Chewing with mouth open is the ‘best way to eat’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

An expert from the University of Oxford has claimed that eating with your mouth open is the best way to consume food, The Telegraph reported. Although letting your fellow diners see your food as you chew is widely considered bad manners, Prof Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist, found that it maximises flavour and allows you to derive as much pleasure out of a mouthful as possible. “We’ve been doing it all wrong,” he said.
Teen steals chewing gum to pay off debt
A teenager stole £30,000 of Wrigley’s chewing gum to pay off a debt, Sky News reported. Keon Sanderson, 18, was part of a gang who raided a lorry as the driver slept while parked at Gloucester Services on the M5. The thieves took seven out of 19 pallets of chewing gum after cutting open the side of the vehicle. Sanderson, who pleaded guilty to theft, possession of cannabis and failing to provide a breath test, sample of blood or urine for analysis, was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Springsteen guitarist distances himself from ticket prices
A member of Bruce Springsteen’s band has criticised the rock star’s ticket pricing, The Times reported. The price of tickets to a show in Edinburgh next year reached more than £600 yesterday, thanks to a dynamic pricing structure that responds to “supply and demand”, adjusting prices accordingly. As fans vented their anger, Steven Van Zandt, Springsteen’s guitarist, said on Twitter: “I have nothing whatsoever to do with the price of tickets. Nothing. Nada. Niente. Bubkis.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What does 'conquering' Gaza mean to Israel?
Today's Big Question Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has approved a plan to displace much of the Palestinian population while seizing and occupying the territory on a long-term basis.
-
Casey Means: the controversial 'wellness influencer' nominated for surgeon general
In the Spotlight Means has drawn controversy for her closeness to RFK Jr.
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical