He’s got a point

October 29, 2016 at 7:23 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

..

..

THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

The ‘close door’ button on your elevator is a scam!: “Most people do not have the patience to wait a few seconds for the elevator doors to shut, so they push the ‘close’ button to speed up the process. However, some say this feature has been obsolete since the 1990s, suggesting the button is a complete fake – it will not close the doors any faster. Experts reveal that there numerous buttons in the world that do not live up to their name, but are present to make us feel in control. Elevator ‘close’ buttons went obsolete in the 1990s, which means the ones you see are fake. New York City figures state that out of the 3,250 crosswalk buttons, 2,500 of them were replaced with non-functioning mechanisms. And a majority of the thermostats installed in offices that are easily accessible are decoys. Expert say that these buttons or fake thermostats are in place to promote the illusion on being in control

Another British bungle: New £5 note can be wiped almost clean of ink using a simple eraser: “The new polymer £5 note can be wiped almost totally clean of ink using a simple pencil eraser, it has been revealed. Bank chiefs claim the new notes are so durable they will last twice as long as the old fiver. But a print centre manager has exposed a serious flaw after wiping one almost totally clean of ink with an eraser. Stuart McLean managed to score off large parts of the note’s blue dye, leaving only security numbers and the see-through hologram behind. The polymer note, which has been issued by Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, Bank of Scotland and the Bank of England, is smaller than traditional fivers and said to last 2.5 times longer. Banknote manufacturer De La Rue says it can survive a spin in a washing machine without losing its colour.

The drinkers who stick with a wine longer than a partner: Pinot Grigio is Britain’s favourite grape ahead of Merlot and Chardonnay: “Wine lovers stick with their preferred variety for longer than many stay with their partners, research suggests. Pinot Grigio is the top choice for British drinkers, followed by Merlot and Chardonnay. Some 52 per cent of drinkers said they remained loyal to their preferred grape for ten years or more, a survey revealed. Fifty-three per cent had been with their partner for the same amount of time, the same poll found. However, almost one fifth – 19 per cent – had been in their current relationship for less than three years. Broken down between the sexes, Pinot Grigio was top choice for women, selected by 15 per cent, and Merlot was the men’s favourite, chosen by 11 per cent. When it comes to who is influencing our wine choices, friends and partners are our most trusted wine advisors. Just four per cent of people said they would trust the advice of their parents.

‘I’m no hero’: Friend refused to give up on missing Australian campers: “The woman who found missing campers Marama and Jeremy Sim on a remote bush track near Western Australia’s southern coast says she is not a hero, but just a friend “who wouldn’t give up”. Kirsty Biggers and her father finally came across the Sims’ car at 10.30pm on Thursday night, almost 200 kilometres north-west of Esperance. “We know they are responsible, we know that they are experienced, and number one rule is don’t leave your car so we knew that where their car was they would be there too. “I’m not a hero, I’m just a friend that wouldn’t give up; it was my dad, my dad is our hero in all this, if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have come across them at all. “But nobody gave up, we all kept searching, it was a good result.” The Sims had just 350ml of water left between them after being stranded in the bush for 10 days”

Would you return a dropped letter? Rich people more altruistic, study finds: “If you saw a stamped, addressed letter on the ground, would you pick it up and post it? What if it was unstamped? The answer might have a lot to do with where you live. An Australian-first study has sought to examine whether there was a difference in the level of a person’s altruism depending on their wealth and socioeconomic status. Researchers at the University of Western Australia dropped 300 lost letters on the ground in 15 residential suburbs of varying socioeconomic status, and waited to see which ones made it back to the office. Lead study author Cyril Grueter said the results found a strong link between socioeconomic status and the likelihood of someone returning the letter. “The study clearly tells us that people living in socioeconomically rich neighbourhoods are nicer, they are more altruistic than people living in poor neighbourhoods.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.