Can't stop scrolling or snacking? You're not weak-willed, you're being manipulated by big business... and this is the startling evidence, says top scientist
As the young Danish scientist Nicklas Brendborg has it, few will opt for plain vanilla ice cream if the alternative is a bowl of ice cream covered with caramel sauce, chocolate chips, brownie pieces and marshmallows.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Excessive sleepiness: are you always tired? Doctors may finally have a cure
Name: Excessive daytime sleepiness. Age: First described in 1976. Appearance: You, asleep in the clothes you went to work in. Surely it's natural to feel a bit sleepy during the day? Yes, but that isn't what this is. The important part of the equation is the 'excessive'. If you're always falling asleep outside bedtime hours, that's a problem. Oh, you really do mean excessive. Yes. And it's a condition recognised by the NHS, with the medical name hypersomnia. Narcolepsy? No, narcolepsy is a neurological condition that causes people to suddenly fall into deep sleeps. Hypersomnia is where you're so tired that you keep drifting off. Now I'm worried that I may have it. Well, answer me this: do you eat a lot of cheese, gherkins and smoked meat? Now you mention it, I do maintain a primarily charcuterie-based diet. Well, that might be your problem. Researchers from Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston have claimed that hypersomnia may have a lot to do with our metabolism. Worrying. Not really. The researchers say that the metabolite tyramine is a factor. Tyramine is found in overripe food, aged cheese, smoked meat and some alcoholic drinks. Wow, medieval kings must have been absolutely knackered all the time. It's suggested that if people feel constantly sleepy, they should ditch these foods and adopt a diet of seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. And the result is that you'll have more hours in the day to eat all this boring food? Exactly. Don't dismiss hypersomnia, though. There is a test you can take, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, to discover if your napping is a problem or not. I just scored really highly on it. The NHS recommends that you should see your GP if you fall asleep during the day too often. Why bother? I'll just lay off the gouda and everything will be dandy. Out of interest, do you snore a lot? How rude! Maybe. If you do, you may have sleep apnoea, and your daytime sleepiness could be down to your inability to reach a point of deep, restorative sleep at night. Also, are you depressed? Isn't everyone? That's another potential cause of hypersomnia. What if I'm depressed because someone from Boston just told me that I can't eat so much antipasti? Oh dear, that means you're trapped in a rare but dangerous hypersomnia loop. Maybe just give in to it. Nothing wrong with an impromptu nap, is there? I'm a commercial airline pilot. Forget everything I just said. Eat these seeds immediately. Do say: 'Smoked meat causes excessive daytime sleepiness.' Don't say: 'And also cures it, if you use a Peperami to prop your eyelids open.'
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Robot house-hunters to search cosy caves for humans to live in on MARS – after testing skills on Brit holiday island
SPACE bots are set to explore off-planet caves to set up new homes for humans. The robo-teams would work together to plunge into lava holes on Mars and the Moon - in search for new habitats for humans. 5 5 5 Research was recently carried out by a team of European academics who outlined the next-level mission in the journal Science Robotics. Their report shows tests carried out on the volcanic, Brit holiday Island of Lanzarote - chosen due to its environmental similarities with the Moon and Mars. The research team includes scientists from the robotics innovation centre at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) DFKI said: "Lava caves on planetary bodies near Earth are promising sites for future base camps, offering natural protection from radiation and meteorite impacts. "Yet their exploration remains difficult due to harsh conditions and restricted access." Three different robot types worked together on their own to rapidly explore and map out the extreme Lanzarote environment including vast lava fields and numerous craters. While on their discovery mission, the robo-explorers found a skylight - a hole leading to an underground cave. The AI-gadgets took part in a four-step mission to map together the area around the hole, drop a sensor into the cave to collect data, descend a planetary surface exploration device and have it explore the cave independently to create a 3D map. The robot that was lowered into the cave was able to explore the difficult-to-enter area, and successfully generated a 3D model of the cave. Pulling off the application of such technologies in alien landscapes is a key breakthrough in the world of science and technology. DFKI said: "The results not only confirm the technical feasibility of the concept but also demonstrate the potential of collaborative robotic systems for use in future Moon or Mars missions. "The study thus provides valuable impetus for the further development of autonomous robotic solutions in the context of planetary exploration." The major milestone comes after research from 2024 which suggested future humans living on Mars will undergo drastic physical changes and may even develop into a new sub-species, an expert has told The Sun. Kyle Zagrodzky, founder of OsteoStrong, a company that specialises in bone health, explained that an unforgiving Martian environment could push humans to evolve into haunting versions of their "Earthling cousins". At first, Mars-bound astronauts will feel pretty good, according to Zagrodzky, as the lower level of gravity eases the weight on their bones and joints. "New comers would have a massive physical advantage in the short run," he said, before grimly stating: "Until their bones and muscles are down regulated." Living in Martian gravity - about 38% of Earth's gravity - over extended periods is expected to have significant effects on the human body. 5 5 Optimistic estimates from a 2020 Stanford study found that astronauts on a three year mission to Mars and back would lose a third of their bone density. Around half of them could go on to develop osteoporosis. "For new adult visitors, spine elongation would probably the first noticeable change," Zagrodzky continued. "Other than a change in the distribution of fat, which might look more and more strange over time, we probably wouldn't see significant outward physical changes in adults going to visit Mars for short periods of time." The first crewed Mars mission has been proposed for the 2030s - with Elon Musk 's SpaceX aiming to send humans to the Red Planet as early as 2029. But Musk hopes his crew will have built a self-sustaining colony by 2050. Mars has dust storms, high levels of radiation and less gravity than Earth. In order to live there, humans would have to completely change their ways of life although researchers claim streaming Netflix won't be an issue.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Former darts world champion makes worrying admission as he reveals he needs major surgery
Former darts world champion Michael Smith fears he will need a new shoulder when he retires from the sport after admitting his body is 'literally packing in'. Smith, 34, triumphed at the 2023 World Championships by defeating Michael van Gerwen in the final but has since slipped to 21st in the PDC rankings, with Luke Humphries and Luke Littler dominating the oche from an English perspective. Bully Boy, as he is nicknamed, has admitted his fears after being diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis in his shoulder, a condition which forces him to take injections in order to continue his darts career. Having researched the condition online in an effort to learn more, Smith was stunned to discover the long-term implications. Worst case scenario, the 34-year-old may need to undergo a shoulder replacement as early as his mid-forties. Speaking to Online Darts, he said: 'I went on holiday, so it was the third one I missed. I got my MRI back for my shoulder. I've got severe osteoarthritis or something like that — I can't even say it properly. 'The next step now is injections for my shoulder and wrist. Worst case is a shoulder replacement, which isn't great, but that would only be when I retire. For now, it's injections. 'A new shoulder would be like learning to play again. I got scared when I Googled it. I just heard arthritis, but then all the stuff before it scared me. 'They mentioned cortisone for my wrist, PRP which I need too, and then shoulder replacement where they cut your rotator cuff. 'That's where I panicked. But the operation won't be until I retire anyway — 45, 46 maybe. For now, I'll just deal with it.' Smith, who has failed to qualify for World Matchplay for the first time since 2013, currently takes antibiotics and painkillers to manage the condition. Insistent that he will return to his best form soon, Smith labelled himself a 'sleeping giant', as he prepares to undergo laser eye surgery next month. 'This is not going to stop me. I'll be back,' he urged. 'I don't know anything else but to play darts and to fight. 'I'm a Manchester United fan. Like them, I'm a sleeping giant. I will wake up one day. 'At home, when I'm practising, I'm in a good place. I feel right. Then I go to Pro Tours and just one bad game, in your head, it just goes back to square one. 'My main issue now is getting everything right for December. Listen, if I win five games in the Worlds, I'm back in the top ten, it's like 200 grand. 'Everyone will forget my year then. If I want to win it, which I know I've done before – I've been in the final three times – I could be back in the top three or top four. Never say never.
