Discovered: limits to black licorice consumption, learning from giant pythons, how to make generic food homey, and another benefit of moderate drinking.

• A Halloween public service announcement for potential candy gluttons. If your favorite candy is black licorice and you were planning on eating a preposterous amount of it as a holiday excuse, you should note this. The Food and Drug Administration has sensible warning: just don't. If you're over 40, eating "2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks may lead to arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm, which could land you in the emergency room," the FDA warned and Healthland relayed. The outlet notes that actual sickness isn't a very widespread phenomenon: "the agency received one report of a black licorice-related problem last year." But still, the FDA advises: "No matter what your age, don't eat large amounts of black licorice at one time." [Healthland, Food and Drug Administration]

• Are you happy? Please answer in 'Yes' or 'No' questions. This isn't another annoying online quiz. Blunt? Yes. Existential? Sure. Unsettling? Depending on how great you're feeling about life as you stare at the glowing screen in front of you. But if you take a second to fill out the Scientific American happiness quiz (it appears connected to this cover story on contentedness) you'll get a very candid answer in response. We won't ruin your own personal happiness mirror, either way it will tell you what you already know, but in a convincingly detached way. (see happiness: "You enjoy life and the activities of life." see mostly sadness: "if yesterday was a typical day for you, then you are a person who does not have many positive feelings and experiences.") [Scientific American]

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.