Monkeys Come Up With Unusual Tactic to Settle Stomachs From Junk Food

Monkeys in Gibraltar have learned to eat soil to settle their stomaches from all the junk food they consume. Scientists believe the dirt helps the monkeys line their guts to stop irritation from the foods, which are extremely high in calories, sugar, salt and dairy. The soil also provides bacteria and minerals missing from junk food offered by or stolen from tourists, such as chocolate bars, chips and ice cream. The snacks have negative digestive effects for the macaques and can cause symptoms from nausea to diarrhea, even though the food is delicious to them. Animals in frequent contact with Gibraltar’s visitors were observed to eat more dirt, with this behavior being higher during peak holiday season. The researchers think the behavior is likely to have been learned socially as different troops of monkeys have preferences for certain types of soil. Experts said the soil acts as a "barrier" in the digestive tract and limits the absorption of harmful compounds. Humans evolved to seek out and store energy-dense fats and sugars to survive periods of scarcity, leading us to crave high-calorie junk food, and the availability of junk food could trigger this same evolutionary mechanism in the monkeys. Gibraltar’s macaques number around 230 across 8 groups that inhabit different areas of the Rock. Scientists recorded 46 dirt-eating "events" in 44 different animals across 98 observation days.

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A Million Bees Make For Bumper-to-Buzzer Traffic on a Tennessee Highway Ramp

Travelers on I-40 in Knoxville, Tenn., were forced to brake for workers — and drones, and maybe even a queen — when a truck carrying about a million bees crashed. The swarm shut down an exit of the interstate, but the good news is that there were no injuries. Authorities didn't say how many hives were being transported, but large-scale bee shipments are commonly used by commercial beekeepers to support agriculture and pollination efforts across the country. Drivers stuck near the crash were told to stay inside their cars as bees filled the air around the highway ramp. Beekeepers in protective suits worked alongside crews to regain control of the swarm, which had clustered around the wreckage and nearby roadway. Mark Nagi, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation posted a photo of a beekeeper in a protective suit on social media with the comment, “Unless you’re dressed in this outfit, please stay in your vehicles in this area.” Officials didn’t say what caused the crash but said the bees were eventually contained and removed, bringing an unusual highway shutdown to an end.

 

 

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Why Does It Suddenly Say “RCS” in Some of Your Texts?

These three little letters could pose a surprisingly big threat when you’re texting. RCS stands for “rich communication services” and it’s supposed to create a richer texting experience. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between iPhone and Android systems. More advanced than SMS (short message service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), RCS texting offers more modern features, including typing indicators that show when someone is typing, read receipts that let you know when a message is read, file sharing, better group chats, the ability to send voice messages, and the sharing of locations. If you have an iPhone, you will see “RCS” when you’re texting with someone who has an Android phone. If you’re messaging another iPhone user, however, you will instead see “iMessage” in faint letters in the text box or sometimes above a message. There is, however, a potential danger with RCS texts, as they can be more easily hacked. RCS isn’t end-to-end encrypted and could risk third parties gaining access to the contents of  your messages. The good news is that you can turn off RCS. 

For iPhone users:

• Go to Settings.

• Select Apps.

• Tap Messages.

• Select RCS Messaging.

• Toggle the tab to the “off” position.

For Android users:

• Open Google Messages.

• Tap your profile picture or icon in the top right.

• Select Messages settings.

• Tap RCS chats, and turn it off.

 

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The Everyday Rituals That Quiet the Ache of Loneliness

Health officials have announced that loneliness is as toxic as smoking cigarettes. It isn’t a singular feeling — people everywhere feel it, and it can shape how we live, work and relate to one another. Yet the remedy isn’t that complicated. Experts say there are small, repeated acts of connection that can help restore a sense of belonging, and they may be hiding in the smallest moments of daily life. You just need more moments of feeling loved. A coffee with a coworker, a chat with a neighbor, a brief exchange at the grocery store — all these small acts compound over time. The more you do it, the more natural it feels. One practical place where connection still happens is around cooking. It’s practical because anyone can do it. No special skills are required — just a pot, some ingredients, and curiosity. One study linked baking cookies with lowering the risk of premature death due to loneliness and strengthening mental health. Baking a simple batch of cookies to later share with others can bring a spark of connection. It makes the baker feel useful again, and sharing the cookies gives the baker a sense of purpose. It brings a mix of calm and kindness to set the stage for connection. Loneliness may seem inevitable at times, but connection begins small, with a smile for the mailman, a neighbor’s wave, the warmth of shared meals, and the ease of silence between two people who trust each other. Bit by bit, those moments draw you back toward the world and remind you that connection doesn’t live in the crowd.

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