UniSuper, one of Australia’s largest pension funds, has reported that investments across its A$115 billion ($77 billion) portfolio

Christmas is approaching, and that means so are the overcooked, bitter, totally unnecessarily mountains of Brussels sprouts that your family insists on serving. Every, damn, time. Well, that’s how some people might see it, anyway. The fact is, love them or hate them, Brussels sprouts are always going to be controversial – a little like that awkward uncle who rocks up every Christmas and starts a big family row. But it turns out that sprout-haters have actually got a very sound, scientific excuse for their picky eating on Christmas day – and it's all to do with genetics. Stacey Lockyer, nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, told Huffpost: “Brussels sprouts are one of a group of vegetables known as cruciferous vegetables or Brassica which also includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. “Brassica contain high amounts of compounds called glucosinolates which, when metabolised in the body, give them their characteristic sharp or bitter taste.” An area covering 3,240 football pitches is dedicated to growing Brussels sprouts in the UK. If you were to line them up individually, they'd stretch from London to Sydney. Despite this, some people are just genetically predisposed to hate that bitter taste. Lockyer added: “Whether we like or dislike certain foods is determined by different factors (such as previous experiences with a food and number of exposures), but some studies have demonstrated that the perception of bitterness of cruciferous vegetables is linked to genetic differences in taste receptors on the tongue.” In fact, a 2011 study by Cornwall College found sprouts contain a chemical which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 percent of the world’s population have a mutation on this gene. About half of us just don’t taste the bitterness usually associated with sprouts, and therefore actually like them. (Imagine!) Nonetheless, hope is not lost. A University of Warwick study found that as we get older, we’re more likely to like sprouts. Research fellow Lauren Chappell said in a blog post: "Sulphur is responsible for the bitter sprout taste. As we age, we lose tastebuds, which can make them more palatable—potentially why adults who hated sprouts as children now embrace them in seasonal dishes.” Which means, regrettably, that your grandparents were probably right all along. 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.

'Alan Wake 2' is arriving on October 27.

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

A summer that has already seen water crises and wildfire smoke is rapidly becoming an inflection point in

Creative types tend to favor Macs over Windows PCs, and photographers are no exception. When

Divers in Mexico have discovered Megalodon teeth in a flooded inland cave and the findings have confirmed scientific beliefs. Megalodons were absolutely gigantic prehistoric sharks that reached sizes of up to 50 feet long. They dominated the oceans before going extinct around 3.6 million years ago. Scientists are interested in studying fossils of the huge sea creature, with the animal's teeth proving the most abundant type of fossil to be found today. Teeth fossils were found in Mexico by speleologist (cave specialist) and photographer Kay Nicte Vilchis Zapata and fellow speleologist Erick Sosa Rodriguez while diving in a newly discovered sinkhole in Cholul in 2019. The cenote is 400 meters long and 28 meters deep and located inside were fifteen teeth fossils from various shark species. They also discovered human remains and a vertebrae fossil that potentially belongs to an ancient species. A total of 13 of the 15 teeth fossils belonged to three different species of shark – one being the megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon), while the other two species were the mackerel shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and the sawshark (Pristiophoridae). Zapata told local media at the time: “We were looking at the wall and suddenly I saw a little something, I went closer and I saw that it was a tooth, that was the first and apparently it belonged to a sawshark.” Experts believe the geological timescale of the megalodon teeth lies anywhere between 2.5 million to 5 million years old. Speleologist Sosa Rodriguez said: “It is just proof of what scientists have already studied and written about; what kind of wildlife lived here millions of years ago when this was part of the sea.” Scientists have suggested that the megalodon’s warm body temperature may have been the reason for its extinction. There is some thought that the megalodon was able to maintain a body temperature around 7 degrees centigrade warmer than the water around it, but ultimately this may have been its downfall. Randy Flores, a UCLA doctoral student and fellow of the Centre for Diverse Leadership in Science, explained: “Maintaining an energy level that would allow for megalodon’s elevated body temperature would require a voracious appetite that may not have been sustainable in a time of changing marine ecosystem balances when it may have even had to compete against newcomers such as the great white shark.” 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.

By Sam Nussey TOKYO Japanese video game company Capcom enjoyed a 6% jump in its stock price on

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 21, 2023--

A twisted rumour spread across social media on Friday (23 June) that said Marvel actor Jeremy Renner had passed away from a "freak escalator accident." He has not. It is simply yet another celebrity death hoax. The image was originally shared on Twitter with a fake headline that read: "Jeremy Renner, actor, passes away at 52 from freak escalator accident." The fake article is credited to The Guardian's deputy culture editor Sian Cain but appears to be a doctored screenshot from an article written back in March, as the two used the same image of the star. The original article covered Renner's snowplough accident that occurred in January. The rumour seems to have started from user @weedhitter, whose original tweet has over 1 million views, according to Twitter. The hashtag #ripjeremyrenner soon began trending on Twitter as a result of the fake headline, which later featured a community note letting users know that the Hawkeye actor was still alive. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Whilst the hashtag was trending it seemed that most were in on the hoax, rather than spreading misinformation: However, some didn't appreciate the rumour: 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.

Apple is preparing an urgent software update in an effort to prevent its latest iPhone 15 from overheating, according to reports. Shortly after the launch of the iPhone 15 last month, owners began complaining that the smartphone becomes “too hot to touch” while performing certain tasks. The issue, dubbed ‘heatgate’ by some users, is related to a software bug tied to Instagram and other popular apps like Uber and the racing game Asphalt 9, according to Apple. The US tech giant said in a statement earlier this week that it had “identified a few conditions which can cause iPhones to run warmer than expected”, adding that it was “working with app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out”. Apple is now preparing to release a software update of its own to address the issue, according to MacRumours, with internal testing already underway. No official details about when the iOS 17.0.3 update might be released, but it is understood that it could be available as early as this week. Apple did not respond to a request for further information from The Independent. Meta released its own update for Instagram on Wednesday in an effort to prevent the app from overloading Apple’s A17 Pro chip. Users have recorded Apple’s flagship phone reaching temperatures as high as 47 C while gaming. Ian Zelbo, a reporter for 9to5Mac, wrote on X/Twitter that he experienced the problem while using the iPhone 15’s fast charging feature. “My iPhone 15 Pro Max is almost too hot to touch while fast charging right now,” he wrote. “I thought people were overexaggerating but no this isn’t great. Interestingly, if I’m holding it, the left side rail and a little of the back on the left side is what is the hottest by far... lines up perfectly with the logic board.” Apple dismissed theories that the overheating issue was caused by the device’s new titanium casing, or the change in charging adapter to USB-C for the first time with an iPhone. The company also warned that new iPhones “may feel warmer” during the first few days after setting them up due to increased background activity, though this is typical of all new smartphones. Read More Apple issues iPhone 12 update over radiation concerns Zuckerberg says Metaverse can bring back the dead – virtually Apple blames Instagram for overheating iPhones Tim Cook interview: Apple boss reveals his ‘aha moment’

BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 13, 2023--