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Pierce Brosnan apologises after pleading guilty to Yellowstone offence

<p>While we've seen Pierce Brosnan tackle villainous masterminds and save the world countless times on screen, it seems he couldn't resist the allure of real-life adventure, landing himself in some hot water – quite literally.</p> <p>Brosnan, the incredibly suave actor who portrayed James Bond for a span of 10 years from 1994-2004, found himself in a rather sticky situation. No, he wasn't dodging bullets or defusing bombs; instead, he was caught red-handed... or rather, red-footed, for wandering off the beaten path in Yellowstone National Park.</p> <p>It appears that even the smoothest of spies can't resist the call of forbidden territory. Brosnan, on a casual visit to the park, decided to channel his inner explorer and took a detour into a thermal area, perhaps hoping to uncover the secret lair of a Bond villain hidden beneath the bubbling hot springs. Alas, all he found was trouble with the law.</p> <p>Despite his valiant efforts to evade capture, Brosnan was caught and fined $US500 – a small price to pay for a taste of real-life espionage. He was also ordered to make a donation to Yellowstone Forever, proving that even 007 isn't above the law of charitable contributions.</p> <p>In a move straight out of the Bond playbook, Brosnan took to social media to issue a public apology, demonstrating a level of humility rarely seen in secret agents. His heartfelt message, complete with the obligatory hashtag #StayOnThePath, garnered praise from fans around the globe, who were quick to forgive their silver-screen idol.</p> <p>"As an environmentalist I have the utmost respect for and love of our natural world," he wrote. "However, I made an impulsive mistake - one that I do not take lightly - when entering a thermal area covered in snow in Yellowstone National Park to take a photograph. I did not see a 'No Trespassing' sign posted that warned of danger nor did I hike in the immediate area. I deeply regret my transgression and offer my heartfelt apologies to all for trespassing in this sensitive area. Yellowstone and all our National Parks are to be cared for and preserved for all to enjoy. #StayOnThePath"</p> <p>The response from fans was immediate and overwhelming. "On behalf of America, I forgive you. Also, you were terrific as James Bond. Please reprise the role," wrote one respondent. </p> <p>"Integrity and sincerity always win….so does owning our mistakes. Many world leaders would do well to take a leaf from your book. Respect. 💛" wrote another.</p> <p>Yet, amidst the sea of supportive comments, one fan's suggestion stood out: a personal visit from Brosnan himself, to console those who have swooned over him since his Remington Steele days.</p> <p>"I think you should visit personally all the women who have been in love with you since they first saw you in Remington Steele… our husbands wouldn’t mind a visit and we would love to meet your beautiful wife as well… I think that would more than make up for your slight indiscretion! 😉"</p> <p>It seems Brosnan's charm knows no bounds, even extending to placating aggrieved spouses with the promise of a celebrity encounter.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4gjI90vK94/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4gjI90vK94/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Pierce Brosnan (@piercebrosnanofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While Brosnan may have momentarily traded in his tuxedo for hiking boots, his legacy as one of Hollywood's most beloved leading men remains untarnished. From thwarting international criminals to navigating the perilous terrain of America's national parks, Brosnan proves that true adventure knows no limits – just remember to heed the warning signs and stay on the path.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

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Mother bans in-laws from seeing her baby after they go against her wishes

<p dir="ltr">A woman has banned her in-laws from seeing her newborn daughter after they “betrayed her trust” and directly went against her wishes. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new mum shared the story to Reddit, as she explained why she was cutting contact with her husband’s parents after they pierced her child’s ears without their knowledge or consent. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My husband is from a culture where it's not uncommon to pierce baby girls' ears and his mother started pestering me about getting my daughter's ears pierced a few days after she was born,” the 32-year-old mum began. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I made it clear that I would not be doing that, and that I'd be waiting until she's old enough to ask for it herself. We live in my country where piercing a baby's ears isn't common at all.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The new mum's world soon came crashing down after the baby spent a weekend with her grandparents, before she went back to her parents red in the face and screaming. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My mother-in-law was looking after her over the weekend and decided to pierce her ears without my knowledge or consent.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I saw this I threw a fit. My baby was crying in pain, and I actually took her to the doctor to get their advice on whether or not to take them out.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The doctor advised the parent to take the earrings out as they were irritating the baby, but the issue didn’t end there. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I decided at that moment that my mother-in-law and everyone else on that side of the family (except for my sister-in-law, who's on my side about this) is going to have no alone contact with my daughter ever again - or at least until she's a teenager.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“My worry is that she'll do the same thing again, and to be frank, she's lost my trust entirely. I told her that if she had a problem with that, I'd report what she did to the police.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The husband of the baby girl reluctantly sided with his wife over the issue, despite saying it wasn’t a big deal and suggesting everyone move on from the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">The story prompted a mixed response online, with some people saying the woman was overreacting and should work towards rebuilding trust with her in-laws.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others, however, had the opposite opinion, with one person saying, “Forget rebuilding trust, I'd be having them charged with assault.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another person said, “They mutilated a child and they knew it was against the parents wishes. These people have serious problems. Not that I'd press charges, but getting holes poked in someone else's kid is a huge thing.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Is your dizziness caused by ear problems?

<p>There are many causes to dizziness such as low blood pressure or dehydration, but did you know ear problems are also one of them? This occurs because the balance organ is actually located in part of the inner ear, although our sense of balance actually comes from the coordination of the balance organ, the visual system and the muscles in the body. If you’ve experienced a spinning sensation coupled with decreased hearing or ringing in the ears, your dizziness might be caused by an ear disorder. You should see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.</p> <p>The most common ear-related causes of dizziness include:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo –</strong> This is a common inner-ear disorder among older people, where crystals normally located in the inner ear become dislodged. As your head moves, the crystals move causing dizziness.</li> <li><strong>Labyrinthitis –</strong> An ear disorder that involves inflammation of the middle ear. It generally occurs after a viral infection.</li> <li><strong>Meniere's disease –</strong> This is an inner ear disorder that causes severe hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.</li> <li><strong>Acoustic neuroma –</strong> It is a non-cancerous tumour of the ear that causes ringing in the ears, hearing loss and balance problems.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Tourist cops earful from member of Queen’s Guard

<p dir="ltr">A tourist has learned the hard way to not interfere with the Queen’s guards, after she copped an earful from a guard for grabbing his horse’s reins.</p> <p dir="ltr">During a recent trip to London, the woman went to pose for a photo next to the guard and his horse when her hand went to reach towards the animal, drawing the guard’s attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she then touched the reins, he reacted by yelling with authority from atop his horse.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stand back from the Queen’s lifeguard, don’t touch the reins!” he yells.</p> <p dir="ltr">A clip of the incident was shared by the woman’s step-son Ethan on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@phigs_/video/7116598758816763141?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7112642336690570754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, with the caption, “We will never return to London after this incident” and text across the footage reading, “Queens Guard Verbally Attacks My Step mum [sic]”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6005c55-7fff-02e7-69ff-48d842020c82"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Though Ethan commented the guard as a “rather angry little man”, a large number of commenters sided with the guard, arguing that he has an important job to do and that working animals like his horse shouldn’t be touched while on duty.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/queen-guard-horse.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not Disney they are working horses and serving army,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Serves her right, you aren’t allowed to touch the guard,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have a job, just don’t go near them,” a third added.</p> <p dir="ltr">British followers were particularly quick to defend his actions and respond to their decision not to return to London.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The whole of London is so upset that you won’t be returning we’re all begging you to come back,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Every British person I know knows you don’t touch them, or is she one of them ones that would put her hand in the blender,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">As some commenters pointed out, the horse’s reins are connected to the animal’s mouth - which is quite sensitive - and tugging on the reins could spook the animal, causing it to bite her or unseat the guard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others compared interfering with or touching the guard and his horse to doing the same to a guide dog, while <em><a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queens-guard-member-yells-at-tourist-for-touching-horse-reins-tiktok/98f85c75-54a9-4b5e-a9a7-146c4a6699a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a></em> royal reporter Natalie Oliveri explained that as a rule, you shouldn’t touch animals that are on-duty.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Also, as a general rule tourists should be respectful of any member of Her Majesty's guard while they are on duty – they are there for an important reason and no one should try to interfere with that,” Oliveri said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She explained that it’s also best not to speak to members of the Queen’s Guard while they’re on duty, and that you shouldn’t expect a response from them.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If you would like a photo, perhaps it's best to stand at a respectable distance and never interfere with their job,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f70ace45-7fff-42a5-8c43-e349bd54bbfc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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The real reason you want your ears to pop on a plane

<p dir="ltr">An airline pilot has revealed one of the most common questions she gets asked and it has to do with ear popping. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is a commonly known fact that there is nothing more annoying than having to deal with painful ears on a flight. Blocked ears occur when the plane takes off or starts to descend as the air pressure changes rapidly.</p> <p dir="ltr">It may not be as bad for some but others will find their Eustachian tube – the narrow passage connected to the middle ear - often can’t react fast enough, which causes the symptoms of aeroplane ear. </p> <p dir="ltr">US-based Boeing 737 co-pilot Morgan, who is known for her flight-related content on TikTok, shared a clip explaining why you want your ears to pop on a plane. *embed tweet</p> <p dir="ltr">“Trust me when I say you want your ears to pop,” she began the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">The aviation TikTok star who has over 12 million likes on her videos, said if the pressure is building up and you’re getting one big painful pop, there are a couple of things you can do to pop your ears a little bit sooner.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@almostcaptainmorgan/video/7111430582608989482" data-video-id="7111430582608989482"> <section><a title="@almostcaptainmorgan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@almostcaptainmorgan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@almostcaptainmorgan</a> Reply to @ladyhawkuk Tips and tricks from an airline pilot if your ears pop when you fly! <a title="airlinepilot" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/airlinepilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#airlinepilot</a> <a title="traveltiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/traveltiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#traveltiktok</a> <a title="flyingtips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flyingtips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#flyingtips</a> <a title="traveltips" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/traveltips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#traveltips</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Morgan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7111430549822294830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Morgan</a></section> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Yawning, talking, eating, chewing gum, swallowing, really anything that’s going to move your jaw is going to help activate your Eustachian tube and pop your ears,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If none of those work, you can do something called a Valsalva manoeuvre, which is where you pinch your nose and blow.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She said don’t blow harder if your ears don’t clear as “this can lead to bigger issues”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0683e841-7fff-ce3f-3c0f-3ea7a02e8418"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Morgan shares if you’re ever in a situation where the pressure is really building up and your ears just aren’t popping, “always travel with some Afrin nasal spray”. The alternative in Australia is Drixine, although she wants passengers to use it sparingly and only as a last resort.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Why you should never sleep on planes

<p dir="ltr">It’s almost inevitable that we have all fallen asleep on planes no matter how long or short the trip is.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the thing is, it’s quite normal to do so even if it’s a mid-afternoon flight.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, British pharmacist Angela Chalmers has come forward to say that we should not be sleeping on flights due to the damage it could do to our ears from the altitude.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This leads to a vacuum in the Eustachian tubes which makes the ears feel blocked and sound dull," Angela said.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you must sleep though, Angela says to "try not to sleep during takeoff and descent as you will not be swallowing as frequently and this can lead to blocked ears."</p> <p dir="ltr">Angela explained that if the ears stay blocked for too long it could cause a series of health issues including dizziness, infections, eardrum damage, nosebleeds and hearing loss. </p> <p dir="ltr">It’s highly recommended to immediately unblock your ears by taking a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Duchess of Cambridge wears $3.80 earrings for her first royal engagement of the year

<p><em>Image: 9Honey </em></p> <p>The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out showcasing her signature mix of high and low end fashion in a chic return to work for the new year.</p> <p>Kate Middleton visited The Foundling Museum in London on Wednesday wearing a teal blue coat over the top of an all-navy ensemble. </p> <p>But her standout accessory was the royal's $3.80 gold earrings from UK store Accessorize.</p> <p>The mini hammered doorknocker hoop earrings from the high street chain (similar to Lovisa) were originally £7 ($13.20) but were in the recent sale, dropping in price to £2.10 ($3.80) — needless to say, they're now sold out.</p> <p>The only other jewels that Kate could be seen wearing was her heirloom sapphire and diamond engagement ring, which previously belonged to Princess Diana, and her wedding band.</p> <p>The Duchess, who celebrated her 40th birthday earlier this month, wasn't just cost-efficient in her jewellery department. Even the tailored blue coat has been seen before, with the Duchess last wearing it in January 2020, during a visit to LEYF Stockwell Gardens Nursery &amp; Pre-School in London.</p> <p>The Duchess also sported a turtle neck knit and navy suede heels, both of which are understood to be items worn to previous engagements and events.</p> <p>Kate's return to work for the new year wouldn't be complete without her signature bouncy blowdry, which bobbed as the royal arrived at The Foundling Museum with husband Prince William.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Pierce Brosnan film to debut after eight-year delay

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pierce Brosnan’s latest role sees him portray King Louis XIV in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The King’s Daughter</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but its January release comes after an unusually long delay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film, based on Vonda N. McIntyre’s 1997 novel </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Moon and The Sun</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, follows King Louis XIV’s journey for immortality. His quest seemingly ends when he captures a mermaid with the intention of stealing her life force to fuel his immortality. However, the plot thickens when he discovers his illegitimate daughter, Marie-Josèphe, has become close with the mythical creature.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OdCNs2pkNLk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Starring alongside Brosnan is Kaya Scodelario (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Maze Runner</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) as Marie-Josèphe, Fan Bingbing (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">X-Men: Days of Future Past</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) as the Mermaid, and Julie Andrews as the film’s Narrator, as well as William Hurt, Benjamin Walker and Rachel Griffiths.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although a trailer for the film was released in December 2021, no-one had heard of the film at the time, with </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://screenrant.com/kings-daughter-pierce-brosnan-movie-8-year-delay-release/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ScreenRant</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reporting that the film was actually completed in 2014.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With an initial release date set for the following year, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The King’s Daughter</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was cancelled just weeks before its premiere due to issues with the film’s water-based visual effects with no future release date set. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After responsibility for the film’s distribution was passed around multiple times, independent film company Gravitas Ventures eventually secured the rights and will now release it on January 21, 2022.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846767/brosnan2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f96782bb92b94b66a203ff15ec356131" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pierce Brosnan stars as a French king in the film, which will finally be released after eight long years of delays. Image: Thekingsdaughter.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film’s lengthy delay comes as the film industry continues to grapple with the impact of COVID-19, which has seen delays affect big titles such as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">John Wick 4 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and Marvel’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morbius</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> among others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though delays are often a bad sign for films, Paul Currie, a producer for </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://thekingsdaughtermovie.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The King’s Daughter</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, has said he is confident in the film and claims it will be “somewhere between <em>Twilight</em> and <em>Alice in Wonderland</em>”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Expectations may also be running high due to the popularity of the source material, with the critically acclaimed </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">T<em>he Moon and The Sun</em></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> even beating </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Game of Thrones</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997. But, it’s debut is sure to spark plenty of scrutiny too, as is common with book adaptations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whatever the outcome, the long-overdue release of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The King’s Daughter</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will prove to be a victory in itself, all while showing that pandemic-related delays are nothing to be complained about.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Thekingsdaughter.com</span></em></p>

Movies

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How do pigeons find their way home? We looked in their ears with a diamond-based quantum microscope to find out

<p>Homing pigeons are known for their uncanny ability to find their way home – navigating complex and changing landscapes. In fact, they do this so well they were used as a source of secure communication more than 2,000 years ago.</p> <p>Julius Caesar <a href="https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2017/11/not-just-birds">reportedly sent</a> news of his conquest of Gaul back to Rome via pigeons, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/255b75e0-c77d-11e2-be27-00144feab7de">as did Napoleon Bonaparte</a> following his defeat by England in the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.</p> <p>We know pigeons use visual cues and can navigate based on landmarks along known travel routes. We also know they have a magnetic sense called “magnetoreception” which lets them navigate using Earth’s magnetic field.</p> <p>But we don’t know exactly <em>how</em> they (and other species) do this. In <a href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2112749118">research</a> published today in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, my colleagues and I tested a theory that attempts to link magnetoreception in homing pigeons with tiny lumps of iron-rich material found in their inner ears.</p> <p>By using a new kind of magnetic microscope, we confirmed this isn’t the case. But the technology has opened the door for us to investigate the phenomenon in several other species.</p> <h2>The current hypotheses</h2> <p>Scientists have spent decades exploring the possible mechanisms for magnetoreception. There are currently two mainstream theories.</p> <p>The first is a vision-based “free-radical pair” model. Homing pigeons and other migratory birds have proteins in the retina of their eyes called “cryptochromes”. These produce an electrical signal that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03618-9">varies depending on the strength</a> of the local magnetic field.</p> <p>This could potentially allow the birds to “see” Earth’s magnetic field, although scientists have yet to confirm this theory.</p> <p>The second proposal for how homing pigeons navigate is based on lumps of magnetic material inside them, which may provide them with a magnetic particle-based directional compass.</p> <p>We know magnetic particles are found in nature, in a group of bacteria called <a href="https://theconversation.com/magnetic-bacteria-and-their-unique-superpower-attract-researchers-100720">magnetotactic bacteria</a>. These bacteria produce magnetic particles and orient themselves along the Earth’s magnetic field lines.</p> <p>Scientists are now looking for magnetic particles in a range of species. Potential candidates <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00114-007-0236-0">were found</a> in the upper beak of homing pigeons more than a decade ago, but <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11046">subsequent work</a> indicated these particles were related to iron storage and not magnetic sensing.</p> <h2>A peek inside a pigeon’s ear</h2> <p>The new search is now underway in the inner ear of pigeons, where iron particles known as “cuticulosomes” <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213004338">were first identified</a> in 2013.</p> <p>Single cuticulosomes have been located within distinct regions in the pigeon inner ear where other known sensory systems exist (such as for hearing and balancing during flight). In theory, if there were a magnetic sensing system in pigeons, it should be located close to other sensory systems.</p> <p>But to determine whether iron cuticulosomes can act as magnetoreceptors in pigeons, scientists need to determine their magnetic properties. This is no mean feat, since cuticulosomes are 1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand.</p> <p>What’s more is they are only found in 30% of the hair cells within the inner ear, making them difficult to identify and characterise.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431870/original/file-20211115-6434-uzv76r.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431870/original/file-20211115-6434-uzv76r.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Diagram showing a homing pigeon's inner ear, with labels for hair cells and magnetic particles." /></a> <span class="caption">We conducted quantum magnetic imaging of iron-organelles in the pigeon inner ear.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Robert W de Gille</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></p> <p>To tackle this problem our group at the University of Melbourne, together with colleagues from Vienna’s Institute of Molecular Pathology and the Max Planck Society in Bonn, turned to a new imaging technology to explore the magnetic properties of iron cuticulosomes in the pigeon inner ear.</p> <p>We developed a magnetic microscope that uses diamond-based sensors to visualise delicate magnetic fields emanating from tiny magnetic particles.</p> <h2>Disproving the theory</h2> <p>We carefully studied thin sections of the pigeon inner ear placed directly onto the diamond sensors. By applying magnetic fields of varying strengths to the tissue, we were able to gauge the magnetic susceptibility of single cuticulosomes.</p> <p>Our results showed the magnetic properties of the cuticulosomes were not strong enough for them to act as a magnetic particle-based magnetoreceptor. In fact, the particles would need to be 100,000 times stronger to activate the sensory pathways required for magnetoreception in pigeons.</p> <p>However, despite the search for the elusive magnetoreceptor coming up short, we are extremely excited by the potential of this magnetic microscope technology.</p> <p>We hope to use it study a host of magnetic candidates across a variety of species including rodents, fish and turtles. And by doing so we can focus not only on cuticulosomes, but a range of other potentially magnetic particles.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171738/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-simpson-1289933">David Simpson</a>, School of Physics, Senior Lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-we-looked-in-their-ears-with-a-diamond-based-quantum-microscope-to-find-out-171738">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Thank God for you”: Pierce Brosnan’s heartfelt post to wife of 19 years

<p><span>Pierce Brosnan has doted on his beloved wife of 19 years, Keely Shaye Smith, as she celebrated turning 57 on Friday.</span><br /><br /><span>The 67-year-old James Bond star took to his Instagram account to deliver a sweet message to his love, revealing the presents she was gifted her with on her special day.</span><br /><br /><span>He posted a snap of himself and Keely beaming as she held onto a glass of fizz and wrote: "Happy birthday Keely my darling, thank God for you angel heart."</span><br /><br /><span>The star added that he presented her with some artwork he created himself.</span><br /><br /><span>“A few paintings on this day, with ever my love. 'Spring' still in the works! ... 'My Old Chair'."</span><br /><br /><span>The Hollwood actor also uploaded snaps of his quirky paintings.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlWqv6ggHD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlWqv6ggHD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Happy birthday Keely my darling, thank God for you angel heart. A few paintings on this day, with ever my love. “Spring” still in the works! ... “My Old Chair”</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/piercebrosnanofficial/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Pierce Brosnan</a> (@piercebrosnanofficial) on Sep 25, 2020 at 7:52pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Keely showed her gratitude at the sweet post by taking to the comments to leave kissing lip emojis.</span><br /><br /><span>The loved-up pair first met on a beach in Mexico in 1994 and went on to marry at Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo, Ireland in 2001.</span><br /><br /><span>Their wonderful romance heated up just before Pierce made his Bond debut in 1995 hit film Goldeneye.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair have two children together, Dylan and Paris, while Brosnan previously had three children from his marriage, his first wife, Cassandra Harris, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1991.</span><br /><br /><span>Brosnan has three biological sons, including Sean Brosnan, 36, from his marriage to Cassandra.</span><br /><br /><span>The generous actor also adopted Cassandra's children from her first marriage, Charlotte Brosnan and Christopher Brosnan.</span><br /><br /><span>Both Charlotte and Christopher went on to take Pierce's name following the death of their biological father and Cassandra's second husband, Dermot Harris.</span><br /><br /><span>Sadly, Charlotte passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 42 in 2013, the same illness that had taken her mother's and maternal grandmother's life.</span></p>

Relationships

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Pierce Brosnan pays tribute to death of daughter in heartfelt post

<p><span>Pierce Brosnan has shared a tribute to his late daughter Charlotte Brosnan on Instagram to mark the seventh anniversary since her death.</span><br /><br /><span>The former James Bond actor shared a photograph taken by his wife Keely Shaye Smith, which he captioned a touching tribute to the late mother of two.</span><br /><br /><span>“Here’s looking at you kid,” the 67-year-old captioned the photo.</span><br /><br /><span>“In remembrance of Charlotte and with happy birthday wishes for my darling Marley May.”</span><br /><br /><span>Marley May is Brosnan’s granddaughter who turned five this month.</span><br /><br /><span>Charlotte died on June 28, 2013, at age 41 after a battle with ovarian cancer, the Daily Mail reported.</span><br /><br /><span>According to the tabloid, Charlotte died from the same disease that claimed the life of her mother and Brosnan’s first wife, Cassandra Harris.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCADR8agRtu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCADR8agRtu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Here’s looking at you kid... in remembrance of Charlotte and with happy birthday wishes for my darling Marley May. Photo by @keelyshayebrosnan</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/piercebrosnanofficial/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Pierce Brosnan</a> (@piercebrosnanofficial) on Jun 28, 2020 at 6:36pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>She died in 1991 when she was 43.</span><br /><br /><span>Charlotte is survived by her husband and two children.</span><br /><br /><span>Charlotte was adopted by Brosnan when he wed Harris in 1980.</span><br /><br /><span>Harris had two children, Charlotte and Christopher, 46, from a previous marriage to producer Dermot Harris, who passed away in 1986.</span><br /><br /><span>Harris and Brosnan’s son Sean, 36, is the father of Marley May, whose middle name is Cassandra in tribute to her late grandmother.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFCW2kgYoY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFCW2kgYoY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Pierce Brosnan (@piercebrosnanofficial)</a> on Oct 18, 2018 at 8:00am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>A year after losing Charlotte, Brosnan reflected on losing his daughter and first wife at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon.</span><br /><br /><span>“To watch someone you love have his or her life eaten away bit by bit by this insidious disease, that kind of sorrow becomes an indelible part of your psyche,” he said at the time.</span><br /><br /><span>“I held the generous, strong, beautiful hand of my first wife Cassie as ovarian cancer took her life much too soon,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“And just last year, I held the hand of my funny, wonderful daughter Charlotte before she died from this wretched, inherited disease.”</span><br /><br /><span>Despite his heartache, Brosnan was able to find love again with Keely Shaye Smith in 1994.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAa7pCKAjEr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAa7pCKAjEr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Pierce Brosnan (@piercebrosnanofficial)</a> on May 20, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>In 2018, Brosnan told Closer Weekly that Smith had helped him overcome his own personal tragedy.</span><br /><br /><span>“You have to trust and follow your heart and try to meet the best people in life,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“When Keely looks at me, I go weak. I love her vitality, her passion. She has this strength that I wouldn’t be able to live without … I found a great woman in Keely.</span><br /><br /><span>“Not if I searched a million times over would I find one as good.</span><br /><br /><span>“There are so many lessons you learn each day and each passing year,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“It’s important to have good faith in yourself and to know yourself as much as you can, and then to go out there and do good things.”</span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Are your grandkids using headphones more during the pandemic? Here’s how to protect their ears

<p>During the coronavirus pandemic, have your kids been using headphones more than usual? Maybe for remote schooling, video chats with relatives, or for their favourite music and Netflix shows?</p> <p>We have to be careful about both the volume and duration of headphone use. Listening too loudly or for too long can do permanent damage to hearing. The good news is there are ways to prevent long-term harm relatively easily.</p> <p><strong>Hearing loss in children may be increasing</strong></p> <p>Our hearing needs to be protected throughout life, because damage to hearing cannot be reversed. This is why we have workplace noise exposure <a href="https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/noise-safety-basics">standards and guidelines</a>, which tell workers when to use protection such as earplugs or ear defenders.</p> <p>Unfortunately though, hearing loss in children may be increasing. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30872125/?from_single_result=Prevalence+of+Childhood+Hearing+Loss+and+Secular+Trends%3A+A+Systematic+Review+and+Meta-Analysis&amp;expanded_search_query=Prevalence+of+Childhood+Hearing+Loss+and+Secular+Trends%3A+A+Systematic+Review+and+Meta-Analysis">study</a> from last year, in which both of us were involved, reviewed the hearing of more than 3.3 million children from 39 countries across a 20-year period.</p> <p>We found around 13% of children had measurable hearing loss by 18 years of age that may impact their ability to decipher sounds important for understanding speech. The study suggested hearing loss in kids is rising – but we don’t yet know why.</p> <p>Not many studies have examined whether headphone use is directly linked to hearing loss in children. But in one <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2684510">study of 9-11-year-old Dutch children</a>, where 14% had measurable hearing loss, around 40% reported using portable music devices with headphones. Could headphones be contributing? Possibly, but unfortunately we don’t know for sure, and more studies are needed.</p> <p><strong>How do we know whether our children’s hearing is being affected?</strong></p> <p>Adults typically first notice a hearing problem by struggling to hear higher-pitched sounds clearly. Sounds may seem muffled, or the ears may feel “blocked”, or they may notice a ringing or buzzing sound, called tinnitus.</p> <p>Unlike adults, children won’t necessarily know how to describe these symptoms. Instead they may use terms they do know, like a bee buzzing, a whistle, or the wind blowing. Parents should treat any reported ear symptom as serious and get their child’s hearing tested. It’s best to visit a hearing clinic first, and then a GP if necessary, although this will depend on your location.</p> <p><strong>Excessive noise damages hearing</strong></p> <p>Our inner ear (cochlea) contains tiny hair cells, which change sounds we hear into electrical signals for our brain. These hair cells are finely tuned and are responsible for different pitches of sound, like keys on a piano.</p> <p>Exposure to loud noise can damage these hair cells and perhaps the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812055/">nerve</a> that connects the cochlea to the brain. Repeated excessive noise exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. Unfortunately, by the time someone experiences hearing problems, some irreversible damage has already happened.</p> <p><strong>What should we do to protect kids’ hearing?</strong></p> <p>The risk of hearing damage depends on both loudness and duration of sound exposure. Limiting both helps to reduce the risk of hearing damage.</p> <p><strong>Limiting loudness</strong></p> <p>We measure the loudness of sound in decibels (dB). But it’s important to note that the dB scale is logarithmic rather than linear. That means a 110dB sound (similar to a chainsaw) is actually much more than 10% louder than a 100dB sound. Parents can download free sound meter apps that help with understanding the volume of different environments and activities.</p> <p>A more difficult task for parents is monitoring the loudness within their children’s headphones. Some headphones leak sounds out, while others insulate the sound into the ear. So a child using “leaky” headphones at a safe volume may appear to be listening to sounds that are too loud, but a child with tightly sealed headphones could be playing sounds at potentially damaging levels without parents noticing.</p> <p>To understand their child’s specific usage, parents can:</p> <ul> <li><strong>listen to their child’s headphones</strong> to understand how loud sounds can become</li> <li>check to see if children can <strong>hear you talk at a normal volume from an arm’s length away</strong>, over the sounds playing on the headphones. If they can, their headphone use is more likely to be at a safe volume.</li> </ul> <p>There are headphones designed for children that limit the maximum loudness – usually to 85dB. While a limit is great, listening to 85dB sounds all day every day is not risk-free.</p> <p>Noise-cancelling headphones are another option, albeit expensive. By reducing the intrusion of outside noise, it should mean children can keep headphone volume lower.</p> <p><strong>Managing duration</strong></p> <p>We should also monitor how long we’re exposed to sound. Everyday conversation is around 60dB, which will not be a problem regardless of the duration of exposure. However, <a href="http://dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/">guidelines</a> say we can be exposed an 85dB sound (like a rubbish truck) for up to 8 hours at a time. But if the loudness of the sound is increased by just 3 decibels to 88dB, the sound energy is doubled, and safe exposure time would drop to just 4 hours. Operating a chainsaw at 110dB would then be limited to around 1 minute before damage is likely to occur.</p> <p>Exposure to noise is cumulative. Noise can also come from other sources in the child’s environment. Consider a child’s activities throughout a day. Parents should try to avoid consecutive noisy exercises, like headphone use, music practice, then noisy toys or games. Considering the total “doses” of sound in the day means parents should schedule some breaks to allow the ears time to recover.</p> <p>Of course, parents should practise what they preach! Modelling responsible use of headphones and awareness of the enjoyment of being able to hear well into adulthood is key.</p> <p><em>Written by Pater Carew and Valerie Sung. </em><em>Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-your-kids-using-headphones-more-during-the-pandemic-heres-how-to-protect-their-ears-139392"><em>The Conversation.</em></a></p>

Beauty & Style

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Keep an ear out for these phone scams

<p>Don’t fall victim to a telephone scam – educate yourself on the latest tricks to get you to part with your money.</p> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/keep-ear-out-these-phone-scams"><strong>Whatsapp scam</strong></div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/keep-ear-out-these-phone-scams"> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>The Singapore Police Force issued a warning just last month about a scam that causes victims to lose access to their Whatsapp accounts.</p> <p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p> <p>Victims would receive Whatsapp messages from people on their contact list asking for their Whatsapp account verification codes.</p> <p>Once the victims send the codes over, the scammers control of the accounts.</p> <p>They would then use these compromised accounts to con people on the contact list into purchasing gift cards and sending over the passwords for the cards. The cards would then be sold online.</p> <p><strong>How can I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>Don’t entertain unusual requests via Whatsapp, even if they come from someone on your contact list, as the account may have been compromised.</p> <p>Speak with the person to verify their identity.</p> <p>You can also protect your Whatsapp account by enabling the “Two-step Verification” feature.</p> <p><strong>Impersonation scam</strong></p> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>There are several variations of this ruse, with the scammers pretending to be all manner of officials, from police officers to bank staff. The latest iteration in Malaysia involves scammer pretending to be postal couriers.</p> <p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p> <p>Scammers will call their victims, impersonating any of the above-mentioned positions.</p> <p>They inform the victims that they have broken the law and will be in trouble if they do not pay a fine, which is to be transferred to an account number they provide.</p> <p>The scammers also tell their victims that the conversation is being recorded and that they must not tell anyone about it or they’ll get in further trouble.</p> <p><strong>How can I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>These scammers use Caller ID spoofing technology to divert the phone numbers from the relevant agencies so it looks like you’re getting a call from the police, for example.</p> <p>But it’s important to note that government agencies will never conduct business in this manner, so this is clearly a scam. Hang up and make a police report.</p> <p><strong>Wangiri scam</strong></p> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>This scam has been around for the better part of a decade but it does pop up now and again in a slightly different form, so it’s important to always be alert.</p> <p>Wangiri means “one ring” and “cut” in Japanese, where the victim receives a call from an overseas number that gets cut off after just one ring.</p> <p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p> <p>Getting the call is not the problem, returning the call is. If you return the call, you will likely hear an advertisement for a subscription chat line or internet service, and you will be charged for the call.</p> <p>The latest variation involves receiving a Whatsapp message with a contact attachment – you will be charged for calling the contact.</p> <p><strong>How can I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>Never return the call, especially if you don’t know anyone living in the country from where the call originates. Block the number and Google it to see if there are any reports of scammers using it.</p> <p><strong>Kidnapping scams</strong></p> <p><strong>What is it?</strong></p> <p>This is another scam that’s making its rounds in Singapore again, with local police reporting that they have received numerous reports about it last month.</p> <p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p> <p>Scammers send text messages to victims claiming that they have kidnapped the victims’ loved ones and will harm them if they do not transfer a large amount of money to a bank account.</p> <p><strong>How can I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>Remain calm and contact your loved ones immediately to ensure they are safe. Don’t transfer the money or respond to the text message, and be sure to block the number. Make a police report.</p> <p><em>Written by Siti Rohani. </em><em>This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/keep-ear-out-these-phone-scams" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="https://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p> </div>

Technology

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Meet the 59-year-old man who has the most piercings in the world

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rolf Buchholz, 59, has taken piercing to an extreme level – with a total of 453 metal piercings on his body, the German man is the Guinness World Record holder. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the world’s most pierced man, it may seem incomprehensible to many how he could carry out his day to day functions like any other normal person. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Buchholz has 278 metal piercings in his genitalia alone. It doesn’t stop there though as the German man also wears a number of tattoos with pride and even has horn implants on his head.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the 59-year-old insists his life is as normal as anyone else, including his sex life. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not a problem at all. I have had the piercings already so long, if there was a problem, I would have got rid of them already long ago,” he told </span><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3799724/worlds-most-pierced-man-boasts-of-great-sex-life-despite-having-278-piercings-in-his-penis/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As well as his downstairs area carrying an enormous number of piercings, Mr Buchholz also has 94 in and around his mouth. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5a2UKH4x2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5a2UKH4x2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Rolf Buchholz (@robuchholz)</a> on Jan 21, 2019 at 4:48am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the 59-year-old confirms he has no complaints in the bedroom, he says it’s a different matter entirely with airport security. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When travelling to the United Arab Emirates for an appearance at a nightclub in Dubai, he claims authorities turned the man away as they were terrified he practiced “black magic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Those who escorted me back to the aeroplane said that it was because of the way I looked and that it was because I am black magic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What do you think of Rolf Buchholz 453 metal piercings? Let us know in the comments below. </span></p>

Retirement Life

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Man develops deadly brain infection after cleaning ear with cotton buds

<p>It’s hard to resist the temptation to clean the insides of our ears with cotton buds, despite warnings on the label and health experts telling us otherwise. However, this near-fatal case may change your mind.</p> <p>An English man has sworn off cleaning his ears with cotton swabs after developing an infection that spread from his hearing to the lining of his brain.</p> <p>The 31-year-old man began developing the infection after the tip of a cotton bud he used got stuck in his ear canal, according to a case published in <a rel="noopener" href="https://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/3/e227971" target="_blank">BMJ Case Reports</a> earlier this month.</p> <p>He was experiencing seizures, headaches, ear pain and discharge before being rushed to hospital, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.livescience.com/64958-cotton-swab-ear-infection.html" target="_blank"><em>Live Science</em></a> reported.</p> <p>The small amount of cotton left turned out to trap debris and induce a severe bacterial infection that progressed to the base of his skull and moved into the lining of his brain, said lead author Dr. Alexander Charlton, a member of the team of ear, nose and throat specialists involved in the man's treatment at University Hospital Coventry in England.</p> <p>Fortunately, Charlton and other doctors were able to remove the debris through a minor surgery. The patient was found to have necrotizing otitis externa, an infection in the soft tissue of the area from the outside of the ear to the eardrum. After almost a week in hospital, the man is expected to be free from long-term hearing issues.</p> <p>However, he was ordered by Charlton not to use cotton buds in his ears anymore, as the doctor said they have been linked to infections and punctured ear drums. "They can only cause problems," Charlton said.</p> <p>Health practitioners acknowledge that cotton buds are a popular ear-cleaning tool among the laymen. "I think that most people will have used them at some stage," Dr Joe Kosterich told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.myvmc.com/videos/ear-health/" target="_blank">Virtual Medical Centre</a>.</p> <p>"In fact, they are something that shouldn’t be used. We think of them as being soft, but when you press on a cotton wool bud, they’re not actually all that soft. It is possible to perforate the eardrum with them."</p> <p>Ana Kim, MD, the director of Otologic Research at Columbia University Medical Centre also said removing ear wax might make ears more prone to infection. "It keeps the outer ear canal skin moist, allowing for the skin cells to be healthy and enabling the cells to continue shedding skin debris," she told <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.sg/seizure-brain-infection-after-using-a-cotton-swab-2019-3/" target="_blank">INSIDER</a>.</em></p> <p>Do you use cotton buds regularly? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Body

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Were you born with small holes above your ears?

<p>Only one per cent of the popular are born with small holes above their ears.</p> <p>The rare condition, known as preauricular sinus, means that someone has a dent around the external ear where the ear cartilage meets a person’s face.</p> <p>The holes were first documented in 1864 by scientist Van Heusinger and it is a hereditary birth defect.</p> <p>Around half of those affected have the hole on both of their ears, while the other half only have it on one.</p> <p>According to Evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, one theory for the dents is that they’re an “evolutionary remnant of fish gills”, reported<em> Business Insider.</em></p> <p>Luckily, those with preauricular sinus have nothing to worry about. The worst thing that could happen is that the holes could become infected, which could easily be combatted with antibiotics.</p> <p>In Asia and parts of Africa, an estimated 4-10 per cent of the population have the birth defect.</p> <p>Do you know someone who has these small holes above their ears? Let us know in the comments below.  </p>

Body

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Barack Obama jokes about big ears as new portrait unveiled

<p>Former US President Barack Obama has poked fun about his big ears and praised his wife’s “hotness” as their portraits were unveiled at America’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC overnight.</p> <p>Painted by African-American artists who were personally chosen by the Obamas, the couple made a rare public appearance to attend the portrait unveiling.</p> <p><img width="492" height="369" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/378503f4b1320c197fd68339fe95e20e" alt="Former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stand beside their portraits after their unveiling at the National Portrait Gallery. Picture: AFP" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Speaking at the event, Mr Obama said that working with artist Kehinde Wiley was “a great joy,” but jokingly added that the artist refused to budge on some of his request.</p> <p>“I tried to negotiate less grey hair [but] Kehinde’s artistic integrity would not allow [him] to do what I asked. I tried to negotiate smaller ears. Struck out on that as well.”</p> <p>The former first lady Michelle Obama was painted by Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald, who Mr Obama personally thanked during his speech.</p> <p>“Amy, I want to thank you for so spectacularly capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman I love,” the former president said.</p> <p><img width="491" height="400" src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/analysis/2018/02/12/the-obamas-portraits-are-not-what-youd-expect-thats-why-theyre-great/portraits2_jpg.jpg.size.custom.crop.801x650.jpg" alt="Image result for obama portraits side by side" class="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 1px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>But Mrs Obama’s portrait has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with the most common criticism being that it doesn’t look like the former first lady.</p> <p>The gallery has a complete collection of presidential portraits. The latest additions are now available for public viewing.</p> <p> </p>

Art

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How to avoid swimmer’s ear

<p>Summer is here and my ears are burning. Not because someone maybe talking about me or because they are sunburnt but because I have swimmer's ear. The warm weather and time in the water sees different things impacting on our wellbeing. In my medical career I have treated thousands of cases of swimmer’s ear otherwise known as otitis externa. It’s an infection in the external ear canal that runs from the ear drum to the earlobe and outside world.</p> <p>One of the more common causes of otitis externa is water becoming trapped in the canal and bacteria and fungi growing, causing inflammation and pain. Having treated many cases, it's interesting to experience it. It’s really sore, hard to sleep and even eating is painful. It certainly impacts on your wellbeing. As with most things prevention is better than cure as is early treatment if you get it.</p> <p>Some people maybe more likely to get swimmer’s ear due to chronic dermatitis, a narrow ear canal or what is called surfer’s ear. Having worked in Taranaki as a doctor for many years surfer’s ear is very common. This is where bony growths called exostoses crowd the ear canal, so water gets trapped between the bony lumps and the eardrum. You may see the odd person hopping on one foot to another shaking their head trying to clear the water from their ear canal.</p> <p>So, if you have surfer’s ear or are prone to swimmer’s ear, keeping water out of the ear canal is an important strategy in staying well. A stylish shower cap may do the trick at home or earplugs for those of you who have hair to wash. Earplugs while surfing or swimming help as well and are preferable to having to sit out the water with an ear infection during summer while everyone plunges in. Wearing earplugs may in fact help prevent surfer’s ear as well.</p> <p>If that fails and pain and inflammation are setting in, it’s important to get onto it quickly. If it’s mild and you don't have a perforated ear drum or complications there are concoctions available in the form of ear drops which are essentially vinegar (acetic acid) and alcohol that change the pH and dry out the ear. Next steps are eardrops that contain steroids to reduce inflammation and antibiotics and antifungals to kill the bugs. If it is really bad, you may need oral antibiotics or even a visit to an ear, nose and throat specialist to get the debris removed.</p> <p>What you want to avoid is letting it get too far so you don't end up getting chronic otitis externa and recurrent ear infections. Infection and inflammation are like fires, avoid starting them but if you have one, put it out quickly before it takes hold and causes more damage.</p> <p>With the longer summer evenings and people spending more time outside there are more things that go bump in the evening. I have seen numerous cases of bugs flying into people's ears at beaches, barbeques and boudoirs. This is really frightening, and a small insect can sound like a large military brass band banging on your tympanic membrane (ear drum). Simple treatment is to lie on your side and put a few drops of olive oil in your ear. The bug drowns and silence is achieved. Then get the bug removed or it may just float out.</p> <p>Look after yourself and your loved ones ears this summer and don't go poking anything in your ears or theirs.</p> <p><em>Written by Dr Tom Mulholland. Republished with permission of</em> <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Stuff.co.nz</strong></span></em></a>.</p>

Body

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Mum shamed after asking for advice on piecing her baby’s ears

<p>A UK mother who posted on online parenting forum Netmums is receiving massive backlash after she posted a thread asking fellow mums for advice on getting her baby’s ears pierced.</p> <p>“I understand some parents may have mixed views on this subject,” the woman, who goes by the name of Layla A, began. “I’m planning to get my daughter's ears pierced tomorrow.</p> <p>“She’s fully breastfed, I just want to know if any mum's have got their daughters ear pierced whilst breastfeeding. How did you manage to breastfeed/the after care? Did it take long to heal?”</p> <p>Angry parents quickly stormed the thread to criticise the mum’s choice, with one going so far as to call it “child abuse”, saying it “should be made illegal”.</p> <p>“And you’re planning [on] inflicting pain on your child why?” one user wrote. “Leave her alone until she is old enough to choose for herself whether she wishes to have her own ears pierced. It’s her body not yours.”</p> <p>Others agreed, one writing, “Totally disgusts me that you would even consider doing this to a child ... I would never put my little 11-month-old girl through that pain for nothing. It’s selfish in my opinion they are little people not a fashion accessory.”</p> <p>However, one mum did jump to the woman’s defence, saying, “I don’t class this as child abuse at all! I personally haven’t got my little girl’s ears pierced as I’m not a fan but if I was thinking about it I would go straight ahead! Babies have been getting them done for years and those that do wake up and cry it's forgotten about in a flash ... it's your own personal choice.”</p> <p>To her credit, Layla did take on all the advice, writing in an update that she has decided against getting them pierced. “I will wait until she’s old enough to ask for herself and if I really want it for vanity reasons then I could always put on the clip-on ones.”</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what do you think is the right age for a child to get their ears pierced?</p>

Body

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The one item you should never travel without

<p>From your passport to a decent travel insurance policy, there are some items you should never leave the house without when travelling overseas. And while the item in today’s list might not be the first thing you think to put in your travel bag, we’re sure you’ll agree that it might just be the most important thing that you pack.</p> <p>Matthew Karsten, intrepid traveller and author of the <a href="https://www.expertvagabond.com/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Expert Vagabond travel blog</span></strong></em></a>, explained why he thinks should never leave home without a good set of ear plugs.</p> <p>“I love my earplugs!” Karsten explains.</p> <p>“Muffle the sounds of crying babies, drunk Australians, barking dogs, honking horns, natural gas salesmen, and more. A traveller’s best friend.”</p> <p>Do you normally bring a set of ear plugs when travelling?</p>

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