DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
• Your sarcastic zinger fall flat? It might have been due to the age of the person you were targeting with your witty comment. Researchers at the University of Aberdeen – working with teams from other UK unis – have found adults aged over 65 are more likely to misinterpret sarcastic comments and take them literally. And while they say the miscommunication could adversely affect relationships, it could also shield older people from nasty or derogatory comments, according to Professor Louise Phillips, the university’s chair of psychology. “Older adults are known to have a more positive outlook on life than younger adults and this may contribute to their failure to pick up on sarcastic undertones,” she told The Telegraph.
• Eyecare for insects? Not quite. Scientists at Newcastle University in the UK have reportedly been outfitting praying mantises with tiny 3D glasses (attached by beeswax) to help them work out how they can catch fast-moving crickets despite having tiny brains. Professor Jenny Read told Sky News that the research could help uncover new ways of using three dimensional vision in computers and robots.
• An odd creature described as a half-crocodile, half buffalo and dubbed a ‘buffadile”, has people scratching their heads in Thailand. The creature, which looked to have the body of a calf but a crocodile-like head and was covered in scales, reportedly died soon after birth.
