Brian Williams and Jerry Seinfeld
SEINFELD GETS SERIOUS
There's no joke in Jerry Seinfeld's belief that he might be on the Austism spectrum.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the comedy kingpin appeared on NBC Nightly News on Thursday night to promote the upcoming new season of his web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. During the course of his interview with NBC News anchor Brian Williams, Seinfeld suddenly turned serious when he revealed to Williams that he could be afflicted with Autism spectrum disorder, more commonly known as ASD.
As defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ASD involves "significant social, communication and behavioural challenges."
"I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum," Ssaid the 60-year-old Seinfeld in the sit-down, reports New York Daily News.
When Williams gently pressed the matter and asked him how he came to his self-diagnosis, Seinfeld responded by saying, "You know, never paying attention to the right things. Basic social engagement is really a struggle. I'm very literal. When people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don't know what they're saying."
You can watch a clip of the NBC Nightly News interview here.
"I don't see it as dysfunctional," said Seinfeld. "I just think of it as an alternate mindset."
LETHAL STUNT?
The animal advocacy group PETA is not happy with the U.S. Discovery Channel's plans to air a TV special purportedly showing a man being swallowed whole by a giant snake. On Thursday, Discovery announced its intention to broadcast a program titled Eaten Alive, in which naturalist Paul Rosolie would allow himself to be swallowed whole by a giant anaconda while wearing a "custom-built snake-proof suit." Shortly after, PETA deputy general counsel Delcianna Winders released a statement blasting both Discovery and Rosolie, stating in part, "Not only does this publicity stunt sound far-fetched, it would also be lethal for the snake. Shame on this pseudo 'wildlife expert' for tormenting and likely killing an animal for a thrill and shame on the Discovery Channel for giving him the incentive to do it."
Source: Us Weekly
SWEATING TO EXHALE
A new study on the air quality in gyms has raised questions on whether workout facilities are healthy for humans. The study co-conducted by the University of Lisbon and the Technical University of Delft in Holland positioned air-quality monitors throughout 11 gyms to measure levels of commonly-found indoor pollutants, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and airborne particulates like dust. The results showed that all of the gyms had high levels of airborne dust, formaldehyde (from products used to clean carpets and other surfaces) and carbon dioxide. The study also noted that the air-quality levels were at their worst during evening aerobics classes, when people were jammed into crowded studios, stirring up dust and exhaling heavily, releasing carbon dioxide with each breath.
Source: New York Times
FASHION FAUX PAS
Ellie Goulding is catching heat for wearing a Native American headdress. The British singer shared a picture of herself wearing the headgear to a Halloween party on Instagram earlier this week. In the photo, Goulding is shown wearing a beaded-layer top and the large tribal headpiece, which features beading and feathers. Within hours, the photo generated angry backlash from Instagram users, with several calling Goulding's outfit "racist" and "insensitive." Goulding responded in turn by deleting the photo from her Instagram account and declaring on Twitter, "I wore that beautiful unauthentic headpiece for about 5 minutes. I haven't worn my costume for Halloween yet."
Source: Us Weekly
TANNED VS. SMART
When it comes to choosing leaders, most Americans opt for healthy-looking people over intelligent-looking people. A new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience tasked 148 volunteers to choose a hypothetical CEO from one of two faces. All the photos were of the same adult male, but researchers digitally altered the man's face to look more and less intelligent (as determined by forehead size and eye width, among other factors). Researchers also varied the photo subject's health by changing the man's pallor from pasty to tanned. All told, the ruddy-faced candidates were preferable to the volunteers 69 per cent of the time, regardless of the task the CEO was intended to accomplish.
Source: Washington Post