged among European monks during the Middle Ages as a medicinal liquor. Then, in the 17th century, gin gained popularity in England and transitioned into the modern drink we know and love. Nowadays, gin is used to prepare different cocktails, including Tom Collins, Negroni, and the popular Gin & Tonic.

Image: C D-X

The first references to this drink date back to the mid-17th century in Barbados, a small Caribbean island with sugar plantations that was under British rule for several centuries. When rum began to be produced on a large scale in the colonies, the English imported it to Europe and popularized it throughout the continent.

There are many theories about the origin of the word rum. The most accepted one suggests that it comes from the English slang word rumbullion which means "great tumult." This term might have originated in the Devonshire area on the southwest coast of England. From rumbullion, it became known as rum in English, rhum in French, and ron in Spanish.

Image: Deeliver

Vodka is an emblematic drink of Eastern European countries and is used to prepare a multitude of cocktails, including the Martini Vesper, Moscow Mule, White Russian, Cosmopolitan, and Bloody Mary, among others. The word vodka comes from the Russian word voda, which means "water." The ending -ka makes it diminutive, translating to "little water."

Vodka is a distillate that comes from the fermentation of potatoes, wheat, barley, grapes, beets, or any plant rich in starch. Originally, the aim was to obtain a simple, alcoholic liquid composed of ethanol and water, with no pretensions in terms of aroma or flavor. It also needed to have a high alcohol content to cope with the harsh Russian winters. Traditionally it has a graduation around 40º, although there are vodkas that reach 80º and up to 96º. It is hard to believe that it’s simply called water!

Image: Ryan Parker

This distillate made mainly from corn, was first introduced in the United States in the 18th century. The first known producer was Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister. Legend has it that the clergyman established the first distillery in Fayette County, Kentucky, with the help of a Southern farmer who provided surplus corn from his harvest.

Although it was born in Fayette, this variety of whiskey was named after another nearby county, Bourbon County, where the spirit began to be produced on a large scale. The names of both Kentucky counties have their origin in the same historical figure: Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat related to the House of Bourbon.

Image: Giorgio Trovato

The word vermouth comes from the German word wermut, which means "wormwood," one of the main herbs used to make this beverage. This fortified wine, flavored with different botanicals (flowers, herbs, roots, and spices), has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. However, the modern version we know today was first introduced in Turin, Italy, in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, vermouth became a global trend thanks to the rise of bars and cocktails, as it was —and still is— an essential ingredient to prepare classic drinks such as Martinis, Negronis, and Manhattans.

Image: Deeliver

Tequila is, without a doubt, a staple of Mexican culture and a famous drink around the world. In ancient times, it was considered a gift from the gods. Today it’s served as an aperitif or combined with other beverages and ingredients to prepare cocktails.

This spirit is produced from the distillation of fermented juice obtained from the heart of a plant known as "blue agave." Its name comes from the Nahuatl word Tekilan, which means "place of the workers."

Image: alandiaspirits

This popular anise-flavored spirit, made from wormwood oil and other herbs, has a high alcohol concentration. With a bitter taste, absinthe’s color is usually pale green. Its name derives from the Latin absinthium, which in turn comes from the Greek apsínthion, meaning "wormwood."

The use of wormwood to make alcoholic beverages dates back to the 1st century, but it was not until the end of the 18th century, in French-speaking Switzerland, that the drink we know today was created. At the end of the 19th century, absinthe, often called "Green Fairy," was the most popular spirit in Europe, enjoyed by all social classes, especially artists and bohemians. However, years later its consumption was limited because it could cause hallucinations, which gave birth to the term absinthism.

Image: eKokki

Peru and Chile, neighboring South American countries, share many things: the Andes mountain range, common ancestors, customs, and, notably, the debate over the origin of pisco. The true birthplace of this spirit has long been questioned, with both countries claiming it as their own. What we do know is that the name pisco may derive from the Quechua word Pisku, meaning "bird."

Peruvian and Chilean pisco are different varieties but have in common that they are grape distillations, made similarly to brandy and cognac. Despite the ongoing controversy, no one should miss trying a good pisco sour!