SCRATCHING WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED IS GOOD FOR YOU _ Does stress make you itchy? You’re not alone, and you may be engaging in an elaborate conflict-prevention strategy that evolved millions of years ago. Researchers (University of Plymouth) spent eight months observing a group of wild rhesus macaques, watching for patterns — specifically in their scratching habits. The scientists found that the macaques were scratching the most at times of heightened social stress, such as when they had to deal with a higher-ranking or unknown monkey. This echoes research conducted on human stress: we often have the same response when forced to confront our bosses or approach strangers. It turns out there’s a good reason for this — to avoid squabbles. In the study, higher-ranking monkeys were 25 percent less likely to get aggressive towards scratching monkeys compared with non-scratching ones. The lead author of the study said this could mean that monkeys see scratching as a signal of stress — and attacking a stressed-out monkey may not be a very good idea because they could behave unpredictably.
4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT MONEY _ Time to upgrade your money IQ.
• One out of every four Americans believe their best chance of getting rich is by playing the lottery.
• 90 percent of Americans who own pets buy them Christmas gifts.
• Money is the leading cause of disagreements in marriages.
• 92% of us would rather be rich than find the love of our lives.
• BONUS: People tip more on sunny days than they do on dreary days.
WOULD YOU PAY $20 EXTRA TO KEEP AN EMPTY MIDDLE SEAT ON A FLIGHT? _ A plane ride is not exactly anyone’s favorite place to start small talk. You’re squished together in seats that are almost always too small with little room to even stretch your legs, and if it’s a long flight, there’s the eternal battle over the armrest. It doesn’t exactly scream social niceties. Now, if you fly Qantas Airlines, you might be able to spend as little as $20 to have the seat next to you empty — no chitchat, no elbow bumping and not having to pay for a full second fare. According to Travel + Leisure, the Australian flagship airline is piloting the program on about a half-dozen domestic routes for six weeks to see how much appetite there is to not sit next to anyone. Fees will range between $20 and $34. The process is simple: If you’ve selected a seat and the flight isn’t fully booked, you’ll receive an email invitation 48 hours before takeoff asking if you’d like to pay to keep it empty. After paying, the seat is yours, unless the flight fills up before departure. If it does, you’ll be fully refunded, so you have nothing to lose.
