Ben Palmer's reads
The selfie death toll. A new study from researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences found that 259 people have died while taking selfies in the past six years. The study analyzed the deaths that occurred between October 2011 and November 2017 and found the leading cause of selfie-related death to be drowning, followed by incidents involving transportation and falling from heights. The study also found that the most selfie-related deaths occurred in India, although there also have been reports of selfie-related deaths in Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.
Eating processed meats linked to higher risk of breast cancer. Eating processed meat was tied to an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new analysis published in the International Journal of Cancer. For the study, researchers analyzed 16 prospective observational studies and found that a high consumption of processed meat (which was defined as about 25 to 30 grams a day on average) was linked to a 9% increased risk for breast cancer compared to study participants who ate the lowest amounts of processed meats. The researchers cautioned that these were observational studies that could not prove causality, but Maryam Farvid, lead author on the study and a nutrition researcher at Harvard University, said "it's good for women to cut down on processed meat."
Danielle Poindexter's reads
Meet 'the Goblin'—the third dwarf planet. Astronomers on Tuesday announced that they've discovered a tiny, frozen dwarf planet beyond Pluto. The dwarf planet is only 186 miles across, and its orbit is so long that it takes 40,000 years to circle the sun. The dwarf planet was first spotted around Halloween in 2015, and its nickname, the Goblin, is a nod to the "spooky" holiday.
'Tipsy' birds are running into windows, cars in Minnesota. Residents in Gilbert, Minnesota, are being warned about local birds that seem to be "under the influence" after eating berries that fermented earlier than usual, according to Gilbert Police Chief Ty Techar. Birds have flown into windshields and fallen out of trees. "[S]ome birds are getting a little more 'tipsy' than normal," Techar said. Comments on the Gilbert police department's Facebook post about the birds suggest that a lot of residents have noticed the birds' odd behavior. "This explains why I have hit seven birds with my car this week," one resident writes.