JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 19, 2023--

It's Halloween season and while some might believe they have a haunted house, a charity has warned it is more likely that the ghastly goings-on are actually to do with dangerous electrical faults. Experts are warning that typical experiences associated with haunted houses could present a much more scary reality, leaving your home exposed to a fire. Flickering lights and green slime oozing from the walls may sound like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie but are far more likely to be explained by electrical faults linked to wiring, than any ghoulish ghost. “We’re all familiar with scenes in horror movies where the lights constantly flicker and trip,” explained Richard Harvey, electrical installation safety engineer at Electrical Safety First. “But the reality is far more scary than any ghost. Flickering lights or bulbs that keep blowing are likely caused by a loose connection in your wiring rather than the supernatural.” Green slime oozing from plug sockets is also a warning to look out for this spooky season. “A green goo-like substance oozing from your plug sockets is far more likely to be linked to deteriorating wiring than a mutant invasion,” Harvey added. “When green goo appears, it can adversely affect protective components within your socket and leave you exposed to risk of electric shock in the future. It is mostly seen in wiring predating 1960 and is a chemical reaction between the plastic and copper.” The consequences of faulty electrics can be far more frightening than a property plagued by the paranormal, leaving your home exposed to fire and those living in it at serious risk. “A far more effective way of tackling these ghostly signs isn’t to call the Ghostbusters,” Harvey noted. “A competent and registered electrician will be able to rid your home of any potentially dangerous electrical faults to ensure your property is safe.” Blood-curdling fines of up to £30,000 may be issued to private landlords in England who do not ensure their property is inspected once every five years under legislation introduced in 2021. Living in an unsafe home can be far more frightening than any horror film. Whilst most landlords provide good and safe accommodation for renters, rogue landlords face hefty fines if they actively neglect to comply with the laws. Electrical Safety First recommends using a competent and registered electrician to undertake an electrical safety inspection on your property. Landlords and households can find a registered electrician using the charity’s Find an Electrician tool. Households are also warned to be aware of a change of smell in the home. Whilst movies associate unusual smells including sulphur, with ghostly goings on, strong smells, similar to that of fish, could be burning plastic on plug sockets. Six signs your house is haunted by dodgy electrics Lights that continue to blow or flicker – If you’re constantly finding yourself in the dark, there is a possibility a loose connection is at fault rather than a ghost. An unpleasant smell similar to fish – Whilst unpleasant smells such as sulphur are often associated with hauntings, an unwelcome smell, similar to fish, can often be associated with the burning smell of sockets or plastic. Don’t overlook it, report it immediately to your landlord. Green goo oozing from the sockets – Unlikely a mutant invasion and more likely a chemical reaction linked to old wiring that can adversely affect protective components in your sockets. Yellow sockets – If your plug sockets are yellowing or discolouring in any way, this could be a sign of overheating and a possible risk of fire waiting to happen. Cracked or broken sockets and switches – Whilst this may seem like a small inconvenience, it is often indicative that the property has not been checked and further much bigger faults could be present. The electricity keeps tripping – If your electrics continue to trip the reality is far more concerning than the paranormal. Tripping electrics are an indicator that your circuits are overloaded or that the wiring in the property is deteriorating. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It’s November 2021, Boris Johnson is the prime minister of the UK, and he’s making a speech to

If you’re anything like us, the first coffee of the day is the only thing that can get us up on a morning – and it turns out, there’s real science behind it. Everyone knows that coffee can give us a welcome caffeine hit, but it’s now been revealed that the drink also gives us an extra ‘special boost’ too. Scientists have claimed that the act of drinking a cup of joe gives the body a lift, making us more alert, which can’t be replicated merely with caffeine. In fact, new research shows that drinking hot coffee activates additional areas of the brain. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Scientists from the University of Minho in Portugal and elsewhere looked into the effects of coffee outside of just caffeine content as part of a study – and they found that plain caffeine didn’t have the same impact. In fact, a cup of coffee also influenced working memory and goal-directed behaviour. “There is a common expectation that coffee increases alertness and psychomotor functioning. When you get to understand better the mechanisms underlying a biological phenomenon, you open pathways for exploring the factors that may modulate it and even the potential benefits of that mechanism,” study co-author Nuno Sousa explained. Experts said that drinking coffee actually increased the connectivity in the brain’s more advanced nerve network controlling vision, and other parts involved in working memory, cognitive control and goal-directed behaviour – something not found when participants only took caffeine. Researchers also said that if subjects wanted to not just feel alert but ready to go, caffeine alone might not do the job. “Acute coffee consumption decreased the functional connectivity between brain regions of the default mode network, a network that is associated with self-referential processes when participants are at rest,” study co-author Maria Picó-Pérez said. “The subjects were more ready for action and alert to external stimuli after having coffee,” she added. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

BYD outpaced Tesla in the second quarter as the Chinese carmaker posted record sales of hybrid and electric vehicles.

X/Twitter owner Elon Musk says he's still down to have an actual, physical, non-metaphorical cage

Shell Plc, IAG SA’s British Airways, the British Broadcasting Corp., the state of Minnesota’s Department of Education, multiple

SpaceX is about to launch the world’s biggest and tallest rocket once again. Elon Musk’s private space company has got its final approval from US federal regulators to launch Starship on Friday morning local central time. The first launch of the rocket initially appeared to go well, with the rocket launching up into the sky and preparing for its journey around Earth. But minutes later the spacecraft began to tumble and soon after that it blew up in a vast explosion. Since then, SpaceX has been working to comply with regulators including aviation authorities as well as those tasked with protecting the environment and wildlife around its base in Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration issued its license Wednesday, noting that SpaceX has met safety, environmental and other requirements to launch again. Elon Musk's rocket company said it was targeting Friday morning. After the self-destruct system blew up the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX made dozens of improvements to the nearly 400-foot (121-meter) rocket and to the launch pad, which ended up with a large crater beneath it. SpaceX has a $3 billion NASA contract to land astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2025, using the spacecraft. A month ago, the FAA completed its safety review of the upcoming Starship launch. It needed more time to wrap up its environmental review. No one was injured in the first attempt, but the pad was heavily damaged as the rocket's 33 main engines ignited at liftoff. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later reported that concrete chunks, steel sheets and other objects were hurled thousands of feet (hundreds of meters) from the pad. It also said a plume of pulverized concrete sent material several miles (up to 10 kilometers) away. Wildlife and environmental groups sued the FAA over what they considered to be the FAA’s failure to fully consider the environmental impacts of the Starship program near Boca Chica Beach. Plans call for the test flight to last 1 /1/2 hours and fall short of a full orbit of Earth. The spacecraft would go eastward, passing over the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans before ditching near Hawaii. Nothing of value will be on board. Additional reporting by agencies Read More The world’s most powerful rocket should launch imminently, Elon Musk says Robot hand with bones, ligaments and tendons 3D printed in world first Users of iPhones can now check bank balance from Wallet app

Settle your sweet tooth (and build some alliances in the process) with this all-new cookbook inspired by 'The Settlers of Catan.'

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the world’s biggest sulfur dioxide emitter, has been given permission to bypass pollution abatement

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2023--

Prestige DRX Aatrox skin splash art, price, release date information and more for the new League of Legends skin celebrating Worlds 2022 winners DRX and MVP Kingen.