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A shop clerk in eastern China accidentally broke jade bangles valued at over one million yuan (US$140,000), yet the owner chose compassion over compensation, giving the young man a chance to learn from his mistake. The incident, which occurred in October at a jewellery shop in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, was captured on surveillance video. While moving a table, the clerk accidentally knocked over a box of jade bangles, resulting in a loud crash. (While moving a table, the clerk, above, accidentally knocked over a box of jade bangles, causing a loud crash. Photo: Douyin) He attempted to gather the pieces but squatted in frustration upon realising they were beyond repair.The shop owner,...

Man fakes his own funeral ‘to see who shows up and how much they care’ There is no better way to test how much people care about you than by staging your own death. At least, this is what former Indian Air Force veteran, Mohan Lal, did as a social experiment. The 74-year-old faked his own death and funeral in full traditional style in the village of Konchi, in the Gaya district. Covered with a white sheet, Mohan laid in a coffin – adorned with garlands made out of flowers – and was carried in a procession towards a crematorium, all just to find out how many people would attend and how much affection he would receive. Believing that the funeral was real and...

A new scientific study identified taurine, which is made naturally in the body and consumed through some foods, as a key regulator of myeloid cancers such as leukemia, according to a paper published in the journal Nature. The preclinical research shows that scientists are a step closer to finding new ways to target leukemia, which is one of the most aggressive blood cancers. The Wilmot Cancer Institute investigators at the University of Rochester were able to block the growth of leukemia in mouse models and in human leukemia cell samples by using genetic tools to prevent taurine from entering cancer cells. Led by Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD, the research team discovered that taurine is produced...

In Saskatchewan, Canada’s first free grocery store is set to open as a flourishing food bank continues to look for ways to support the community. Located at 1881 Broad St. in Regina, the Food Hub will be stocked like any old grocery store, and unlike similar projects that operate out of churches or community centers, it will feature a produce section, floor-to-ceiling display fridges, and be open all week. The Regina Food Bank believes that allowing people who rely on the food bank for food security to fill out a cart just like a normal grocery store gives back agency, and may actually help feed more people by reducing waste. (“None of us fit in a box, but that’s what...

A Moscow businessman tired of being stuck at home roaming the internet due to the coronavirus lockdown has temporarily switched to the low-paid but physically active job of delivering meals. Sergey Nochovnyy, 38, said he hasn't lost his own business and that he signed up with a major delivery company because he wanted to “look at life from another angle” and get outdoors amid the restrictions imposed on movement. Authorities in the Russian capital have ordered most Muscovites who don't work in vital industries to stay home in an effort to stymie the spread of the coronavirus. Only visits to nearby stores and pharmacies are allowed, and the lockdown has spurred demand for...

Background/objectives: Increased consumption of instant noodles has recently been reported to be positively associated with obesity and cardiometabolic syndrome in South Korea, which has the highest per capita instant noodle consumption worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the association between instant noodle consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors among college students in Seoul. Subjects/methods: The study subjects consisted of 3,397 college students (1,782 male; 1,615 female) aged 18-29 years who participated in a health checkup. Information on instant noodle consumption was obtained from the participants' answers to a question about their average frequency of instant...

Yoshinori Ohsumi, a Japanese cell biologist, has won the 2016 Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine for his work on "autophagy". Autophagy, which means "self-eating", is the process by which the body's cells destroy and recycle their own components. Cells are filled with smaller parts, called organelles, that perform specialised tasks – for instance, mitochondria are organelles that provide energy for the cell's actions. When these parts become damaged or useless, they are broken down into their component chemicals, and then reused. "It's a mechanism of self-regulation inside cells," Upulie Divisekera, a molecular biologist at Monash University in Australia, told BuzzFeed News....

Walking is often hailed as a cornerstone for physical health. Popular walking practices like 10k steps challenge or interval walking are celebrated to improve physical fitness. However, a slightly underhyped walking technique is now getting recognized by emerging studies for its ultimate benefits to the nervous system. Rooted in traditional practices, the Infinity walk is tracing the steps in a figure-8 pattern to help brain and balance. Take a closer look... Walking in figure-8 pattern: What is the Infinity walk Developed by clinical psychologist Deborah Sunbeck in the 1980s, the Infinity walk involves walking in a continuous figure-8 pattern, as if walking in an infinite loop. With...

Recent studies suggest gossiping can have positive effects, like reducing stress and strengthening social bonds, which may improve mental health and life quality. By sharing emotions, experiences, and opinions, people can create deeper connections, a stronger sense of belonging, and learn from others' experiences. Gossip can also help in adapting to social environments by providing information on others' behavior and intentions. How gossip can be beneficial:Strengthens social bonds: Gossiping allows people to share emotions and experiences, creating a sense of connection and belonging within a group. Reduces stress: Sharing feelings through conversation can help alleviate stress and...

Shoji Morimoto, 41, earns around $80,000 a year for “doing nothing,” according to a CNBC Make It report. Morimoto is known as the rental “do nothing” guy in Japan. His job is to loan himself out to strangers who seek company. The requests he gets range from waiting for a marathon runner at the finishing line, to being video-called while a bored client redecorates and cleans her room, according to the report. Once, a client who couldn't attend a concert with a friend, rented Morimoto to take her place. Morimoto will do anything like this, except sexual activities. Ironically, this comes after Morimoto was fired from his job in 2018 for lacking initiative and...