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Emojis boost romance, researchers say

Including emojis in text messages can improve a relationship. Researchers have found that the simple act of using the icons during text communications with a partner can increase feelings of closeness and relationship satisfaction between a couple.

A team from the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 260 adults and found that texts with emojis made senders seem far more attentive.

The type of emoji didn't matter -- just its presence did.

Participants were randomly assigned 15 text message exchanges to read -- half of which included emojis and the other half just standard text -- and were instructed to think of themselves as the sender of the texts and to focus on their partner's responses.

The experts wrote in the journal PLOS One: "The study revealed that emojis can boost relationship satisfaction by signalling emotional attentiveness.

"Interestingly, it's not the type of emoji but simply their presence that makes people feel closer to their partner."

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Shortest day in history coming this summer

The shortest day in history is coming this summer.

Astrophysicist Graham Jones, of the University of London, says that the planet's rotation will speed up significantly on either July 9, July 22 or August 5.

Time is predicted to drop on these days by 1.30, 1.38 or 1.51 milliseconds, respezctively.

Even though these changes are tiny, they will affect everything from satellite systems and GPS accuracy to how time is measured itself.

Scientists have been left baffled by the planet's acceleration.

Leonid Zotov, a scientist at Moscow State University, said: "Nobody expected this, the cause of this acceleration is not explained."

Boffins have noticed that Earth has been spinning slightly faster than usual since 2020 but the cause is still a mystery.

Our planet normally takes 24 hours -- or exactly 86,400 seconds -- to complete a full rotation but this isn't always perfect.

The rotation tends to shift by a few milliseconds over time as Earth's spin is influenced by natural forces such as earthquakes and ocean currents.

The fastest recorded day in history so far was July 5, 2024, when Earth spun 1.66 milliseconds faster than the standard 24 hours.

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Killer whales get romantic

Killer whales have been filmed kissing for the first time.

The smooch was caught on camera by scientists on a snorkelling trip in Norway.

In a two-minute clip, the orcas -- also known as killer whales -- are seen engaging in three separate 'kisses', lasting 10, 26, and 18 seconds each.

One orca extends its tongue while the other appears to gently mouth or nibble it.

After the last kiss, the animals part ways and swim off in different directions.

Scientist Dr Javier Almunia explained that "tongue-nibbling is exceptionally rare", and said that the behaviour had only been seen in orcas in human care.

Although tongue-nibbling has not been recorded in other species, the expert did state that mouth-to-mouth contact has been spotted between Beluga whales.

He told Live Science: "This behaviour appears to serve affiliative purposes and may play a role in reinforcing social bonds or resolving conflicts, akin to grooming or reconciliation behaviours in other highly social species."