Latest news with #TimesOfLondon
New York Post
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Botox may increase your face value — but you're better off trying this move that doesn't cost a cent, scientists say
Dolly Parton was right. Botox may increase face value for a growing number of Americans, including celebs like Nicole Kidman and Meghan Trainor — but when it comes to making yourself desirable to a prospective partner, researchers say smiling can be even more effective. New research suggests that the popular cosmetic injections do increase users' curb appeal — but when respondents in a survey were asked to rate an array of strange faces, those with upturned lips beat those who merely plumped them up. 4 The research found that smiling could be more effective at enhancing visual appeal than filler injections (pictured). Stasique – Scientists at Tilburg University in The Netherlands also reported that Botox users were likely to be seen as one-night stand prospects — and that getting the costly jabs weren't necessarily useful to those hoping to be taken more seriously as viable life partners. The illusion-shattering findings, published in the journal 'Perception,' come amid a worldwide uptick in Botox usage. Usage of the injectable 'tweakment' has become so frequent that people are actually developing an immunity. Researchers set out to test if people who undergo Botox and other filler treatments are perceived 'more positively by others,' per study co-author Dr. Bastian Jaeger, who claimed that 'existing research on the effectiveness of these treatments is not very strong.' To see if it's worth literally putting one's money where their mouth is, the scientists followed 114 participants who underwent Botox and dermal filler treatments, the Times Of London reported. 4 Study authors found that while Botox can make you more attractive as a mate, it won't necessarily get you to happily ever after any faster. Vasyl – They then asked around 3,000 people to rate their before and after pics on a 7-point attractiveness scale. After reviewing said snaps, which were shot carefully to keep the lighting, expression and other factors consistent across the pics, participants overwhelmingly found that Botox does indeed boost people's visual appeal. 'This difference was rather small: a 0.07-point change in our 7-point attractiveness scale on average,' explained Dr. Jaeger per the Daily Mail. 'This means that on average, a person who was rated a 4 out of 7 on attractiveness before the treatment might be rated a 4.07 out of 7 after treatment.' 4 Participants were asked to evaluate the before-and-after pics of Botox recipients. Sage Journals There was also an increase of 0.13 with regards to how youthful the participants were thought of. However, this paled in comparison to another, less expensive way of enhancing one's attractiveness: smiling. Researchers found that turning one's frown upside down — and not cosmetically — caused one's so-called hotness to soar by 0.4 points, six times more than Botox. 4 'We did not see any benefits of treatment on how competent, intelligent, charismatic, friendly or trustworthy people were perceived to be,' said Jaeger. Drobot Dean – Meanwhile, applying makeup gave people's perceived looks a boost of 0.6 points compared to the filler treatment, which starts at around $300 for a simple forehead injection and involves obstructing nerve signals to muscles, relaxing them and curbing wrinkles. There was another major caveat to alleged Botox-enhanced hotness. While the aesthetic accelerant increased people's desirability as a short-term fling prospect and as a platonic pal — a rise of 0.09 in both categories — there was no statistical improvement in how they were seen as long-term partners. It's unclear why Botox didn't up people's image as soulmate material, but scientists noted that the jabs had no effect on the perception of character traits either. 'We did not see any benefits of treatment on how competent, intelligent, charismatic, friendly or trustworthy people were perceived to be,' said Jaeger. Interestingly, while small amounts of botox did not significantly enhance physical appeal, many people report that, 'after treatment, they find it easier to make friends and that they make a better impression on others,' per Jaeger. Dr. Jaeger attributed this phenomenon to a placebo effect of sorts. 'It is plausible that people have more success socially, not because they look different and people treat them differently, but because they think they do and act more confidently around others (sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy),' he said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thousands of tourists overrun small town in ‘shocking' video: ‘Chaos, gridlock and hours of waiting'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways They wanted to give these tourists 'the Boot.' Thousands of tourists inundated a picturesque Italian town this past weekend, creating a 'gridlock' that obstructed traffic and forced other sightseers to wait 'hours' to get in, as seen in dramatic footage circulating on X. The shocking scenes were recorded at Sirmione, a village of just over 8,000 residents that's situated on the scenic shores of Lake Garda. The town has become a popular sightseeing destination due to its Roman ruins, thermal baths and Scaligero Castle, a majestic 13th-century fortification seemingly ripped straight out of a fairytale, the Times Of London reported. Tourists to Sirmione had to wait for up to 40 minutes to enter the gates to the town center. @mamboitaliano__/X Unfortunately, this tranquil oasis turned into a mosh pit after a whopping 75,000 visitors descended on the waterfront hub over the May Day holiday weekend to visit the fortress, the Sun reported. Alarming clips show throngs of travelers lining up at the gates and piling into Sirmione's narrow passageways like the start of the Superbowl. Residents' cars and electric buses reportedly became snarled in the foot traffic while visitors had to wait 40 minutes to enter through the gates to reach Sirmione's town center. Locals were understandably displeased by the deluge. 'Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock, and hours of waiting,' said one on X recalling the chaotic spectacle. 'A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one.' Tourists line up to visit the Scaligero Castle. @mamboitaliano__/X Another disillusioned poster lamented: 'Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence. Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion—disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more.' Marco Merlo, the president of the hotel and restaurant operators association, told the Times that he was 'very worried about public safety and the quality of life for tourists, residents and workers.' 'We hope the council will involve us in finding effective and widely agreed strategies,' he declared. 'Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence,' said one X poster while decrying the crowds. 'Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion—disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more.' @emanuelebertoli/X The Scaligero Castle in Sirmione. clemMTravel – Members of a local group, Siamo Sirmione ('We Are Sirmione') also decried the swamping of their beloved city, which has long been a hub for famous historical figures from Sigmund Freud to James Joyce. 'If this is the council's management model the risk is not just hardship for residents but a real and lasting harm for the tourism and image of Sirmione,' the group wrote. Roberto Salaorni, the official responsible for transport, said they didn't intend to mitigate the number of visitors entering the narrow bridge to access the castle, but admitted that the flow could've been managed better. 'This is the first thing to do, possibly installing a barrier at the entrance to the castle, which would enable us to manage exceptional situations such as we saw on Friday,' said the councilor. However, he noted that he'd never 'seen so many people' visiting Sirmione or the neighboring lake towns. Indeed, Italy is one of many destinations in Europe that's been overrun by the global tournami. The situation has become so dire in Venice that local officials implemented policies to limit large tourist groups — but to little avail. They followed this measure up in April by imposing a fee on day-trippers who 'eat and flee,' a phrase officials use for tourists who pack their lunch, snap a selfie and depart without spending a dime.
New York Post
06-05-2025
- New York Post
Thousands of tourists overrun small town in ‘shocking' video: ‘Chaos, gridlock and hours of waiting'
They wanted to give these tourists 'the Boot.' Thousands of tourists inundated a picturesque Italian town this past weekend, creating a 'gridlock' that obstructed traffic and forced other sightseers to wait 'hours' to get in, as seen in dramatic footage circulating on X. The shocking scenes were recorded at Sirmione, a village of just over 8,000 residents that's situated on the scenic shores of Lake Garda. Advertisement The town has become a popular sightseeing destination due to its Roman ruins, thermal baths and Scaligero Castle, a majestic 13th-century fortification seemingly ripped straight out of a fairytale, the Times Of London reported. 4 Tourists to Sirmione had to wait for up to 40 minutes to enter the gates to the town center. @mamboitaliano__/X Unfortunately, this tranquil oasis turned into a mosh pit after a whopping 75,000 visitors descended on the waterfront hub over the May Day holiday weekend to visit the fortress, the Sun reported. Advertisement Alarming clips show throngs of travelers lining up at the gates and piling into Sirmione's narrow passageways like the start of the Superbowl. Residents' cars and electric buses reportedly became snarled in the foot traffic while visitors had to wait 40 minutes to enter through the gates to reach Sirmione's town center. Locals were understandably displeased by the deluge. Advertisement 'Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock, and hours of waiting,' said one on X recalling the chaotic spectacle. 'A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one.' 4 Tourists line up to visit the Scaligero Castle. @mamboitaliano__/X Another disillusioned poster lamented: 'Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence. Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion—disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more.' Marco Merlo, the president of the hotel and restaurant operators association, told the Times that he was 'very worried about public safety and the quality of life for tourists, residents and workers.' Advertisement 'We hope the council will involve us in finding effective and widely agreed strategies,' he declared. 4 'Overtourism is what happens when presence is confused with existence,' said one X poster while decrying the crowds. 'Fast, loud, empty. Like fast fashion—disposable and harmful. Travel less, mean more.' @emanuelebertoli/X 4 The Scaligero Castle in Sirmione. clemMTravel – Members of a local group, Siamo Sirmione ('We Are Sirmione') also decried the swamping of their beloved city, which has long been a hub for famous historical figures from Sigmund Freud to James Joyce. 'If this is the council's management model the risk is not just hardship for residents but a real and lasting harm for the tourism and image of Sirmione,' the group wrote. Roberto Salaorni, the official responsible for transport, said they didn't intend to mitigate the number of visitors entering the narrow bridge to access the castle, but admitted that the flow could've been managed better. 'This is the first thing to do, possibly installing a barrier at the entrance to the castle, which would enable us to manage exceptional situations such as we saw on Friday,' said the councilor. Advertisement However, he noted that he'd never 'seen so many people' visiting Sirmione or the neighboring lake towns. Indeed, Italy is one of many destinations in Europe that's been overrun by the global tournami. The situation has become so dire in Venice that local officials implemented policies to limit large tourist groups — but to little avail. They followed this measure up in April by imposing a fee on day-trippers who 'eat and flee,' a phrase officials use for tourists who pack their lunch, snap a selfie and depart without spending a dime.
NBC News
28-01-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Bill Gates says the end of his marriage to Melinda Gates is the mistake he regrets most
Billionaire Bill Gates is opening up about his life and named the end of his 27-year long marriage to Melinda French Gates as the biggest mistake in his life. The Microsoft mogul spoke to the Times Of London ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir, "Source Code." In the interview, Gates said his divorce was "the mistake I most regret." "There is a certain wonderfulness to spending your entire adult life with one person because of the memories and depth of things you have done and having kids together," Gates said. "When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously successful — that came during the time that we were together. So, she saw me through a lot." The couple announced in 2021 that they were separating, saying that their relationship was irretrievably broken. He told NBC News' "TODAY" show the following year that the divorce was "definitely a sad thing." "I have responsibility for causing a lot of pain to my family. It was a tough year," Gates said. "I feel good that all of us are moving forward now." He and French Gates initially continued to work together through The Gates Foundation, one of world's largest private philanthropic organizations. At the time of the divorce, the couple said they would run the organization for two years. If it became an issue, French Gates would resign her positions as co-chair and trustee after the conclusion of those two years. French Gates issued her resignation last year, a decision that Gates told the Times Of London "disappointed" him. But though the divorce was "miserable" for the both of them, it seems based on Gates' interview that they are in a good place. "Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren so there are family events," Gates said. "The kids are doing well. They have good values.' When asked by the Times of London if he had regrets other than the end of the marriage, Gates responded, "There are others, but none that matter."
