A glance at the week that was
Facing facts
Narcissists check their Facebook pages more often than other people because the social networking site offers hollow and superficial “friendships” without the challenges of a real relationship, research at York University, Canada has shown. They use Facebook to control how they are viewed by others. People with poor self-esteem also invest inordinate amounts of time monitoring their image. The study of 100 students found that men were more interested in written entries on their profile, while women focused on their pictures.
Scaled-back act
The Great Moscow Circus has been forced to cancel an act in which a woman swallows a live fish and regurgitates it, after complaints from the public in Australia. “Scientific research shows fish are capable of suffering and are therefore protected under the NSW Prevention of Cruelty to Animals act,” stated Animals Australia. The circus has complied with the ban, although it defended the act. “The other fish are now living in showbiz retirement, off-site,” it stated.
The numbers
24
The percentage rise in suicide rate from 2008 to 2009
20
The percentage rise in people sleeping rough in the past 18 months
"We had to be self-sufficient, as there is no rescue - only recovery, if you are lucky."Polish diver Artur Kozlowski after an expedition traversing 4km of underground, water-filled caves in Co Galway
We now know
Drummers need physical fitness on a par with professional athletes and burn 600 calories an hour while performing.
The Irish for “black hole” is poll dubh or dupholl, just one of 3,500 Irish translations published this week in An English-Irish Lexicon of Scientific and Technical Space-Related Terminology.
Motorists are ignoring Dublin city centre’s 30kmph speed limit introduced in January and continue to drive at 40km/h on average.
