Middle-aged Americans are struggling / Feeling good isn't enough / The world is running out of people episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 11 MIN

Middle-aged Americans are struggling / Feeling good isn't enough / The world is running out of people

from News Sidequest

A major new study finds that Americans in midlife are lonelier, more depressed, physically weaker, and showing worse memory than earlier generations — and the gap between the US and most of the rest of the wealthy world is significant and growing. Also: a Simon Fraser University study finds that life satisfaction isn't just about feeling good — autonomy, the sense that your choices are genuinely your own, turns out to be a stronger predictor than positive emotions. And demographers are increasingly clear: the world is running out of people, and it's not because of war or disease — it's because prosperity itself is changing the math. Plus humanoid robots beating humans in a half-marathon, a skydiver hitting a scoreboard, and a bear costume that did not hold up to scrutiny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Middle-aged Americans are struggling / Feeling good isn't enough / The world is running out of people

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