Latest news with #Drivetime
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Science
- RTÉ News
Can you spot a fake smile from the real thing?
Analysis: What makes a smile feel sincere or fake is due to a surprising blend of facial anatomy, neurology and emotional authenticity By Michelle Spear, University of Bristol You've probably heard the claim that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. It's usually framed as a feel-good reason to turn your frown upside down – less effort, more joy. But anatomically, the numbers don't quite add up. We've all seen it – the smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes. From awkward family photos to strained workplace pleasantries, our brains often detect that something is off long before we consciously realise why. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, psychotherapist Padraig O'Morain on why we need to smile more But what is it about a smile that makes it feel sincere — or fake? The answer lies in a surprising blend of facial anatomy, neurology and emotional authenticity. Not all smiles are created equal Anatomically speaking, there are at least two distinct kinds: the Duchenne smile, which reflects genuine happiness, and the non-Duchenne smile, which tends to be more social or strategic. Named after 19th-century French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne, the Duchenne smile activates two key muscle groups. The first group is associated with the corners of the mouth – where, for example, the risorius (from the Latin to smile) draws the corners outward and the zygomaticus major muscle lifts them. The second, and most telling, muscle is the orbicularis oculi, which tightens the muscles around the eyes, producing the familiar "crow's feet" and the gentle narrowing we associate with warmth and delight. Fake or polite smiles, on the other hand, usually involve only the mouth muscles. The eyes remain wide or indifferent, and the smile appears more mechanical than meaningful – a kind of emotional camouflage. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Magdalena Rychlowska from the School of Psychology at Queens University Belfast on how villains use smiles Both real and fake smiles depend on cranial nerve VII, also known as the facial nerve, which sends signals from the brain to the muscles of facial expression. However, there's a key neurological difference: Duchenne smiles tend to be generated by the limbic system, the brain's emotional core – particularly the amygdala, an almond-shaped group of neurons that processes emotional salience. Non-Duchenne smiles, by contrast, are often under more conscious cortical control, originating in the motor cortex. This divide means that authentic, emotionally driven smiles are involuntary. You can't easily will your orbicularis oculi to contract convincingly unless you're genuinely feeling the emotion behind the expression. Even professional actors must tap into real memories or method techniques to produce them convincingly. From RTÉ Archives, a 1978 episode of Hall's Pictorial Weekly with regular characters Cha (Michael Twomey) and Miah (Frank Duggan) discussing a notice in a newspaper about smiling for Ireland. Why our brains notice the difference Humans are remarkably good at detecting emotional authenticity. Studies show that even infants as young as ten months can distinguish between real and fake smiles. Evolutionarily, this ability may have helped us assess trustworthiness, recognise true allies and avoid deception. The fusiform gyrus, a part of the brain involved in facial recognition, works closely with the superior temporal sulcus to decode expressions — helping us gauge intention as much as emotion. In modern life, our sensitivity to facial nuance continues to matter. Politicians, customer service workers and public figures frequently rely on the social smile to navigate complex interpersonal expectations. But observers – consciously or not – often pick up on these micro-discrepancies. From TED, Ron Gutman on the hidden power of smiling Fake smiles aren't necessarily malicious. In fact, they serve important social functions: smoothing awkward interactions, signalling politeness, defusing conflict and showing deference. They are a vital part of what sociologists call "emotional labour" – managing one's expressions to meet societal or professional expectations. But this kind of smiling, when sustained for long periods, can be emotionally exhausting. Studies of emotional labour suggest that being required to smile without genuine feeling – especially in service roles – is associated with increased stress, burnout and even cardiovascular strain. As we move further into the age of AI, synthetic faces – from chatbots to virtual assistants – are being programmed to replicate human expressions. Yet the challenge remains: how do you fake authenticity? Engineers can program a smile, but without the micro-contractions around the eyes, many of these expressions still seem disingenuous. Our own anatomy sets the gold standard. So next time you're trying to decode someone's expression, don't just look at the mouth. Watch the eyes. The orbicularis oculi rarely lies.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
MEP used AI to compose letter to von der Leyen on Gaza
Midlands North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly has confirmed that he used artificial intelligence to write a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging the EU to deliver more aid to Gaza. It was reported his letter contained a story of a young girl who lives in Rafah, which turned out to be fictional - while at another section lyrics from the band 'Swedish House Mafia' were used without reference. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Mr Mullooly said his motivation was "looking for measures that did not include the [EU] member states actually agreeing - because that's the problem. "That's the frustration in Brussels... the attitude of Germany and other states where for a long, long, time we couldn't get even a review of the [EU-Israel] Trade Agreement." He said that around three weeks ago, 25 pages of research were put in front of him in the European Parliament and that he asked his colleague to produce a summary of it for a letter to Mrs von der Leyen. He said AI was used to complete the "first part of the letter...I read every line of it, I looked at the references, and I was quite happy with that," he said. Mr Mullooly said the second half of the letter has received most attention and refers to a song by the 'Swedish House Mafia' group. He said it was composed by a member of his team who had read 1,000 emails from people sent to his office on the subject of Gaza. His staff member summarised those "in what has been described today as fiction, but it's actually written based on some of the information given to us by those emails," he said. One of the 1,000 "real life" emails contained a lyric from a 'Swedish House Mafia' song, which states: "Don't you worry, don't you worry child, see heaven's got a plan for you". Mr Mullooly said: "I had no idea what that was about. "I asked a colleague in the office to use AI or any other references to explain to me - and I have to be honest, I am not a fan of 'Swedish House Mafia' - and it had to be explained to me where it came from. "It [the quote] was included in an email which came to me from Gaza and to me, it summed up, when I read it, the vulnerability of the children involved, the way their lives have been turned upside down, from the comfort of their parents, to a situation where we've lost 15,000 children. "Innocent children, and I was trying to bring that point home to Ursula von der Leyen.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police 'increasingly concerned' for missing Cole Cooper
Police are becoming "increasingly concerned" for a teenager who has been missing for three weeks. Cole Cooper, 19, was last seen at about 20:45 on 7 May in Longcroft, Falkirk, near his home village of Banknock. Ch Insp Alex Hatrick told BBC Scotland News Cole's disappearance was being treated as a missing persons case and there was no evidence to suggest he had come to harm. Since the final sighting officers have conducted door-to-door inquiries at more than 200 homes and obtained over 1,000 hours of CCTV. Members of Cole's family have told BBC Scotland News his lack of contact with them is highly unusual and they fear he has come to some kind of harm. Ch Insp Hatrick, local area commander, told BBC Scotland News: "Just like Cole's family we are increasingly concerned for Cole's whereabouts. "The family are obviously deeply devastated, they are looking for answers as to what has happened to Cole, as are the police. "At this time this is very much a missing persons inquiry. "There is no evidence to suggest Cole has come to harm but we will explore all avenues, all lines of inquiry. Our focus is very much on tracing Cole." 3 May: Cole was on a night out with friends. 4 May: He was captured on CCTV multiple times around Nisbet Drive, Longcroft Road and Hogan Path in the early hours of Sunday morning. He was seen approaching the door of his father's house at 05:49 before leaving four minutes later. The last CCTV footage of Cole was at 06:00 on Cumbernauld Road. 7 May: A witness said they saw Cole at around 20:45 on the A803 at the Intersection with Cumbernauld Road, Longcroft. 9 May: Cole is reported missing. Ch Insp Hatrick said police believe the last sighting of Cole on the evening of 7 May, reported by a witness who knew him. The witness told officers that he did not have any concerns for Cole. He told them Cole had asked for a lift and then "went on his way". Cole is described as about 5ft 10in, of medium build with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black puffer-style jacket with black jogging bottoms. But Cole's family are treating the earlier CCTV footage - captured on 4 May - as the last confirmed sighting of the missing teenager. Brother Connor told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme they were hoping "no news is good news" but were becoming increasingly worried. He said: "We are coming up to a month now which does make me think, has he come to some sort of harm? "I don't know what type of harm but I do think that something must have happened and somebody knows something. "We are mentally preparing for the worst but we are also hoping and praying for the best outcome which is him coming home safely." The family organised a community-led search for the teenager on Saturday and Sunday, with around 200 people helping looking for Cole. "We don't want to sit back and do nothing. Even if we need to search the same area a hundred more times, we will," Connor added. Cole had been living in Falkirk and is known to have links to the Denny, Cumbernauld and Paisley areas. A major search involving helicopters and drones was launched last week scouring Banknock, also in Falkirk, and the dive and marine unit have been involved. Police are asking for anyone who was in the Glasgow Road area around the time Cole was last seen to contact them via an online portal. They are also urging locals to to check their outbuildings and sheds. Family and friends lead search for missing Falkirk teenager 'All I want is the safe return of my gorgeous, fun-loving boy'
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Irish aid for Ukraine destroyed in Russian drone strike
Aid collected in Ireland for Ukraine has been destroyed in a Russian drone strike on a humanitarian warehouse near Kyiv. The attack wiped out vital medical equipment and supplies meant for war hit hospitals, prompting fresh appeals for public support. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, co-founder of the charity Ukrainian Action, Anatoly Prymakov, said it has already been difficult to get supplies into Ukraine. "It's always been difficult. Unfortunately, logistics get disturbed by the war a lot," he said. "It's taken three weeks to get the truck full of aid from Ireland over to the one of the satellite towns next to Kiev ... It was delivered and unloaded on Friday and ready to be distributed this coming week, from today onwards. "Unfortunately, the Russians destroyed it." Authorities in Kyiv said Russia fired its biggest ever drone barrage on Ukraine overnight, just hours after US President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin "crazy" and warned Russia that it risked new sanctions if it kept up its bombardment. Mr Trump has been trying to broker an end to the three-year war but has failed to extract any major concessions from Russia, despite repeated negotiations between his administration and Moscow and several phone calls between him and Mr Putin. Russia played down Mr Trump's criticism, claiming Mr Putin was taking measures "necessary to ensure Russia's security". Mr Prymakov said that he did not forsee deliveries of aid getting easier any time soon. "It has always been difficult and I don't think it's going to get any better in the coming days, but that's not an excuse, we have to keep going," he said. "We have to keep helping Ukraine." Mr Prymakov praised the Irish people for their generosity in donating to Ukraine Action's cause. "The Irish public have always been very, very generous when it comes to humanitarian assistance towards Ukraine," he said. "People are more than happy to donate, both monetarily or goods. And whenever these sort of events happen, we have always had a strong response. "I think the fact that three years into this big invasion, we're still able to put together a truck full of aid, collected for free from the public, and send it over to Ukraine shows that there's still very a lot of goodwill in Ireland," he added.
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
5 tips for the perfect wedding speech
Analysis: You could turn to ChatGPT for help or you could take advice from ancient top orators like Cicero and Quintilian By David Roberts, Birmingham City University Looking for an example of how not to give a wedding speech? Try this. I was recently told an anecdote about guests at a wedding who became suspicious about the detached, cliched style of the groom's speech, and the monotonous way it was read. Gathered at the reception afterwards, they asked ChatGPT to write a groom's wedding speech. Bingo! The result was as good as identical. Admittedly, whether you're bride or groom, best man or chief bridesmaid, giving a wedding speech can be a scary prospect. But if you want to keep it personal and memorable, AI is not the answer. From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show, 'there is a certain kind of Irish lad who is made to be a best man'. Peter McGann on what makes a great best man speech, what to avoid and how to survive if it all goes wrong So what is? You could do a lot worse than following the five canons of classical rhetoric, as recommended by the great practitioners of the ancient world, Cicero and Quintilian: invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery. Invention The first canon of classical rhetoric is invention. That's the process of discovering and developing the ideas you'll use in your speech. You can't speak about everything, and no one likes a speech that drones on. Around ten minutes is all you need. That leaves you time for maybe six or seven events in the life of the person you're talking about. If you visualise those six or seven events, that will help you remember them. Is there a theme or characteristic that binds them together? Identify one or two, and use them to create a thread. From RTÉ 2fm's Hennifer Zamparelli show, Jessica O'Sullivan on the politics of wedding speeches Good speakers often begin with a bit of a warm-up – maybe some light-hearted comments about the venue, or something in the news, or just a good joke. Plan to single out people in the audience for a mention or a laugh. Say something nice about the new family, or friendship groups you've discovered through the relationship. Arrangement History is your best friend when it comes to arranging the order of your speech. The events you've chosen under "invention" happened in order of time. So lean on history and organise them chronologically. Also, remember that many of the best wedding speeches often follow an arc from light to serious. You can make fun of your subject for a while, but nothing quite beats ending with love. Style This will vary depending on your role. Best men and chief bridesmaids traditionally skirt the boundaries of politeness, or sometimes go crashing through them (the worst best-man jokes are not repeatable here, nor anywhere else, and there's no shortage of books dedicated to them). From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, why Gen Z couples are requesting wedding party tracks from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s for their big day Mostly you'll be talking to a mixed audience. You can be a bit risqué without offending anyone (sexist jokes are not recommended). And because you're likely to be talking to people you know, try to be informal – the "familiar style", as it used to be called. That also means being personal. The speech has to sound like you. Memory The prospect of remembering a speech may feel daunting or impossible. But speaking without notes makes a huge difference to how you engage your audience. Look into their eyes and they will be drawn in. The ancient Roman educator Quintilian was one among many orators to recommend visual analogues as a memory aid – often, the ground plan of a house, where a porch leads to a hall, which leads to a dining room, and so on. You populate each room with clues. They might be verbal or visual. Anything that helps you lift your eyes from a script will increase your chances of getting the audience on your side. From RTÉ Today Show, is a B guest list a good idea for weddings? Delivery Calm your nerves by visualising the scene ahead of time. Most people visit their wedding venue before the big day, so take the opportunity to get used to the space, and then run it through in your head afterwards. Try rehearsing the speech while you're going for a walk. When it comes to the big day and the room is full, remember that you can't speak directly to everyone. Instead, pick out maybe three or four people to focus on, in different parts of the room. There are novel approaches and there are disasters. The double-act approach can work brilliantly, where bride and groom take turns to deliver a single speech, but it may need scripting. If the venue has the facilities, a slide show can work well. Picking out the various groups of families and friends and getting them to wave usually works as a good warmup. When you get a laugh, ride it – start speaking again just as the laughter is dying down. Don't wait for silence. If you get into a panic and can't think of anything, just say you're so happy that you're speechless, and raise your glass for a toast.
