Any stable human being would have some sort of reaction to tears, but that response may be more significant than you thought. According to a study published in PLOS Biology, smelling women’s tears can reduce male aggression by as much as 40%. The researchers believe that this concept may extend to all human tears, but that hypothesis hasn’t yet been tested.
What This Means
This revelation could prove that tears are an evolutionary development for human survival. Neurobiologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel Noam Sobel explains, “These findings suggest that tears are a chemical blanket offering protection against aggression—and that this effect is common to rodents and humans, and perhaps to other mammals as well.”
Other Smells That Change Human Behavior
As it turns out, tears aren’t the only odor humans can subconsciously pick up on. People can smell fear and anxiety, as well as emotional distress. Similarly, dogs can detect odors of happiness and fear, showing that this ability extends to other species as well.
Researchers intend to continue this study and push it even further by testing whether or not babies’ tears have the same results as adults’ crying.
Elon Musk Mocks Twitter With a Chuck Norris Meme
Elon Musk has finally backed out of the Twitter deal that made most tech fanatics lose their minds. The billionaire and the social media platform have been at each other’s throats for most of the year. Amidst this usual back and forth, the billionaire decided to do something funny on Twitter.
Twitter Ready to Sue Elon Musk
Musk has already started mocking Twitter with memes after he pulled out of his $44 billion agreement to buy the social media platform, and Twitter said it’s ready to sue him. Musk claimed that Twitter was lying about the number of spam bots on the micro-blogging site and thus backed out of the deal, spurring Twitter to threaten legal action to enforce the agreement. The Twitter board is committed to closing the merger at the price and terms agreed to by Mr. Musk, and plans to take legal action to enforce the merger agreement, said Twitter’s chairman, Bret Taylor.
The Meme
Musk tweeted four images of him laughing on Monday with captions that read: “They said I couldn’t buy Twitter. Then they wouldn’t disclose bot information. So now they want me to buy Twitter in court. So now they have to disclose bot information.” A follow-up tweet pictures Chuck Norris with only one chess piece on his side, while a chessboard in front of him shows a complete match with Musk’s following tweet, “Chuckmate.”
Falling Stock Prices of Twitter
Following Musk’s announcement that he’s abandoning the deal, Twitter’s stock prices are sinking. In lieu of Musk’s decision to back out of his agreement to buy Twitter, the stock fell 5.3% to $34.95 in premarket trading on Monday, erasing about $1.4 billion in market value for the company. Conversely, Musk’s electric carmaker shares increased by 1% after much fluctuation. Reports are saying that it’s not clear if the recently failed deal will affect Musk’s chances of becoming the world’s first trillionaire by 2024.