It turns out money can buy happiness -- if money is spent on an experience and not merely a possession. Additionally, a group of studies show, the enjoyment that comes from an initial experience increases over time.

The global elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission could be achieved within five years, and the spread of malaria and tuberculosis could be curbed significantly in the coming years, the U.N.'s Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced. The fund does warn, however, that continued success will depend on donations by governments and relief agencies.

Ecuador became the second country in the Western Hemisphere to stop the transmission of onchocerciasis, a parasitical infection commonly known as river blindness. The Carter Center, armed with medication donated by Merck, spearheaded a program to eliminate the disease, which afflicts the poorest of the poor in Africa and South America.

Jerry Nelson, a cigarette-smoking professional photographer and Vietnam vet, is gearing up to bicycle cross-country for homeless veterans. The 54-year-old advocate will embark March 19 on a journey from Asheville, N.C., to California to raise $10,000 for the Asheville Homeless Network.

Interval training -- intense bursts of exercise followed by rest periods -- once thought to be too strenuous for normal people is now being hailed as an exercise magic pill. Some experts say interval training can revolutionize how people exercise, calling it twice as effective as moderate exercise.

An analysis of baby names recorded by the Social Security Administration shows an uptick in unusual baby names, and not only from celebrity parents. This trend toward less-common baby names reveals a culture that values individualism, researchers say.