1 /11
I just don't believe it!
A 90-year-old tortoise who FINALLY became a father! Human life expectancy set to reach 140 YEARS OLD! And good news for men with SMALL FEET in the bedroom! Sometimes what’s happening in the world is just so weird it leaves you speechless. Read on to discover the most bizarre stories from the past week… (©BANG Showbiz)
2 /11
What's happened to the sun?
A colossal hole 20 times larger than the Earth has ripped through the sun. The giant coronal hole is the second to appear in the past week and will unleash 1.8 million mile-per-hour solar winds towards Earth. Scientists are closely monitoring the situation to see if the winds will have an impact on Earth's magnetic field, satellites and technology. The first hole was spotted on March 23 and was 30 times the size of Earth. It released solar winds that triggered auroras as far south as the US state of Arizona. Both holes have been captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The space agency said: "Coronal holes are magnetically open areas that are one source of high-speed solar wind. "They appear dark when viewed in many wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light. At times, the solar wind can generate aurora at higher latitudes on Earth." (©BANG Showbiz)
3 /11
Happy 140th birthday!
People could live to be 140 before the 21st century is over. Scientists say that a handful of the population born in the 1950s are on course to live to an unprecedented age thanks to modern medicine. Superior public health and a safer world could mean that the record is broken on a regular basis in the decades ahead. The oldest ever documented human was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 in 1997. Boffins say that living past 120 might become the norm. The researchers have made the conclusion by studying data from 19 wealthy nations and Dr. David McCarthy has explained that people born from 1900 to 1950 are already "experiencing unprecedented death postponement". The expert, from the University of Georgia in the US, said: "Our results show significant potential for records to be broken multiple times. "If there is a maximum limit to the human lifespan, we are not yet approaching it." (©BANG Showbiz)
4 /11
Small feet, BIG lover!
Men with small feet make the best lovers, a new survey has found. Women consider men who take a size seven shoe to be the best between the sheets, shattering the myth that men with larger feet are better endowed. For the study, 4,500 women were asked to reveal the shoe size of their greatest lovers and 23 per cent said that those with a size seven measured up best in the bedroom. The study by the website OnBuy.com found that 53 per cent of females believe that lovers with smaller feet - up to a size eight - were the best at making love. Size 13 and over only got two per cent of the vote, with size 12s on just four per cent. (©BANG Showbiz)
5 /11
Swearing eases pain
Swearing helps with pain relief. A new survey has found that 64 per cent of people repeatedly curse to try and ease pain and neuroscientists have revealed that it is actually beneficial. The most popular swear word after stubbing a toe is f***, with 52 per cent of those surveyed saying that it is an effective method to relieve pain. The average British person swears nine times a day and 69 per cent agreed that it is a powerful thing to do. Neuropsychologist Dr. Rachel Taylor said: "The science shows that when people swear, it can activate the amygdala which in turn triggers a fight-or-flight response. This then leads to a surge in adrenaline, a natural form of pain relief. "Interestingly, research also suggests that conventional swear words are better at pain relief than novel ones, and also indicates that if your reverse swearing just for pain relief they are more analgesic than if you are a prolific swearer - you can become immune to the pain relief of swearing if you swear a lot." (©BANG Showbiz)
6 /11
Congratulations Mr. Pickles, you are a father to THREE TORTOISE HATCHLINGS! These are the MOST BIZARRE stories from around the world this past week...
Louis Vuitton is selling a baby-grow for over $1,100. The luxury French fashion house's website says that the garment is made from "a soft lightweight blend of cotton and cashmere" and "is embroidered with multi-coloured monogram flowers". It adds: "Refined details, including engraved mother-of-pearl buttons sewn on a grosgrain ribbon, complete this sweet playsuit, which is an ideal gift for a newborn." However, most infants will have grown out of the Meli-Melo Embroidered Suit in just a matter of weeks. (©BANG Showbiz)
7 /11
Space holds the secret to good health
Space could free humanity from disease. Scientists are convinced that experiments conducted in orbit may be able to unlock cures for Earth's biggest killers, including cancer. The lack of gravity in space makes it easier to cultivate the proteins required to study diseases and come up with ways of beating them. Medical firms across the globe are now racing to carry out studies in space and come up with the technology that will allow people to live longer. Yossi Yamin, head of the medical giant SpacePharma, said: "This is not science fiction any more. "Last year we accomplished seven-in-orbit experiments - and the number is growing. "Next month we are flying five experiments into space in realms ranging from the future of skincare to longevity drugs and brain diseases." (©BANG Showbiz)
8 /11
RIP Russell Crowe's pet pooch
Russell Crowe was left devastated after his pet dog died after being hit by a truck. The 'Pope's Exorcist' actor cradled his pooch pal Louis in his arms as he passed away, leaving him heartbroken. Russell shared a photo of the dog on Twitter and wrote: "This is Louis the Papillion. 16 months old. "Tiny, cheeky, brave. He won my heart. "Unfortunately today, on the second anniversary of my fathers passing, Louis was hit by a truck. "We tried to get him to the vet, but he died in my arms while I was telling him how much we loved him." The 'Gladiator' star delighted in sharing photos of Louis with fans, and in December he posted a photo with him and his beloved pet wearing matching Ralph Lauren polo shirts. (©BANG Showbiz)
9 /11
If you don't want to be anxious, sniff sweat...
Sniffing somebody else's sweat could help to treat social anxiety. New research saw armpit perspiration taken from volunteers who watched either happy or scary film clips before the samples were used alongside more conventional mindfulness techniques that help treat the disorder. The study revealed that mindfulness was more effective when combined with sniffing the body odour. The research involved 48 women who suffered from social anxiety, some of whom were exposed to clean air and others to body odour. Patients who completed a mindfulness session while exposed to body odours saw a 39 per cent reduction in social anxiety, but those who had a session in clean air had just a 17 per cent decrease in their anxiety scores. Elisa Vigna, who led the study for the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said: "We found that the women in the group exposed to sweat from people who had been watching funny or scary movies, responded better to mindfulness therapy than those who hadn't been exposed. "We were a little surprised to find that the emotional state of the person producing the sweat didn't differ in treatment outcomes - sweat produced while someone was happy had the same effect as someone who had been scared by a movie clip." (©BANG Showbiz)
10 /11
Elon Musk warns of impending AI disaster...
Elon Musk is warning “out of control” artificial intelligence could “pose profound risks to society and humanity”. The Tesla boss, 51, issued the alert alongside more than 1,000 academics and technology industry figures in an open letter that demands “all AI labs... immediately pause” work, as well as urging governments to suspend more research if they don’t comply. Issued amid warning AI systems such as ChatGPT may put millions of jobs at risk and lead to the spread of disinformation, Elon joined signatories including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, 72, and the head of the Doomsday Clock. They said in their message, published by the Future of Life Institute: “Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks, and we must ask ourselves: Should we risk loss of control of our civilisation?’ "Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable." (©BANG Showbiz)
11 /11
Congratulations, Mr. Pickles!
A tortoise became a father for the first time at the age of 90. The Houston Zoo announced that the beloved radiated tortoise Mr. Pickles has welcomed three hatchlings - Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeno - with his partner, 53-year-old Mrs. Pickles. Mr. and Mrs. Pickles have been a couple for almost 30 years and became companions when she arrived at Houston Zoo in 1996. Mr. Pickles is the zoo's oldest resident and has lived there for 36 years. In a blog post, the zoo said: "The new hatchlings came as a surprise when a herpetology keeper happened upon Mrs. Pickles as the tortoise was laying her eggs and getting them to the safety of the Reptile and Amphibian House." (©BANG Showbiz)
