You might have heard of “fomo”: the fear of missing out, related to feelings of anxiety that somewhere out there people are having a fantastic time … and we’re not. I spent much of my teens muttering imprecations at my parents because they wouldn’t let me go to so and so’s party. Never have living room doors been slammed so hard or stairs up to bed been stomped on so petulantly as in our house in the late seventies when it seemed the world was having itself a ball in my absence.

We all mellow over the years of course. Last week we were supposed to be joining our gang at the pub for the usual Friday night frolic. But it was cold and miserable out and the walk to our local (seven minutes door to door) was a serious disincentive. Instead it was a case of turning the heater up a notch, ordering up a curry and basking in the pleasure that is “jomo”, the joy of missing out. You can read all about it here. It’s part of our new series, The joy of *. Find other ways to bring more joy to your life here.

When Pink Floyd released the artwork for the 50th anniversary edition of their masterpiece, Dark Side of the Moon, the trademark rainbow attracted some unintentionally hilarious abuse on social media from homophobes who thought the band was being “woke”. One “fan” who vowed never to listen to their music again, was presumably unaware that this representation of light passing through a prism was the main focus of the 1972 album’s original artwork. You can read all about the design here.

I had a rather curious work conversation the other day while involved in the editing of a piece about the new reality TV show Milf Manor, about how the first word of the title should be represented in text. “It’s a ‘thing’,” the news editor ruled. “So it’s just lowercase ‘milf’.” [It’s in the dictionary – News Ed.] So, to explain this “thing”, I’m going to ask you to think of the word as an acronym while also considering the phenomenon often observed in teenaged boys around their friends’ attractive mothers (only in this case involving rather fewer clothes and a lot more baby oil). Here’s where the word came from originally.

This week we also took a look at the new weight loss drug that’s got a lot of people worked up, we considered the nature of imagination (did you know 1% of unlucky people can’t visualise things in their mind at all?) and, after an American man woke up after an operation with an Irish accent, we delved into what’s known as “foreign accent syndrome”, which is really fascinating.

From our colleagues in The Conversation’s global network, we have this piece about the Nigeria’s new president elect, and news of a new way that climate change threatens cold-blooded animals. We also got a philosopher to explain why Americans find it so hard to agree about almost everything.

As ever, can I urge you to try to find time for our podcast, The Conversation Weekly. This week three AI experts discuss how ChatGPT is about to change our world.

Jonathan Este

Associate Editor, International Affairs Editor

GoodStudio/Shutterstock

How to ditch ‘fomo’ and foster ‘jomo’ – the joy of missing out

Fuschia Sirois, Durham University

Unplug and discover the joy of missing out.

There are many things you can do every day to get a bit more joy in your life. Ground Picture/ Shutterstock

Joy is good for your body and your mind – three ways to feel it more often

Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Padraic J. Dunne, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Joy is very different from our other emotions.

The original vinyl album cover for Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). dcphoto/Alamy Stock Photo

The Dark Side of the Moon at 50: an album artwork expert on Pink Floyd’s music marketing revolution

Christopher Vezza, University of Glasgow

It might be the world’s most famous album cover, but an album with a strikingly similar cover was released 30 years before The Dark Side of the Moon.

Jennifer Coolidge and Eddie Thomas in American Pie (1999). AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo

The ‘milf’: a brief cultural history, from Mrs Robinson to Stifler’s mom

Laura Minor, University of Salford

The milf’s appeal lies in their sexual confidence, agency and knowledge – qualities particularly attractive to young men stuck between childhood independence and adult autonomy.

Semaglutide helps control blood sugar and turns off hunger signals in the brain. myskin/ Shutterstock

Wegovy: what you need to know about this weight loss drug

Simon Cork, Anglia Ruskin University

Overweight or obese patients who meet certain criteria will soon be able to access the much talked about weight-loss jab.

More newsletters from The Conversation for you:

Ukraine Recap • Imagine climate action • Global Economy & Business • Europe newsletter

About The Conversation

We're a nonprofit news organisation dedicated to helping academic experts share ideas with the public. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of universities and readers like you.

Donate now to support research-based journalism

 

Featured events

View all
Queering the lens of Black activism

9 March 2023 • Manchester

Promote your event
 

Contact us here to have your event listed.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here