Weird science
The 28th Annual Ignoble Awards for scientific research that makes us laugh, and then makes us think, have been announced. This year's winning research told us how to give ourselves a colonoscopy, how many calories cannibals consume (significantly lower apparently), how riding a roller coaster can help with kidney stones, and whether it is effective for employees to use Voodoo dolls to retaliate against abusive bosses. Other notable investigations included documenting that most people who use complicated products do not read the instruction manual, the degree to which human saliva is a good cleaning agent for dirty surfaces (aka a child's grubby face) and the effects of shouting and cursing while driving a car. (Via The Annals of Improbable Research)
Fortnite all it takes to destroy marriage
The cause of marital discontent may be shifting in 2018, as the viral online video game Fortnite sweeps the globe. According to a new report from Divorce Online, a UK site offering information and services to people who are uncoupling, 200 divorce petitions filed in the UK since the start of this year cited Fortnite as a reason for the separation. "These numbers equate to roughly 5 per cent of the 4665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator," said a Divorce Online spokesperson in the report. (Via quartz.com)
