Weird News

Phone use makes you get older faster

Staring at your phone accelerates the ageing process.

Experts have warned that constantly looking down at devices puts strain on the neck and can lead to the early appearance of lines in the skin. Meanwhile, the 'blue light' emitted from the screens causes premature facial ageing because it generates molecules that damage skin cells.

The skincare company LYMA has discovered that online searches on both issues had risen by 130 per cent.

The firm's founder, Lucy Goff, said: "We're all constantly connected, so it's no surprise we are seeing the signs.

"While you may be familiar with 'tech neck', which relates to chronic neck or shoulder pain, digital wrinkles are the visible cost."

It has also been predicted by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons that face and neck surgery will be among the most common treatments this year.

Binge drinking no good for the heat

Binge drinking increases the risk of irregular heart rhythms.

A team of experts at Ohio State University found that binge drinking-related arrhythmias are connected to a raised risk of the stress-induced protein JNK2. This causes cells to mishandle calcium and results in the heart beating irregularly or too quickly.

The most common type of irregular heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, has even been branded 'holiday heart syndrome' by doctors, as it is caused by lengthy boozing sessions during the summer.

Dr Saugat Khanal, a scholar at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, said: "Around the holidays, opportunities for celebration - often accompanied by heavy drinking - occur during a brief period of time.

"Unfortunately, this sometimes sends revellers, even those with no previous heart condition, to the hospital with a racing or abnormally beating heart.

"The link between repeated binge drinking and arrhythmia at times of celebration is so well known that medical professionals call it holiday heart syndrome, which is caused by repeated binge drinking over the holidays."

Future of human sex tied to robots

Alien avatars and robots will play a key role in the sex lives of future humans.

A new study has suggested that people will become increasingly reliant on technology for excitement between the sheets over the next 50 years.

A spokesperson for the sex toy brand Lelo, which conducted the research, said: "Realistic elves and aliens will replace firemen and nurses.

"As the tech evolves and becomes more accessible, it seems inevitable that more people will have sexual experiences with robots."

The researchers have also predicted that humans are likely to embrace more lovers - with less commitment - in the coming decades.

The company said: "Sex is good for us and the more we come to understand that, the more 'friends with benefits' might be a much more normal arrangement.

"We'll have more partners, but not when we used to: teenagers might be abstaining, but we'll be more promiscuous in our 30s and beyond.

"We're more likely to have more partners later in life as we grow in confidence and personal development."

Artistes' music speed slows as they age

The average speed of an artiste's music decreases as they get older.

Geoff Luck, an expert from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, has analysed more than 14,000 songs on Spotify from artistes whose careers have spanned at least 20 years, including Pearl Jam, Cyndi Lauper and Dolly Parton. He found that the average tempo of their tunes declined by about two beats per minute for each decade aged.

Luck suggests that the "unconscious" drop in speed reflects how the body and mind reduce in terms of pace as people age.

He said: "I would suspect it's something happening for most artistes unconsciously.

"We know that as we age, we tend to slow down. Cognitively, but also physically. In particular, our motor competence degrades as we age. So we can't move as fast or as accurately."