A Little Happier: Is There Anything Special About Human Beings?

0:00The all-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 is here and it builds on everything drivers know and love about Toyota with a redesigned look and modern tech that makes life behind the wheel easier than ever. The 26 RAV4 comes standard as a hybrid, providing smooth, efficient performance for both city streets and longer journeys, while the available all-wheel drive keeps you in command when conditions are unpredictable. The new RAV4 is designed around the way people actually use their SUV from daily errands to weekend adventures. While the GR Sport model, coming soon, both a net combined 320 horsepower in a plug-in hybrid drivetrain with a GR-tune suspension for an even more responsive, exciting drive. No matter which RAV4 you choose, you'll enjoy the reliability Toyota is known for, coupled with the inspiring performance that's unique to Toyota. Shop more and find details at toyota.com, the all-new RAV4 from Toyota.

1:00Let's go places. Happier is brought to you by Progressive Insurance, fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it, so your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations. I'm Gretchen Rubin, and this is a little happier. A subject that has long interested me is what makes human beings special? Some characteristics, if any, distinguish us from other creatures. People have debated this question from ancient times, and some of the proposed answers have been discarded. For instance, researchers used to claim that the use of tools was unique to humans, but

2:03now we understand that many creatures use tools. I've made a list. Some of these characteristics are widely known, such as the human only ability to combine words in new ways to express unlimited new ideas. But some are more surprising. For instance, we humans are the only earthly creatures to have chins. As of now, and this list isn't complete, and maybe I've made a mistake, research suggests that human beings have the unique ability to contemplate their own death abstractly, blush from embarrassment, use symbols that stand for abstract concepts, have long, fully opposable and precision gripping thumbs, do what's called freighted walking, which is walking long distance while carrying things, shed emotional tears, cook their food, feel complex shame, ask open-ended questions to gain information, contemplate the distant past and future, build on previous generations' discoveries without starting over, have a

3:07low-positioned larynx-enabling full-valve production, make fire, gather thousands of genetic strangers peacefully, trade goods with strangers, actively instruct others, wear clothes for modesty, sweat as our primary method of cooling down, throw objects accurately at high speed, worry about meaning and purpose, have high-contrast eyes with visible whites, I read about that in life in five senses, hold marriage or pair-bonding rituals, create and understand stories, make art and music for aesthetic purposes, create laws and formal justice systems, have a chin, have an exceptionally long childhood, create representations of things that don't exist, bury the dead with extensive ritual. Lately, I've been thinking about this question, but with a new twist, what qualities, if anything, will distinguish us humans from the creations of artificial intelligence? I'm very curious to learn the answer, and there I go, asking an open-ended question to

4:10gain information, combining words in new ways to express a new idea and using symbols that stand for abstract concepts. I'm Gretchen Rubin and I hope this makes your week a little happier. The all-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 is here and it builds on everything drivers know and love about Toyota. With a redesigned look and modern tech that makes life behind the wheel easier than ever, the 26 RAV4 comes standard as a hybrid, providing smooth, efficient performance for both city streets and longer journeys, while the available all-wheel drive keeps you in command when conditions are unpredictable. The new RAV4 is designed around the way people actually use their SUV, from daily errands to weekend adventures. While the GR Sport model, coming soon, boasts a net combined 320 horsepower in a plug-in hybrid drivetrain with a GR-tune suspension for an even more responsive, exciting drive. No matter which RAV4 you choose, you'll enjoy the reliability Toyota is known for, coupled

5:13with the inspiring performance that's unique to Toyota. Shop more and find details at toyota.com. The all-new RAV4 from Toyota, let's go places.