And other stories from the stranger side of life
Sniffing other people’s sweat may be able to help treat social anxiety, according to a new study. Researchers took armpit perspiration from volunteers who watched either happy or scary film clips. The sweaty samples were then used alongside more traditional mindfulness therapy to treat social anxiety. The study found that mindfulness was more effective when combined with sniffing the body odour. Lead researcher Elisa Vigna, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said the team was “a little surprised”, reported Sky News.
Penis festival livid with costume
The organisers of a penis festival in Japan are “throbbing with anger” over an unofficial giant member mascot that has been mistaken for a genuine one, said Metro. The annual Kanamara Mitsuri, also known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, is held in Kawasaki near Tokyo. However, said the paper, one regular attendee has been “drawing the wrong sort of attention” for their costume, which “could politely be described as ‘excessively detailed”’. Organisers said they “do not officially recognise” the mascot.
Study predicts longer lifespans
A man born in Britain in 1970 may live past the age of 140, a study has forecast. Dr David McCarthy, from the University of Georgia, created a model that projects how the maximum human lifespan will extend in the future. He said it is likely there is one person born in Britain in the 1940s who will live beyond the 122 years of age. Human lifespan has been increasing over recent decades and is expected to “swell again” following a setback caused by the Covid pandemic, said The Telegraph.
For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter.
