Category: Life Style

Two Australian mathematicians have questioned an old motto: If a monkey is given an infinite amount of time to press keys on a typewriter, at one point, it will finish writing all of William Shakespeare’s works.

The “infinite monkey theorem” has been used for a long time to explain principles based on probability and randomness, according to BBC.

However, a study led by Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falleta from Sydney has revealed that the time it would take for a monkey to type all of the works of Shakespeare including plays, sonnets and poems, would be greater than the lifespan of the universe we live in.

The researchers say that the theorem is mathematically true but it is also “misleading”.

Aside from looking at the abilities of a single monkey, the research group also conducted a series of calculations based on the population of chimpanzees in the world, which is over 200,000 monkeys.

The study concluded that even if every single chimpanzee were enlisted to type at a pace of one key per second until our universe comes to an end, they wouldn’t be able to complete typing the English author’s works.

The research further indicated that there is only a 5% chance of a chimp typing out the word “bananas” in their lifetime and the probability rate of one single chimp writing a sentence such as “I chimp, therefore I am” is 10 million billion billion.

“It is not plausible that, even with improved typing speeds or an increase in chimpanzee populations, monkey labour will ever be a viable tool for developing non-trivial written works,” the study says.

Heidi Klum has reflected on refusing to diet during her early career when designers and casting directors deemed her not skinny enough.

The 51-year-old model who rose to fame on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1998 and as the first German model to become Victoria’s Secret Angel, has reflected on the pressures to be super skinny during the “heroin chic” modelling era in the Nineties.

Klum recalled being aged 20 and overhearing designers talking about her weight at castings.

“I’d go to the modelling agencies when I started and there would be a scale and they would measure and weigh me. In Paris they would solemnly say, ‘There are pills you can take,’” she told The Times.

However, the model said she never “bought into it” because she had competed in local modelling contests in Germany where the public had voted for her.

“I thought I won my modelling contest without being super skinny. People at home had voted for me, so maybe ordinary people didn’t want what they called ‘heroin chic’,” she said.

Klum’s refusal to conform to the industry’s toxic standards meant she was often rejected when she auditioned for catwalk jobs during fashion weeks.

“I went for endless castings. Only a few asked me to try on their sample clothes and I just didn’t fit into them. I was 90-60-90 [35-24-35]. The clothes would get stuck on my breasts or my hips,” she said.

That didn’t stop her from developing a lucrative career as a catalogue model, which eventually saw her invited onto catwalks.

“I bought my first apartment, my second apartment, a house for my parents, my brother and my grandmother. I was making a great living working 200 days a year, but I also love to create. I wanted to be seen as a canvas and used imaginatively rather than wear the same boring outfits for every shoot.”

Klum’s views on weight contradicted some of her colleagues who also worked in the Nineties, like Kate Moss, who claimed her mantra was “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” during a 2009 interview with WWD.

Moss was then accused of encouraging eating disorders, but in 2018, she distanced herself from the sentiment, saying it was more a “jingle” said among her friends.

Klum rose to the ranks of being one of the first supermodels when she became a Sports Illustrated cover star, with her issue selling 20 million copies.

“The magazine was on the stands, at the dentist, everywhere. Overnight, I’d walk down the street and people would swivel. Men had tattoos of me on them. It was crazy,” she said.

“At the same time I became a Victoria’s Secret Angel. The attention became insane, but I wasn’t going to complain.”

BUENOS AIRES: Scientists in Argentina have discovered excellently preserved fossil remains of the oldest-known tadpole, the larval stage of a large frog species that lived alongside dinosaurs about 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.

The researchers said the fossil, measuring 16 centimetres long, sheds light on the evolution of frogs and toads, showing that tadpoles today are largely unchanged from their forerunners in the Jurassic. The oldest-known frog fossils date to even earlier, though no older tadpole fossils have been found.

The specimen, belonging to a previously known species called Notobatrachus degiustoi, is so well preserved, according to the researchers, that it includes the remains of some soft tissues that usually are not seen in fossils. The tadpole’s eyes and nerves, for instance, are preserved as dark imprints in their anatomical position in the fossil.

The fossil was found in 2020 during a dig for dinosaur remains on a ranch in the province of Santa Cruz, about 2,300 kilometres south of Buenos Aires in Argentina’s vast southern Patagonian region.

The tadpole’s head and most of its body are preserved. Frogs have a two-stage life cycle, with the aquatic tadpole larva metamorphosing into the adult form. This tadpole was in the late stages of metamorphosis.

Donald Trump’s vulgar remarks from his 2005 interview with Access Hollywood have resurfaced on TikTok, as many Gen Z voters react to the audio for the first time.

Back in 2016, an interview tape featuring Trump talking to TV host Billy Bush about his ability to grope women when he pleases was leaked just one month before the presidential election. The leaked recording prompted an immediate frenzy, as listeners denounced Trump for bragging about his attempts to have sexual intercourse with a married woman who rejected his advances. While the fallout saw Bush lose his job at NBC’s Today show, Trump was still elected as the 45th president of the United States.

Now, less than a week before the 2024 presidential election, the interview is being used by young content creators to shame the “fathers” and “Christian conservatives” for voting for Trump in the upcoming election.

Soleil, a 22-year-old woman known by her TikTok handle @toxicthotsyndrome, posted a video of herself and her friend – who goes by Miss Redacted on the app – listening to the profanity-filled recording, shaking their heads in disbelief.

“I made a move on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and f*** her… I moved on her like a b****. She was married,” Trump could be heard saying in the recording. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful… I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything,” he said.

As Soleil and her friend listened to Trump’s remarks, the two couldn’t help but indicate their disgust and distaste for the politician, making nauseated facial expressions. The on-screen caption read: “This is who fathers with daughters are voting for.”

Speaking to Teen Vogue, Soleil explained why she felt the need to post her reaction to the audio, given she was 14 years old when the Access Hollywood tape first surfaced. The clinical research assistant said she needed to expose the tape to her fellow followers because some young Trump supporters may not have been old enough or aware of his comments from 19 years ago.

“It’s super concerning that so many people like to paint Trump as a family man. And he and Vance have tried to create this image of the importance of the American family unit,” Soleil said. “And that’s why they’re trying to get rid of a lot of reproductive health care services and facilities, if God forbid, they win the election.”

The audio, titled “Republican Voters Against Trump,” has since been used more than 1,154 times on the app.

“Not even sure how you can look your daughter in the eye and say you’re voting for Trump hearing the way he speaks,” said Kate Sullivan, another Gen Z content creator, in her video reacting to Trump’s comments.

Meanwhile, TikToker Jess Linnea used the sound to shame individuals who claim to be voting for Trump to save the Republican party. She quoted them saying, “I’m voting Republican, not Trump,” before arguing against their logic.

“You are in fact voting for this man, and his lack of morals and integrity in doing so. No ifs, ands, or buts about it,” Linnea wrote.

One female college student filmed herself in her dorm room, as she shared her wide-eyed reaction to Trump’s “foul” words and posted the clip to “remind” her followers that “this is the man on the ballot this year.”

Another TikToker posted a photo of herself over the audio, with the caption: “If you still vote for him after listening to this I’m sorry for you.”

Trump eventually apologized for the tape days after it was released, but claimed he didn’t remember making the lewd comments about women.

“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended,” he said in an official statement.

This year, Trump is seeking reelection as the Republican presidential nominee with Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate. In just a matter of days, he will go head-to-head against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is running for vice president. National polls have shown the two candidates in a deadlock, with neither taking a clear lead in the battleground states ahead of Election Day.

At a shipyard on the North Sea, workers in luminescent vests are building dozens of massive, hollow concrete boulders, each the size of an apartment block.

These are to be floated out to sea and sunk to become the foundations of a giant Belgian green energy development — a world first — which is itself, however, in choppy waters amid surging costs.

Named after Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, the “energy island” was launched in 2021 to support a huge expansion in wind energy production that would drastically reduce the country’s dependence on planet-warming fossil fuels.

However, supply chain snags have made costs more than triple to more than $7.56 billion, according to some estimates, sparking calls for construction to be stopped at a time of growing political pushback against ambitious green targets across Europe.

“This cost increase is a huge worry,” Belgium’s energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten told AFP.

Just over 10% of Belgium’s energy supply comes from renewable sources, the government says.

Nuclear, gas and oil provide the bulk of its needs, according to the International Energy Agency.

But Belgium will have to lower its dependence on fossil fuels as a European Union target requires 42.5% of the bloc’s energy to be renewable by 2030.

“That’s why we need transformative projects, huge projects like this,” said Van der Straeten, sporting a yellow construction helmet during a visit to the shipyard in Vlissingen, a Dutch port near the Belgian coast.

Belgium plans to install 3.5 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in coming years, enough to cover 30% of the country’s needs, according to the government.

Building an artificial island is what Belgian grid operator Elia believes is the most efficient way of bringing that energy to shore.

Located 45 kilometres off the coast, the island will host transformers and bundle together undersea cables to bring electricity to land.

It will also connect the Belgian grid with wind-power-producing North Sea neighbours, such as Britain and Denmark, allowing for a more stable energy supply.

Prince William has mentioned his brother, Prince Harry, publicly for the first time in years, as he paid tribute to their mother in his upcoming documentary.

The Prince of Wales recounted an emotional childhood memory of the late Princess Diana taking him and his brother to visit a homeless shelter when he was 11-years-old.

“She took Harry and I both there. I must have been about 11, I think probably at the time, maybe 10,” he said.

The last time William spoke about his brother publicly is thought to be six years ago, when the pair were interviewed at Royal Foundation Forum in 2018.

In a touching tribute to his mother’s character William added: “I had never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious at what to expect. But mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed, having a laugh and joking with everyone.”

Meanwhile, King Charles is set to return to his normal schedule of overseas tours next year, as he continues cancer treatment. The monarch will complete full tours during the spring and autumn, provided doctors sanction the travel.

The Egyptian pyramids continue to captivate the world with their immense size, ancient history, and the enduring mysteries surrounding their construction.

Built as grand tombs for pharoahs thousands of years ago, these pyramids still stand today, leaving experts scratching their heads, wondering how these giant structures were built without modern technology.

This remains a puzzle for many experts but maybe not for long.

Recently, a team of researchers at the University of North Carolina suggested that Egypt’s 31 pyramids, including the 450-feet high Great Pyramid of Giza, may have been built along a long-post section of the River Nile, the Daily Express reported.

With their latest discovery, the research team, led by Professor Eman Ghoneim, challenged the previous notion that ancient Egyptians used a nearby waterway to construct these colossal structures.

However, Ghoneim said that up until now “nobody was certain of its locations”.

With the help of a combination of geographical surveys, special technology and historical maps from the surrounding area to help map this hidden part of the Nile, the team further investigated where exactly these pyramids were created.

The team hypothesised that ancient Egyptians used this certain part of the Nile to help transport the massive stone blocks to build these pyramids between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago.

According to Ghoneim, the technology allowed him and his team to further produce images of hidden features under the sand.

Although the exact location may have been buried due to drought and sandstorms thousands of years ago.

The researchers believed the pyramids’ original building location was “buried rivers and ancient structures” found at foothills near to the “vast majority of the ancient Egyptian pyramids”.

Known as the Ahramat branch, meaning “pyramids” in Arabic, it is believed to extend approximately 39 miles long and 200 to 700 metres wide, giving further clues that this theory may be correct.

This new discovery also sheds light on why there were so many pyramids built between Lisht and Giza, an area of the Saharan desert which is synonymous with having extremely difficult conditions to construct such wonders.

Prince William has mentioned Prince Harry publicly for the first time in years, as he recalls a childhood memory in his upcoming documentary.

The Prince of Wales recounted the time his mother, the late Princess Diana, took him and his brother to visit a homeless shelter more than 30 years ago.

“My mother took me to The Passage. She took Harry and I both there. I must have been about 11, I think probably at the time, maybe 10. I’d never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect,” he said.

He added: “I had never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious at what to expect. But mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed, having a laugh and joking with everyone.”

The last time William spoke about his brother publicly is thought to be six years ago, when the pair were interviewed at Royal Foundation Forum in 2018.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace officials have given a major update on King Charles’ work schedule, as he continues cancer treatment.

Charles is set to return to his normal schedule of overseas tours next year and will fly abroad during the spring and autumn, provided doctors sanction the travel.

On Reddit, a man shares his amusing yet unfortunate rejection story. During a Zoom interview in which all hiring members were sitting, the man received an email informing him that he had been rejected for the role while he was still discussing the position with the heads.

He shared on Reddit, “ It was the second of three interviews. The first had been half an hour, and the third was only going to be 15 minutes with the CTO.”

The session was going great, and as the supervisors were discussing the role, they even confirmed that they would join for the third interview with this man. “Let’s get it scheduled before we forget, ” the higher-ups told the man, according to NDTV.

While he was all prepared for the finale of his session he was astonished by the rejection email of that company.

“A rejection email. The ‘dear John’ kind we’ve all gotten used to. It’s from them,” he said.

The user further stated that when the chief asked for his availability for the third interview he smilingly told the panel “works great for me, but I’m not sure it’s going to work for the rest of the hiring team. Someone just rejected me sight unseen.”

His confrontation created chaos amongst the panel, and the higher-ups started panicking not knowing what to say to the man. So they hastily excused the man and told him to wait for another email kicking him out of the zoom call.

This incident received over 3000 up-votes and became very popular. As a result, several other users told the man that he wasn’t alone by sharing similar experiences of rejection in the comment sections.

A couple’s vacation is no longer just a break from the exhausting routine of work, but also a pause on nighttime intimacy.

According to Hilton’s 2025 Trends report, a new fad known as “sleep divorce” has hit the travel scene, becoming increasingly popular among couples who are trying to catch up on their sleep.

This year, 63 percent of travelers reported they sleep better when they’re sleeping by themselves. Meanwhile, the hospitality group confirmed 37 percent of travelers favor sleeping in separate beds on vacation, especially when they’re also traveling with children.

“Three in four think it’s best to sleep apart from their kids while traveling,” Hilton stated.

However, couples who follow the “sleep divorce” trend aren’t breaking up during the day, too. Although the name is misleading, “sleep divorce” can actually benefit a married couple’s relationship if they’ve been struggling to achieve a good night’s sleep, regardless if they’re on vacation.

A 2023 American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) online survey found that more than one-third of Americans practice “sleep divorce,” even when they’re not on vacation. This means that couples are either “consistently” or “occasionally” moving into different rooms, not just beds, to get some shut eye.

The AASM report noted how men are more likely (45 percent) to sleep on the couch or in a guest room, leaving the bedroom to their female counterpart. Twenty-five percent of women said they typically move rooms, while their husbands stay in their bed.

Dr. Seema Khosla, a pulmonologist and AASM spokesperson, said sleep-deprived couples are more likely to fight with each other and feel resentment toward one another for their lack of rest. “Getting a good night’s sleep is important for both health and happiness, so it’s no surprise that some couples choose to sleep apart for their overall well-being,” she noted.

Speaking to Fox, Stacy Thiry – a telehealth mental health counselor for Grow Therapy – listed the benefits and downsides of “sleep divorce” on travel. Thiry agreed that improving one’s sleep can positively impact a relationship and lower the risk of any “bickering” or “frustration.”

“[Sleep divorce] could even boost connection for some people, reporting that they feel closer since they’re not waking up a little bit resentful [after] a bad night’s sleep,” she told the outlet.

Still, Thiry argued “sleep divorce” can also prevent couples from engaging in impromptu “closeness,” minimizing the importance of bedroom intimacy in a relationship.

”Seep divorce” allows couples to explore methods that serve them best, instead of engaging in typical sleep habits for the sake of adhering to relationship norms. Essentially, their connection and moments of intimacy can be improved because they aren’t sleeping in the same bed every night.

Carolina Goncalves, Pharmica’s superintendent pharmacist, agreed that this trend may increase a couple’s closeness more than ruin it. “Sleeping in separate beds can provide couples with the opportunity to appreciate the intimacy of sleeping together,” she previously told The Independent.

“The physical distance from sleeping in separate beds may enhance longing and desire for one another, contributing to a more passionate and fulfilling relationship, and increasing how meaningful the relationship is for both individuals.”

Goncalves also identified “heat” as a contributing disruptor to sleep because the body has a difficult time regulating temperature during the deep stages of REM sleep.