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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I know Curiosity's landing was in the small hours (EST ) of the night, and there's the Olympics going on, as well as Syria ... but until and unless we find something organic fossilized - ANYTHING , ain't no one gonna care 1 bit.

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To the surprise of absolutely no one, Norway has been declared the world's happiest country. Just as unsurprising, the Democratic Republic of Congo came last.

The United Nations Human Development Index 2011 measures happiness in different countries based on factors such as income, education, health, life expectancy, economy, gender equality and sustainability.

"To be more accurate, one would say this measures the quality of life. It goes beyond income to include basic measures like education and health," says Surekha Subarwal, U.N. communications representative from New Delhi.

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Essentially the index implies that if you live longer, earn more money and have access to good schools and healthcare, you're probably going to be happier than people who don't.

“This is more than just the traditional index which just measure average income, health and education,” says Adam Rogers, the U.N.'s communications officer in Geneva. "This measurement of human wellbeing and happiness introduces the inequality dimension, a measure of access to health and education.”

Bhutan, the only country that gauges its progress by measuring its people's happiness rather than economic contributions, came a rather lowly 141.

Rogers clarifies, “This study is much more empirical than the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index you will find in Bhutan, which is quite subjective.”

Just missing out on a top 10 spot was Switzerland in 11th place. The United States came fourth while the United Kingdom came 28th, below Hong Kong (13th), Korea (15th), France (20th), Singapore (26th) and the Czech Republic (27th).

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Top 10 happiest countries

1. Norway
Life expectancy at birth (years): 81.1
Income (GNI per capita): US$47,557
Population: 4.9 million

2. Australia
Life expectancy at birth (years): 81.9
Income (GNI per capita): US$34,431
Population: 22.7 million

3. The Netherlands
Life expectancy at birth (years): 80.7
Income (GNI per capita): US$36,402
Population: 16.6 million

4. United States
Life expectancy at birth (years): 78.5
Income (GNI per capita):US$ 43,017
Population: 313 million

5. New Zealand
Life expectancy at birth (years): 80.7
Income (GNI per capita): US$23,737
Population: 4.4 million

6. Canada
Life expectancy at birth (years): 81
Income (GNI per capita): US$35,166
Population: 34 million

7. Ireland
Life expectancy at birth (years): 80.6
Income (GNI per capita): US$29,322
Population: 4.5 million

8. Liechtenstein
Life expectancy at birth (years): 79.5
Income (GNI per capita): US$83,717
Population: 36,300

9. Germany
Life expectancy at birth (years): 80.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$34,854
Population: 82 million

10. Sweden
Life expectancy at birth (years): 81.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$35,837
Population: 9.4 million
Bottom 10

178. Guinea
Life expectancy at birth (years): 54.1
Income (GNI per capita): US$863
Population: 10.2 million

179. Central African Republic
Life expectancy at birth (years): 48.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$707
Population: 4.4 million

180. Sierra Leone
Life expectancy at birth (years): 47.8
Income (GNI per capita): US$737
Population: 6 million

181. Burkina Faso
Life expectancy at birth (years): 55.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$1,141
Population: 17 million

182. Liberia
Life expectancy at birth (years): 56.8
Income (GNI per capita): US$265
Population: 4.1 million

183. Chad
Life expectancy at birth (years): 49.6
Income (GNI per capita): US$1,105
Population: 11.5 million

184. Mozambique
Life expectancy at birth (years): 50.2
Income (GNI per capita): US$898
Population: 23 million

185. Burundi
Life expectancy at birth (years): 50.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$368
Population: 8.5 million

186. Niger
Life expectancy at birth (years): 54.7
Income (GNI per capita): US$641
Population:16 million

187. Democratic Republic of Congo
Life expectancy at birth (years): 48.4
Income (GNI per capita): US$280
Population: 67.7 million

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There can't possibly be any meaning in this world. But isn't that wonderful in its own right? Because if there isn't any, we can find our own.
-Filicia Heidemann, So Ra No Wo To(Sound of the Sky)

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Originally posted by peacekeeper:
And what exactly IS the point of landing ANYTHING on Mars. Any life you find there is gonna be amoebic at best. It is uninhabitable, it is red and it's THERE.What exactly is this little rover going to tell us, that is of any use to us at all.

With the grace of age, commander, we learn to accept.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I know Curiosity's landing was in the small hours (EST ) of the night, and there's the Olympics going on, as well as Syria ... but until and unless we find something organic fossilized - ANYTHING , ain't no one gonna care 1 bit.

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Originally posted by FREMDFIRMA:


Speaking of hope, here's something for you specifically, of interest.

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Originally posted by peacekeeper:
And what exactly IS the point of landing ANYTHING on Mars. Any life you find there....

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is gonna be amoebic at best. It is uninhabitable, it is red and it's THERE. What exactly is this little rover going to tell us, that is of any use to us at all.

With the grace of age, commander, we learn to accept.

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Originally posted by STORYMARK:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I know Curiosity's landing was in the small hours (EST ) of the night, and there's the Olympics going on, as well as Syria ... but until and unless we find something organic fossilized - ANYTHING , ain't no one gonna care 1 bit.

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And if that did happen, we'd have a huge contignet of right wingers calling any evidence of non terrestrial life a liberal attack on religion.

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Originally posted by chrisisall:
It's all unraveling. Greed is wiping us out as a world power. Another war on the horizon as soon as Romney is elected. More war profits for some, more debt for the rest of us. Loss of faith in our leaders... hatred of the scapegoats...
NASA lands a new rover on Mars, but do we care as a nation or world?
Not really. No one to kill there, no threat to us.
Taliban is yesterday. Iran is tomorrow.
Send in the drones.
Old white rich folk will be dead before the must witness the fruits of their deception- they're disconnected from their kids that will, anyway.
Pigs have no rights; I want my bacon.
The human masses have no rights; I want my bottom line.
God has left the building.
Take sides, everyone, for sides are all there is, and the majority of us will be on the losing one in any case, left, right or center.

How many children died today from hunger?
Eh, forget it- let's focus on people that make us angry!!

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

ANY life we find, ANYWHERE off this rock of ours, no matter the details, is monumental.

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Originally posted by whozit:
PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE!!

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Originally posted by STORYMARK:

Quote:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I know Curiosity's landing was in the small hours (EST ) of the night, and there's the Olympics going on, as well as Syria ... but until and unless we find something organic fossilized - ANYTHING , ain't no one gonna care 1 bit.

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And if that did happen, we'd have a huge contignet of right wingers calling any evidence of non terrestrial life a liberal attack on religion.

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Originally posted by RionaEire:
I know that if Byte were here

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