Does twin telepathy exist? Australian sisters go viral after in-sync interview
Dressed in matching Easter outfits, sisters Bridgette and Paula Powers recounted how their mother raced to help when a stolen car crashed on Steve Irwin Way on the Sunshine Coast, only to be confronted by the gun-wielding car thief.
Despite the drama of the story, it was the way the twins delivered the tale to 7NEWS Australia that caught the attention of viewers across the world.
The pair, who run a bird rescue centre, told the story in sync, starting and finishing each other's sentences and appearing to predict what the other would say next.
Speaking in unison, Bridgette and Paula said: "He was coming back down towards us and he goes 'run, he's got a gun' and our hearts started to pound."
They even mimicked each other's head and hand movements, at one point brushing their faces with their hand to indicate the blood on the thief's face.
Does twin telepathy exist?
According to Tania Johnson from the Institute of Child Psychology, there is no scientific evidence that twin telepathy exists.
She told ITV News: "What we are likely seeing here is a deep familiarity....a powerful connection that has been shaped by years of shared experiences, emotional closeness and shared genetics. Identical twins grow up deeply attuned to one another.
"They often will think alike, speak alike, and act alike simply because they know one another so well - what we are seeing here is the result of an incredibly strong bond."
She added: "This is the result of what we call mirroring - a natural process that occurs when people who are closely connected start to unconsciously reflect each other.
"Over time, their brains have developed an instinctive understanding of one another. So while it looks like they are reading each other's minds, we are really just seeing a deep attunement to one another."
Regarding the difference between identical and non-identical twins, Ms Johnson said: "Identical twins share 100% of their DNA, while fraternal twins share about 50%, just like any siblings.
"This genetic closeness can lead to more similar personalities, temperaments, and interests, which can deepen their bond.
"In addition to this, identical twins look the same and may be treated really similarly by everyone around them and so their emotional and social worlds often becomes intertwined.
"This is really about being so deeply interconnected that you end up experiencing and seeing the world almost as if you were one."
Following the viral interview, Bridgette and Paula told The Project: "We have tried to talk separately, but we're not ourselves, it's not us.
"We tell people if they can't stand listening to us, simply switch off the TV."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
8 hours ago
- STV News
Migrant Channel crossings reach 50,000 since Labour took office
The number of migrants crossing the Channel since Labour came to power has passed the significant milestone, as ITV News Political Reporter Jasmine Cameron-Chileshe explains More than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour came into office. Home Office figures showed on Monday that 474 migrants have arrived by small boat since July 2024. Speaking on Tuesday morning, government minister Baroness Jacqui Smith described the numbers as an 'enormous problem,' saying she understood the public's 'concern'. Pointing to the government's recently implemented returns deal with France, Smith said the government remained determined to bring the number of crossings down. The Home Office released images earlier this month showing the first migrants detained under the new France-UK deal. / Credit: Home Office Earlier this month, the government began detaining migrants under a new 'one in, one out' deal with France. Under the scheme, some migrants who crossed the Channel illegally will be detained and returned to France in exchange for asylum seekers with links to the UK. The scheme is currently being piloted, and the UK government hopes to expand it further. Critics say the number of migrants being returned remains a long way off what is needed to either bring the numbers down or serve as a legitimate deterrent. The government will not confirm how many migrants this involves, although it has previously been reported that the number stands close to 50 a week. 'We need to build camps,' says Kemi Badenoch in response to the number of migrants currently arriving in the UK There have been 27,029 arrivals so far this year, which is 47% higher than the same point of 2024 when the figure stood at 18,342, and 67% higher than 2023's figure of 16,170. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described those crossing the Channel as 'an invasion'. Reacting to the milestone being reached, Philp, the Conservative MP for Croydon South, said: 'Labour has surrendered our borders, and the consequences are being felt in our communities, from rising crime to shocking cases of rape and sexual assault by recent arrivals.' ITV News filmed a small boat of people assumed to be migrants crossing the Channel on Monday morning. Speaking from the Isle of Wight, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed that if she were in office, she could bring the numbers down 'very quickly'. She went on to say Labour lacked a deterrence as she called for the return of the previous Conservative government's Rwanda scheme, where migrants' asylum claims would have been processed in the African country, with successful applicants being granted leave to remain in Rwanda. Pushed on whether the Conservatives could reduce Channel crossings to zero, Badenoch said, 'I think that we can,' adding, 'It wouldn't happen straight away, but it would happen quickly'. Badenoch said, 'My team are now looking at what we can do in terms of detention centres, but stopping people from coming here in the first place – if they think they're going to be sent to Rwanda and not get here, get a free hotel, get benefits, then they won't come here.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
2 days ago
- ITV News
‘Violent' online racism left Lioness Jess Carter fearful of starting Euros final
England defender Jess Carter has revealed she was scared to play in the Euros final because of fears of racial abuse and questioned whether Sarina Wiegman should have selected her. In an exclusive interview, the Lioness told ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott the online messages she received during the tournament were 'violently aggressive racism''. There was one face missing from the Lionesses' victory parade along the Mall, and it belonged to the player who probably deserved to be at the heart of those celebrations: Jess Carter. The England defender had suffered a torrid time after being targeted by racial abuse online, which forced her off social media. She was dropped for the semi-final when the Lionesses decided not to 'take the knee' in protest of her treatment online, but she was reinstated for the final against Spain and put in a courageous, near faultless performance. Carter needed the heart of a Lioness to even survive the tournament, let alone put in a world-class showing at the end, when it mattered most. She only missed the homecoming celebrations to rejoin her club in America, which was already into a new season. 'That's the first time I've ever been scared to play' 'Sarina [Wiegman] spoke to me on the buildup to the Spain game and said that she was wanting to play me," Carter said. "I didn't say anything to her, but in my head, I just thought, are you sure? "The night before the game I was scared. That's the first time I've ever been scared, scared to play. "I think it was a mixture of such a big game, but then on top of that, [I was] scared of whatever abuse might come with it, whether it's football-based or whether it was going to be the racial abuse that was going to come with it because I did something wrong.' 'It makes you second guess everything you do' Speaking after a Gotham FC training session in New Jersey, Carter opened up about just how deeply the abuse she received during the recent Euros affected her: 'It makes you feel really small. It makes you feel like you're not important, that you're not valuable. 'It makes you second-guess everything that you do - it's not a nice place to be. It doesn't make me feel confident going back onto the pitch.' But the impact is not limited to Carter herself, it's the way it makes those close to her feel too. 'My family was so devastated by it as well - and so sad," she said. 'They obviously want to be there to support me being away in Switzerland, but they weren't able to be there the whole time - and I think that how it impacts the people around you sometimes is even worse than how it impacts you. 'What's really sad is just the hate that people give out, I will never understand.' She said the type of comments changed once the tournament got underway. 'The messages started going from 'she's not good enough' or 'shouldn't be playing for England', or 'should be ashamed of her performance' or whatever, and then it started being about, the reason I was rubbish was because I was black. 'I'm not going to go into detail, but it was violently aggressive racism from the minute I stepped on a pitch from the France game.' Carter didn't intend to publicise her decision to come off social media, but her sister persuaded her to take a stand. 'I didn't want to initially, but my sister was like, 'if this was your niece or nephew, if this is Michelle Agyemang or Lauren James or Khiara [Keating], what would you want to do? How would you want to support them?'" she recalled. "'Like you wouldn't want them to be quiet and do it by themselves, so why should you do it?' "I guess if it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have spoken up about it.' Carter was concerned about a backlash; she feared that if she made a statement, then the team would come under even more scrutiny than it already was. But she says the whole squad was fully supportive of whatever she wanted to do. 'A sigh of relief' What Carter then revealed to ITV News is astonishing yet understandable, and shines a light on the devastating impact of online racist abuse. She admitted that when Lauren James missed England's second penalty in the quarter final, she was relieved when one of her white teammates failed too. She knew the level of abuse that James would suffer if she were the only Lioness not to score. 'It's horrible to say, but it's almost like a sigh of relief when other players that weren't black missed a penalty, because the racism that would have come with LJ (Lauren James) being the only one that missed would have been astronomical.' 'It's not because we want them to fail… It's about knowing how it's going to be for [England's black players] if we miss.' Her experience also led to a team discussion about the Lionesses' policy of taking the knee before each game. 'I think people have stopped understanding what we were doing it for and why, and the reason behind it.' Led by Lauren James, the squad agreed it was time to do something different and make people question why; 'I think the part of it is just when the whistle goes and maybe others are taking the knee and we are not, okay, well why are they not taking the knee?' 'I don't know how much of a difference it's going to make, but if it just makes one person question what's the next thing they're about to type or the next thing that they're about to say, then that is a job well done.' ' Not enough people of colour in sport, particularly in football' Carter also worries that young black girls watching all this play out will be put off from taking part in football. 'We are trying to do our best to encourage young girls to come and play football, to participate in any sports that they want to play and believe in their dream," she said. "But if I'd have seen that [as a young girl] it's not going to make me want to go and play, and there's already not enough people of colour in sport, particularly in football. 'We want to continue to encourage the nation to play in and to be excited about representing England - we want to show them all the good sides of it, not these horrible negative sides." She added, 'Ultimately, you can have a thousand amazing comments, but those ten that you get are enough to make you not want to step foot back on that pitch.' Working alongside the social media giants, the police are still trying to identify those behind the abuse and have told Carter they intend to prosecute them when they do. Her honesty and bravery in the face of such poison deserve at least that.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
Nicola Sturgeon admits she 'lost the dressing room' on Isla Bryson
The former first minister called Bryson 'a biological male' during an interview with ITV to promote her new memoir Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Nicola Sturgeon has admitted she 'lost the dressing room' when she refused to say whether double rapist Isla Bryson was a man or a woman. In an interview with ITV News to mark the publication of her new memoir, the former first minister called Bryson 'a biological male' and admitted she should have been 'much more straightforward' on the issue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said 'all sense of rationality' had been lost in the furious gender debate, adding: 'I'm partly responsible for that.' Nicola Sturgeon speaking to ITV to mark the release of her new memoir, Frankly | ITV Ms Sturgeon said rapists should 'probably' lose their right to choose their own gender. But critics branded her comments 'drivel' and said she had failed to apologise. The passing of the gender recognition reforms, which would have made it easier for trans people to legally change their gender, marked one of the most controversial periods in Ms Sturgeon's political career. The legislation passed with cross-party support in December 2022, but was later blocked by the former Conservative government in Westminster. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Not long afterwards Bryson – who was born Adam Graham – was sent to a women's only jail after being convicted of raping two women, before being transferred to a male prison. Ms Sturgeon repeatedly refused to say whether Bryson was a man or a woman during this period, instead simply saying: "That individual is a rapist.' In her new memoir, which is titled Frankly, she admitted: 'There haven't been many times in my career when my communication skills deserted me as utterly as they did in the face of this controversy. Maybe my confidence had been damaged more than I realised by the intensity of the vitriol flung at me. Or maybe I was just losing my touch. Whatever the reason, when confronted with the question 'Is Isla Bryson a woman?' I was like a rabbit caught in the headlights.' Ms Sturgeon wrote that saying yes to the question would 'enrage people and inflame the situation', but saying no 'would allow the opponents of the new self-identification law to say that they had been right all along about the impact on women-only spaces - which, in my view, they absolutely hadn't been'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She added: 'Moreover, it seemed obvious to me - media frenzy aside - that the gender question was not the relevant issue in this context. What mattered was that Isla Bryson was a rapist. Identifying as a woman did not confer any automatic right to be accommodated in a female prison. 'Any convicted trans woman considered a risk to female inmates would be sent to a man's prison, as in fact Isla Bryson quickly was. This all seemed very rational. The problem was that, in a febrile atmosphere, I was unable to communicate it in a way that cut any ice. 'Because I failed to answer 'yes', plain and simple, to the basic question, I seemed weak and evasive. Worst of all, I sounded like I didn't have the courage to stand behind the logical conclusion of the self-identification system we had just legislated for. In football parlance, I lost the dressing room.' Speaking to ITV, Ms Sturgeon was asked if she would say now whether Bryson is a man. 'Isla Bryson identified as a woman,' the former first minister said. 'I think what I would say now is anybody who commits the most heinous male crime against women probably forfeits the right to be the gender of their choice.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, she went on to say this latter comment 'probably was not the best phrase to use'. Asked why she did not simply say Bryson is a biological male, Ms Sturgeon said that 'they are a biological male' but added the issue 'gets back into the self-ID thing'. The former first minister continued: 'I should have been much more straightforward, I wasn't, but that's because of the debate. We'd lost all sense of rationality in this debate. I'm partly responsible for that.' Ms Sturgeon said: 'Anything I say about Isla Bryson, in the wider world will immediately be taken and transferred to every trans person. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'And if I sometimes still seem as if I'm struggling with how to define Isla Bryson, it's not out of any concern for Isla Bryson, it's out of concern for how that then affects the wider trans community, and that is difficult.' In the same interview, Ms Sturgeon admitted she did not 'engage as much as I should on some of the concerns that might then be triggered' by her gender reforms. She added: 'At the point I knew it was becoming, or felt it becoming, as polarized I should have said, 'Right, okay, let's pause, let's take a step back'. 'I fervently believe that the rights of women and the interests of trans people are not irreconcilable at all. I should have taken a step back and said, 'How do we achieve this?'' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: 'Frankly, Nicola Sturgeon must be delusional if she thinks the women of Scotland will swallow this drivel. 'She arrogantly ignored all warnings that gender self-ID would be a gift to male predators like Isla Bryson. And she ordered her SNP MSPs to vote down my attempts to block rapists and other sex criminals from being able to legally change their gender by self-declaration. 'Her absurd ideological belief in self-ID collapses with her belated mealy-mouthed admission that this rapist is a man, but she still can't bring herself to say sorry for all the pain and misery she has caused. 'Let's not forget that if it was not for Alister Jack's common-sense decision to block Sturgeon's dangerous law, every rapist in Scotland would be able to declare themselves as women with the full support of the state.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Sturgeon's memoir also touches on the t-shirt worn by JK Rowling, which branded the former first minister a 'destroyer of women's rights'.
