Feeling overloaded by your to-do list can certainly make you unhappy, but new research suggests that more free time might not be the elixir many of us dream it could be.

In a new study released last week, researchers analyzed data from two large-scale (大规模) surveys about how Americans spend their time. Together, the surveys included more than 35,000 respondents. The researchers found that people with more free time generally had higher levels of subjective well-being — but only up to a point. People who had around two hours of free time a   day generally reported they felt better than those who had less time. But people who had five or more hours of free time a day generally said they felt worse. So ultimately the free-time "sweet spot" might be two to three hours per day, the findings suggest.

Part of finding this seemingly tricky "sweet spot" has to do with how people spend the extra time they have, the researchers behind the new study argue. They conducted several smaller online experiments. In one they asked participants to imagine having 3.5 to 7 free hours per day. They were asked to imagine spending that time doing "productive" things (like exercising) or to imagine doing "unproductive" activities (like watching TV). Study participants believed their well-being would suffer if they had a lot of free time during the day — but only if they used it unproductively. Though that experiment was hypothetical, which is one limitation of the new research, it's certainly in line with other research showing that being in a state of "flow" can be good for people's mental health.

Of course, what feels "productive" is up to you. Many traditionally productive or purposeful activities can be easy and fun. Engaging in a bit of low-key cardio, like walking and jogging, can help burn stress. Free-time activities like reading or cooking are also known to put people in a state of flow.

In a study published in Nature Machine Intelligence, researchers at Ohio State University show how artificial intelligence (AI) can follow clinical trials to identify drugs for repurposing, a solution that can help advance innovative treatments.

Repurposing drugs is legal and not unusual. When doctors prescribe drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for purposes different from what is printed on the labels, the drugs are being used "off - label". Just because a drug is FDA - approved for a specific type of disease does not prevent it from having possible benefits for other purposes.

For example, Metformin, a drug that is FDA - approved for treating type 2 diabetes, is also used to treat PCOS (a disease of women), and other diseases. Trazodone, an anti - depressant with FDA - approval to treat depression, is also prescribed by doctors to help treat patients with sleep issues.

The Ohio State University research team created an AI deep learning model for predicting treatment probability with patient data including the treatment, outcomes , and potential confounders (干扰因素).

Confounders are related to the exposure and outcome. For example , a connection is identified between music festivals and increases in skin rashes (红疹). Music festivals do not directly cause skin rashes. In this case, one possible confounding factor between the two may be outdoor heat, as music festivals tend to run outdoors when the temperature is high, and heat is a known cause for rashes. When working with real - world data, confounders could number in the thousands. AI deep learning is well-suited to find patterns in the complexity of potentially thousands of confounders.

The researcher team used confounders including population data and co-prescribed drugs. With this proof -of-concept, now clinicians have a powerful AI tool to rapidly discover new treatments by repurposing existing medications.

Summer Events at the Institute of Continuing Education

The ICE Summer Festival displays the best of the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and Madingley Hall with a series of cultural and educational events.

Cambridge Short Story Festival

We are delighted to announce the second annual creative writing festival celebrating the short story. Join us for this event packed with workshops, interviews and readings with the very best short story authors, critics and publishers, including award-winning writers Tessa Hladley, Dame Gillian Beer, and Daisy Johnson.

Date: Jun.22

Tickets: £22.50-E55

Open Air Cinema: Bohemian Rhapsody (12A)

Join us for a magical cinematic experience under the stars, in the splendid Gardens of Madingley Hall. We've got the seating and wireless headphones, so all you need to do is round up your friends, bring a blanket to wrap up in and relax in one of our deckchairs.

Date: Aug.16

Tickets: £18

Chapterhouse Open Air Theatre Presents: Treasure Island

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company for this brand-new adaptation of everyone's favourite exciting pirate adventure: Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. When he accidentally found a jealous treasure map, young Jim Hawkins found himself on a journey in the hope of finding Treasure Island.

Don't miss this much-loved story.

Date: Sept.8

Tickets: £16

Open Cambridge: Discover the Medicinal Garden

Join us in exploring Madingley Hall's beautiful eight-acre gardens. Discover cures, curiosities, tastes, and learn fascinating facts about herbs with professional herbalists and the garden team at the Hall's Medicinal Garden.

Date: Sept.14

Tickets: Free of charge