‘World’s dirtiest man’ dies after taking a bath

Amou Haji in Iran

(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images)

A man who did not bathe for more than half a century has died at the age of 94 “shortly after taking a bath”, reported The Telegraph. Amou Haji, who was nicknamed the “world’s dirtiest man”, died on Sunday in the village of Dejgah in the southern province of Fars. For decades, he avoided washing over fears of getting sick. He finally succumbed to pressure and washed a few months ago and became ill shortly afterwards and died on Sunday.

Actors forget their own name when working

Actors’ brains respond less strongly to hearing their own name when they are playing a role, experts have found. So “attuned” is our brain to our own self that typically when we hear our own name — even across a crowded room — it “locks on to the sound”, said The Times. However, when researchers studied actors rehearsing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, they found they still hear their name, but their brain no longer responds as if it is quite so special.

Airline launches ‘middle seat lottery’

An airline has launched the Middle Seat Lottery to encourage more people to choose the middle seat on flights. Just 0.6% of more than 7,500 voters polled prefer the middle seat, according to a recent social media poll by Virgin Australia. Now, the airline has launched a raffle worth about $230,000 for those who sit in the middle seat during a flight. Velocity Frequent Flyer members aged 18 years or older who are seated in a middle seat can use the airline's app to enrol in the lottery.