All posts tagged: spotting

Why Are We So Bad At Spotting Liars?

Why Are We So Bad At Spotting Liars?

Published by Sam

I never understood why football fans would physically get out of their seats and yell at the telly until I watched this year’s The Traitors. Like a lot of viewers, it took until season three for me to finally tune into the Claudia Winkleman-hosted delight. Since then, I’ve found it blood-boilingly stressful to watch what seems like an obvious lie be accepted by innocent contestants ― which is a lot of the show’s appeal. That’s partly because we know the facts behind the show, which is of course edited. But even that aside, experts say that nope ― you probably wouldn’t fare better than the current cast when it comes to spotting a liar. How bad are we at detecting lies? According to social psychologists Dr Charles F. Bond Jr. and Dr Bella DePaulo, whose book Is Anyone Really Good at Detecting Lies?: Professional Papers looked at the results of multiple lying studies involving 24,000 people, we’re 4% better than random chance. That’s right ― you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right if …

Spotting Subtle Signs of Sex Trafficking

Spotting Subtle Signs of Sex Trafficking

Published by skeptic

Responsible citizens within every industry are passionate about joining the fight against human trafficking. Yet, to be most effective, they have to know what to look for, where to look, and what to do with the information they see. I have previously written about how to notice and prevent sex trafficking of minors,[i] recognize coercive relational control,[ii] and even detect human trafficking through the use of artificial intelligence.[iii] Yet developing an enhanced ability to spot trafficking activity in public space provides even more opportunity for intervention. Research explains how. Source: Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay Public Transportation Offers Opportunities for Intervention One of the distinguishing features of sex trafficking activity is movement. In contrast to cases of domestic servitude or other forms of labor trafficking that involve concealment or confinement to a place of business, sex traffickers move their victims to meet the demand. This creates a variety of opportunities to spot this insidious activity. Jodi Godfrey and Lisa Staes (2024) examined human trafficking awareness within the transportation industry.[iv] They acknowledge the unique position of …

BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans ‘crying’ after spotting Amy Dowden’s ‘hidden’ move

BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans ‘crying’ after spotting Amy Dowden’s ‘hidden’ move

Published by Sam

Strictly Come Dancing fans have been left ‘crying’ after spotting Amy Dowden’s ‘hidden’ move following her first live performance of the series. Welsh dancer Amy and her celebrity dance partner, JLS star JB Gill, emerged in the top spot as they were awarded 31 points from the judges for their waltz to When I Need You by singer Leo Sayer during week one of the BBC One dance contest last Saturday (September 21). Amy, who missed out on having a celebrity partner last year amid her treatment for breast cancer, said she was “so happy” after her performance during the series first live show. READ MORE: Ricky Hatton wants to ‘throw phone in river’ after being inundated with requests over famous pals And viewers watching the first live show unfold were left emotional when head judge Shirley Ballas said during her comments: “Amy, you’re home where you belong and I have to say that choreography was absolutely outstanding.” She also noted, reacting to JB: “You, sir are an absolute diamond and this is going to …

Spotting scams online: Some helpful tips from Cash App

Spotting scams online: Some helpful tips from Cash App

Published by skeptic

Today, thanks to peer-to-peer (P2P) services like Cash App, our money is more accessible than ever. That means fewer obstacles between us and the things we want in our lives.  Unfortunately, the P2P nature of these platforms also means that scammers are likely to take advantage of those who aren’t aware. By keeping some essential rules in mind, you can protect yourself, family, friends, and most importantly — your money. While there are many different types of scams online, a few overall rules can majorly help: 1. Only send payments to accounts you trust While Cash App does hold giveaways, these will only come from official social media accounts, and not third parties who may not be affiliated. Be sure to double-check all info. Here is a list of Cash App’s verified social accounts: Mashable Top Stories Instagram: @CashApp Instagram: @CashByCashapp Twitter: @CashApp Twitter: @CashSupport Twitter:@CashAppStudios Tiktok: @CashApp Twitch: twitch.tv/CashApp Reddit: u/CashAppAndi Facebook: SquareCash 2. Never send money on a promise of getting more in return This trick even predates the Internet: If a message …

The 1 Percent Club viewers left confused after spotting question ‘error’ on latest episode

The 1 Percent Club viewers left confused after spotting question ‘error’ on latest episode

Published by Sam

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Viewers of The 1% Club were left scratching their heads after spotting what appeared to be a mistake in the show on Saturday night (27 April). In the series, hosted by Lee Mack, 100 contestants compete to win prize money of up to £100,000, by answering a series of questions – the last answer of which would only be known to one per cent of the general public. Competitors start the game with £1,000 each, which is then re-distributed into the prize pot when they answer a question incorrectly. During the latest episode, fans playing along at home noticed there seemed to be multiple correct answers to a question from the 30 per cent section. It read: “Amrit and his grandad share the same birthday. Their birthday balloons arrive muddled up. Amrit’s grandad is three times older than him. How old is Amrit?” An image beneath the question …

Deadpool fans are freaking out after spotting dead Marvel superhero in new trailer

Deadpool fans are freaking out after spotting dead Marvel superhero in new trailer

Published by Sam

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free A new trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine released yesterday has fans going through it frame by frame for hidden clues – and they’ve found someone worth freaking out about. Starring actor and Wrexham owner, Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, the trailer shows Wolverine teaming up with Deadpool, who has been recruited for a mission by the Time Variance Authority seen in television series Loki. But one particular shot, showing a giant version of Ant-Man’s helmet opening up to reveal a skull, has fans both alarmed and curious. Deadpool & Wolverine | Trailer It appears that Cassandra Nova, evil twin sister of X-men leader Charles Xavier, will be using the Ant-Man corpse to set up her headquarters. Plenty have brought up the fact that the helmet looks similar to Ant-Man’s costume from 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, wondering what sequence of events led to this. Fans have speculated that the …

Spotting the signs of disordered eating in youth: Tips for parents and caregivers

Spotting the signs of disordered eating in youth: Tips for parents and caregivers

Published by skeptic

In the age of social media, youth are constantly bombarded with viral trends and toxic messages that set unrealistic standards about the ideal body image. This has translated into a far too common expression of body shape dissatisfaction in young people. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder are serious mental health conditions that affect approximately one million Canadians. These conditions are also on the rise in youth, with research showing that health-care visits for eating disorders doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to before the pandemic. This is concerning, since there are already very long wait times for eating disorder programs.   Impact of eating disorders Individuals with eating disorders experience a problematic relationship with food, often accompanied by significant distress about their weight, shape and size. Many experience body image dissatisfaction and restrictive eating. Eating disorders do not discriminate. They can occur in people of any race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic class or gender. Youth who do not “fit” the stereotype of an eating disorder, especially those from Black, …

Meta to remove CrowdTangle, crucial software for spotting misinformation on Facebook and Instagram

Meta to remove CrowdTangle, crucial software for spotting misinformation on Facebook and Instagram

Published by skeptic

People walk behind a Meta Platforms logo during a conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023. FRANCIS MASCARENHAS / REUTERS A digital tool considered vital in tracking viral falsehoods, CrowdTangle will be decommissioned by Facebook owner Meta in a major election year, a move researchers fear will disrupt efforts to detect an expected firehose of political misinformation. The tech giant says CrowdTangle will be unavailable after August 14, less than three months before the US election. The Palo Alto company plans to replace it with a new tool that researchers say lacks the same functionality, and which news organizations will largely not have access to. CrowdTangle has been a game-changer for years, offering researchers and journalists crucial real-time transparency into the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on influential Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Killing off the monitoring tool, a move experts say is in line with a tech industry trend of rolling back transparency and security measures, is a major blow as dozens of countries hold elections this year – a period …

Spotting This On Your Mouth Could Double Your Risk Of Dementia

Spotting This On Your Mouth Could Double Your Risk Of Dementia

Published by skeptic

We’ve written before about how everything from eating your dinner to brushing your teeth and climbing the stairs can reveal early dementia. But now, it seems that a simple glance at your mouth may reveal a potentially doubled dementia risk ― at least, that’s according to a new study from Uppsala University in Sweden. Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the study followed 1,002 70-year-olds for 15 years (who started out dementia-free), and seemed to find a relationship between herpes and dementia. Herpes comes in two forms ― herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which is responsible for oral herpes (cold sores). This affects about 70% of the UK population. Then, there’s herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which shows up as genital herpes and is usually sexually transmitted. About 23% of the UK population have this. The study found that a herpes diagnosis may double your likelihood of getting dementia. Why? Well, to be clear, a correlation between herpes and dementia has been suspected for a long time ― this study seems to …

True Detective viewers ask same question after spotting huge link to season one

True Detective viewers ask same question after spotting huge link to season one

Published by skeptic

Viewers who tuned into the second episode of True Detective: Night Country were left asking the same question after spotting direct links to season one, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Warning! Spoilers for episode two ahead! WATCH: Jodie Foster and Kali Reis star in True Detective: Night Country In the latest installment, we learned that Rose Aguineau was led to the frozen bodies by the ghost of her former lover, Travis Cohle. Rose explained that Travis froze to death, choosing to walk out onto the ice rather than die of leukaemia.  Fans quickly spotted the link to Matthew McConaughey’s season one character, Rust, who spent a great deal of his upbringing in Alaska with his father, a Vietnam veteran and survivalist called Travis.  © LACEY TERRELLEpisode two confirmed links to Matthew McConaughey’s character Rusty Cohle in True Detective season one This isn’t the only connection to season one, however. The spiral symbol imprinted on the forehead of one of the frozen victims, as well as on Annie K’s back, is the same that …