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Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
The core traits of INCELS: Scientists identify 12 key characteristics in disturbed, women-hating men
A new study has shed light on incels - and exactly why some men are more likely to become women-hating recluses. Researchers from Swansea University and the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 561 incels from the UK and the US. And their results revealed 12 key characteristics shared by this group. The surprising results show that the most important common factors are not right-wing ideology or ethnicity, but extremely poor mental health and a history of bullying. Incels, or involuntary celibates, are a group of men who believe they are unable to have sex or form relationships and are often extremely hostile to women as a result. Shows like Netflix 's Adolescence paint a picture of the stereotypical incel as y oung, white, right-wing, chronically online, and violent. However, this research suggests that incel ideology is attracting a far wider section of society than previously thought. Co-author Dr Joe Whittaker, a criminologist from Swansea University, says: 'While drama can be a useful tool for facilitating public debate, it is also important to have rigorous academic research to back it up.' Although the survey found that incels had a 'broad range of characteristics', some factors were more common. Dr Andrew Thomas, a psychologist at Swansea University, says: 'If we had to point to their most consistent characteristics, it would be incredibly poor mental health and their feelings of bitterness, frustration, and disdain towards women—though even these show variation within the sample.' The most important factor was that incels typically suffered from exceptionally poor mental health. More than a third of incels suffer from moderate depression or anxiety while 37 per cent said they had 'daily suicidal thoughts'. Co-author William Costello, a researcher in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, says: 'Incels are typically framed in terms of the threat they pose to others, but our findings suggest they may be just as dangerous, if not more so, to themselves.' However, this finding may also be concerning given that incel ideology has already been the inspiration for several mass shootings and murders. Studies have shown that over 70 per cent of all mass shooters were suicidal before or intended to die during their killing sprees. Incels' high rates of poor mental health came alongside high rates of loneliness and a history of bullying. Out of those surveyed, 86 per cent of incels reported having experienced bullying compared to just a third of the general population. Likewise, when asked to assess their loneliness, 48 per cent of incels selected the highest possible option. This could be a product of the fact that almost half of all incels live with their parents or grandparents while a further quarter live alone. In that isolation, the researchers point out that incel forums may become someone's only source of social contact or companionship Another extremely common factor is incels' extremely high rates of autism and neurodivergence. During the study, the researchers gave incels the 'Autism Spectrum Quotient-10' test, a screening tool used to see whether someone should be referred for a formal autism assessment. A third of all participants would have been referred for clinical assessment, compared to just one per cent of the general population. In terms of ideology, incels beliefs were often varied but centred on a few key principles. Just like in Adolescence, the majority of incels agreed with the so-called 80/20 principle - the belief that 80 per cent of women are attracted to 20 per cent of men. This principle is the cornerstone of incel 'black pill' ideology which states that incels should give up on relationships because they can never improve their dating prospects. Likewise, incels are unified in their belief that 'feminists', followed by 'the political left', 'wider society', and 'women', were the biggest threats to their community. However, incels are not all members of the far right as they are often made out to be. In fact, incels typically viewed themselves as 'centre-left' and shared left-wing views on issues such as homosexuality, corporate profits, and social benefits. In another break with the stereotype, incels are also a far more diverse group than many people believe. Only 58 per cent of incels taking the online survey said they were white while the remaining 42 per cent were from a variety of ethnicities. Likewise, incels were mainly middle-class but reported coming from all socioeconomic backgrounds and the majority were either employed or in full-time education. Dr Thomas says: 'Incels are often stereotyped in the media as young, white, right-wing men who are not in employment, education, or training. 'When we tested the accuracy of these stereotypes using primary data collection, we discovered misconceptions.' However, one of the study's most important findings was the identification of which two sub-groups of incels were more likely to develop harmful attitudes which could lead to violence. The first group are incels with psychological vulnerabilities such as autism spectrum disorder or a history of bullying and abuse who may be drawn to 'black pill' ideology by feelings of rejection. The second were those on the 'dispositional extremism trajectory' whose innate characteristics disposed them to misogynistic violence. These incels had high rates of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism as well as right-wing political views which lead to a greater risk of violence. The researchers hope these distinctions will help de-radicalisation and counter-extremism efforts target the right people with the right interventions. What is an Incel? 'Incel' stands for 'involuntary celibate' and is a term used by a certain group of men who blame their inability to form relationships and have sex on women. Incel groups have been accused of inciting violence and misogyny online and numerous communities and subreddits have been banned over their content. A cryptic Facebook message posted by Toronto suspect Alek Minassian just before the incident suggested he was part of an online community angry over their inability to form relationships with the opposite sex. The now-deleted post saluted Elliot Rodger, a community college student who killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks near the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2014. Calling Rodger 'the Supreme Gentleman', the Facebook post declared: 'The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys!' Chads and Stacys are names used in internet forums to denote people with more active sexual lives. The reference to the term 'incel', meaning involuntarily celibate, was a term used by Rodger in online posts raging at women for rejecting him romantically. The anti-women sentiment also recalled Canada's 1989 massacre at the Ecole Polytechnique, an engineering college in Montreal, when 25-year-old Marc Lepine entered a classroom. He then separated the men from the women, told the men to leave and opened fire, killing 14 women before killing himself.
Medscape
3 days ago
- General
- Medscape
HIV Patient's Nose Vanishes in Extreme Itch Disorder
A 35-year-old man presented to the hospital with diffuse oral pain. He reported the pain intensity on a 10-point scale and rated it as '9' on the maxillary right and an '8' on the mandibular left. His medical history included HIV infection and chronic misuse of unidentified drugs for pain relief. During the physical examination, the patient reported experiencing tactile hallucinations, often described as itching or the sensation of insects crawling, which caused him to constantly scratch his nose. The case reported by Michele White, DDS, an associate professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Texas Health Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, and colleagues described a rare case of excessive destruction of the nasal septum due to differentially diagnosed formication and physical effects of methamphetamine use. The Patient and His History The patient presented to the dental urgent care clinic with a chief complaint of generalised oral pain of 8 and 9 on a 10-point scale 3 weeks prior. The patient's medical history included an HIV infection diagnosed 10 years ago and treated with poor HIV medication compliance over the past 5 years, as well as a history of drug and pain medication abuse. The patient reported regularly taking more than 10 extra-strength paracetamol tablets and 10 ibuprofen tablets daily for pain relief. He also stated that he may have hepatitis B. The patient was unaware of his CD4 T-cell count and HIV medication. Other family, medication, allergy, social, drug, and travel histories did not provide any relevant information. Findings and Diagnosis On admission, the patient's vital signs were as follows: Blood pressure, 144/90 mm Hg; pulse rate, 74 beats/min; respiratory rate, 26 breaths/min; and temperature, 38.3 °C. A clinical oral examination confirmed several decayed teeth with severe caries and missing teeth. His skin was dry and discoloured. Further examination revealed a deviated nasal septum and formication lesions on both arms, face, and nose. The destruction, deviation, and loss of the outer end of the nasal septum appeared to be due to excessive scratching and differentially diagnosed delusions of parasitosis. Dental intervention was not possible because of the financial constraints. Furthermore, surgery was considered risky due to his unclear medical history. 'The dental urgent care clinic at our institution attends to persons with urgent dental needs. However, patients present with comorbid medical conditions that may affect the ability to safely receive dental care at that time and, consequently, require medical consultation,' the authors wrote. Because the patients are not patients of record, many of them are lost to follow-up, as this patient was. The treating dental providers chose not to proceed with treatment and opted for referral to the local county hospital, where the patient could be provided dental treatment with medical support. The patient was lost to follow-up. Discussion 'Many healthcare providers, including family physicians, general dentists, med-peds, ear nose and throat, emergency room physicians, and ophthalmologists, are well positioned to recognise and report orofacial perforations and other possible associated signs of cocaine and methamphetamine abuse such as cardiovascular effects. This is important to assist patients in making appropriate referrals that aim to optimise patients' healthcare. Goals should be to establish or support patients by seeing their medical or dental providers regularly, rather than through an urgent care clinic setting,' the authors concluded.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Scientists say that they have formulated a way to help people in stressful and demanding work environments track their brainwaves and brain usage — an electronic tattoo device, or "e-tattoo," on the person's face. In a study posted in the science journal Device, the team of researchers wrote that they found e-tattoos to be a more cost-effective and simpler way to track one's mental workload. Dr. Nanshu Lu, the senior author of the research from the University of Texas at Austin, wrote that mental workload is a critical factor in human-in-the-loop systems, directly influencing cognitive performance and decision-making. Lu told Fox News Digital in an email that this device was motivated by high-demand, high-stake jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors and emergency dispatchers. Teen Goes From 10 Nightly Seizures To Zero With Brain Implant Lu also said ER doctors and robot/drone operators can also leverage this technology for training and performance enhancements. Read On The Fox News App One of the goals of this study was to find a way to measure cognitive fatigue in high leverage and mentally straining careers. The e-tattoo is temporarily attached to the subject's forehead, and is smaller than current devices in use today. According to the study, the device works by using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) to measure both brain waves and eye movements. 8 Sleep Trackers To Help You Get A Better Night's Rest While most EEG and EOG machines are bulky and expensive, the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution. Lu wrote that in this study, "we propose a wireless forehead EEG and EOG sensor designed to be as thin and conformable to the skin as a temporary tattoo sticker, which is referred to as a forehead e-tattoo." Lu also added that "human mental workload is a crucial factor in the fields of human-machine interaction and ergonomics due to its direct impact on human cognitive performance." The way the study was conducted was with six participants being shown a screen on which 20 letters flashed up, one at a time, at various locations. Participants were asked to click a mouse if either the letter itself, or its location, matched one shown a given number of letters. Each participant carried out the task multiple times, corresponding to four levels of difficulty. The team found that as the tasks became harder, the different types of brainwaves detected showed shifts in activity that corresponded to a higher mental workload response. The device consists of a battery pack and reusable chips with a disposable sensor. Lu said that the device is currently a lab prototype. "Before it can be ready for commercialization, it will need more development, such as real-time, on-tattoo mental workload decoding and validation on more people and in more realistic environments," she said. "The prototype currently costs $200."Original article source: Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Doctors pinpoint the exact amount of time you should spend on the toilet - break this limit and risk painful health problems
Spending 'too long' sitting on the toilet could be putting people at risk of painful and potentially serious health problems, doctors have warned. While lingering in the bathroom might seem harmless—especially in the age of smartphones and endless scrolling—medical experts warn that more than ten minutes on the loo can trigger a host of health problems. These include haemorrhoids, also known as piles, a weakened pelvic floor—triggering continence issues—and, in extreme cases, lead to a painful condition called rectal prolapse. Haemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in the back passage that can cause itching, discomfort, bleeding, and a persistent feeling of needing to pass stool. Though often dismissed as minor or embarrassing, haemorrhoids are extremely common—affecting an estimated one in three adults in the UK at some point. And doctors say the increase in prolonged toilet sitting, often coupled with mobile phone use, is quietly contributing to a rise in cases. Dr Lai Xue, a colorectal surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said that toilet habits are a key issue when treating patients who present with haemorrhoid symptoms. 'One of the main areas we have to delve into is spending a lot of time on the toilet,' he said in an interview with CNN. 'Nowadays, we're seeing an increase in people passing more time on the toilet, and that is unhealthy for the anorectal organs and the pelvic floor.' According to Dr Xue and others, the act of sitting in a downward-facing posture on the toilet for extended periods places unnecessary pressure on the veins and tissues of the lower rectum. Over time, this can lead to the swelling and inflammation that characterise haemorrhoids. In some cases, the pressure may also contribute to the weakening of muscles that support the rectum and anus, setting the stage for more serious complications. One of these is rectal prolapse, a condition in which the rectum becomes stretched and begins to protrude from the anus. While less common, rectal prolapse is far more serious and often requires surgical intervention. Dr Farah Monzur, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, said the problem can occur gradually in people who regularly spend too long on the toilet and who strain when trying to pass a bowel movement. She said that many people underestimate the effect of toilet posture on long-term bowel health. Sitting in the same position for an extended period while distracted—usually by a phone—can encourage people to push harder or for longer than they otherwise would. This, in turn, puts repeated pressure on the anal and pelvic tissues, causing them to stretch, weaken and eventually fail. Although there is no universally agreed 'safe' length of time to spend on the toilet, most gastroenterologists agree that if a bowel movement doesn't happen within five to ten minutes, it's best to get up, move around and try again later. Going for a short walk or gently moving the body can help stimulate bowel motility more naturally, without the need to strain. Dietary habits also play a role. Low-fibre diets, dehydration and a sedentary lifestyle can all contribute to constipation and harder stools, which increase the likelihood of straining. Doctors recommend eating more fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, as well as drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Physical activity, even just light daily movement, can also improve digestion and reduce the chances of constipation. As for technology, both Dr Xue and Dr Monzur agree that keeping phones and reading material out of the bathroom may be one of the simplest and most effective ways to change toilet habits. Dr Monzur said that going to the toilet should be treated as a functional event rather than an opportunity to catch up on emails or social media. 'You don't want to go with the mindset that you'll be there for a long time,' she explained. 'Because then you'll want to bring something to keep your mind occupied, and that's what encourages this extended sitting. 'Make sitting on the toilet as uninteresting as possible.' The NHS lists a number of symptoms that may indicate haemorrhoids, including bleeding after passing stool, mucus discharge, persistent discomfort, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation. In more severe cases, sufferers may notice a lump in or around the anus, which may be tender or cause pain. Rectal prolapse, meanwhile, is often accompanied by a visible bulge from the anus, difficulty controlling bowel movements, and sensations of pressure or fullness in the rectum. While most cases of haemorrhoids can be managed with lifestyle changes, over-the-counter treatments or minor procedures, rectal prolapse typically requires more intensive medical intervention. In both cases, prevention is far preferable to cure. Doctors hope that greater awareness of toilet habits—and how modern lifestyles may be unintentionally worsening them—will encourage people to think twice before settling in for a long scroll in the bathroom.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
E-tattoo could help you work harder – or slow down if you're too stressed
An electronic 'tattoo' that can track when your brain is working too hard – or not hard enough- has been developed by researchers. The wearable tech is a non-permanent wireless forehead e-tattoo that can decode brainwaves and measure mental strain. Researchers hope this technology will be able to track the mental workload of truck drivers and traffic controllers, whose lapses in focus can have serious consequences. Humans have an 'optimal mental workload' which differs from person to person, said Nanshu Lu, the study's author, from the University of Texas at Austin. "Technology is developing faster than human evolution. Our brain capacity cannot keep up and can easily get overloaded," he said. However, there is a mental sweet spot where humans are neither overwhelmed nor bored and finding a balance is key to optimal performance. This e-tattoo analyses brain activity and eye movement in processes known as electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG). But unlike other bulky EEG caps, which monitor brain activity, this e-tattoo is wireless and paper thin and just has a small battery pack. In a study published in the Cell Press journal Device, the e-tattoo was tested on six participants who completed a memory test that increased in difficulty. As the participant's mental load rose they showed higher activity in theta and delta brainwaves, signalling increased cognitive demand, while alpha and beta activity decreased, indicating mental fatigue – showing the device can reveal when the brain is struggling. Currently the best way of measuring mental workload is the Nasa Task Load Index. This questionnaire is used by workers, such as astronauts after completing a task. But the e-tattoo can deliver continuous real-time data. It's also cheaper than current devices. Researchers say EEG equipment can exceed $15,000, while the e-tattoo's chips and battery pack costs $200, and disposable sensors are about $20 each. 'Being low cost makes the device accessible,' said author Luis Sentis from UT Austin. 'One of my wishes is to turn the e-tattoo into a product we can wear at home.' But currently the e-tattoo only works on hairless skin and researchers are working to make sensors that work on hair. This will allow for full head coverage and more comprehensive brain monitoring, study authors said. As robots and new technology increasingly enter workplaces and homes, the team hopes this technology will enhance understanding of human-machine interaction. 'We've long monitored workers' physical health, tracking injuries and muscle strain,' said Sentis. 'Now we have the ability to monitor mental strain, which hasn't been tracked. This could fundamentally change how organisations ensure the overall well-being of their workforce.'
