WEIRD STUFF

Experts say parents should get babies' consent before changing diapers

Parents should ask their babies' permission before changing their nappies, according to two Australian academics who argue that consent should be taught "before they can even talk".

Dr Nicole Downs and Dr Katherine Bussey, early-childhood specialists at Deakin University, claim that treating nappy changes as something to "rush through" misses a key opportunity to teach children body autonomy.

Writing in The Conversation, they insist that consent should be "a normal, everyday part of life" rather than a conversation reserved for teenagers.

Downs and Bussey argue that involving babies in the process can help them understand what is happening and develop a sense of agency.

They recommend getting down to a child's level and stating, "You need a nappy change," followed by a pause so the child can process the information.

Parents should then offer a choice - such as walking or being carried to the changing table - and watch for cues in their facial expressions or body language.

Crucially, the pair argue against distracting children with toys or songs, saying youngsters should "notice when someone is touching their most intimate parts".

----------------------

Artist seeks PS1 million for old rope

A Turner Prize-nominated artist is attempting to sell a 10-tonne pile of discarded rope for PS1 million (approximately J$211 million),

David Shrigley - best known for installing a giant thumb sculpture on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth - insists the mountain of knotted, frayed leftovers is both a serious artwork and a pointed joke about the value people place on culture.

The visual artist spent months travelling the UK collecting unwanted rope from wind farms, climbing schools, cruise ships, fishermen and even window cleaners. Much of it would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Cleaned and treated in his Brighton studio, the rope now forms the single, sprawling centrepiece of his new exhibition, Exhibition of Old Rope, which opens at the Stephen Friedman Gallery in London.

Shrigley, 57, said the idea sprang from the idiom "money for old rope".

He explained: "Old rope has no use. It's also hard to recycle, so there's a lot of it lying around. I thought: what if I turn that into a literal exhibition of old rope? And then say, yes, this is art, and yes, you can buy it for PS1 million."

If stretched end to end, the rope would measure 20 miles, weighing more than an African bush elephant.

----------------------

Titanic gold watch goes on sale

A gold pocket watch recovered from the body of one of the Titanic's wealthiest passengers is expected to sell for PS1 million (approximately J$211 million) at auction later this month.

The 18-carat Jules Jurgensen timepiece belonged to Isidor Straus, the Bavaria-born American businessman, politician and co-owner of Macy's department store.

Straus and his wife, Ida, were among more than 1,500 people who perished when the "unsinkable" liner struck an iceberg and went down in the early hours of 14 April 1912.

Straus's body was recovered days later, and among his possessions was the gold watch - frozen at 02:20, the exact moment the Titanic slipped beneath the Atlantic.

Believed to have been a gift from Ida in 1888, it is engraved with Straus's initials and has been carefully restored by his great-grandson, Kenneth Hollister Straus.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge and Son in Wiltshire, said the watch is "a phenomenal piece of memorabilia".

------------------

Ultra-processed foods linked to pre-cancerous growth

Women under 50 who regularly eat ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are far more likely to develop pre-cancerous growths in the bowel, alarming new research has revealed.

Scientists from PROSPECT - a global Cancer Grand Challenges team - analysed endoscopy results from more than 29,100 women, finding that those who ate the most UPFs faced a 45 per cent higher risk of developing bowel polyps, a known precursor to colorectal cancer.

Colon cancer is the only major cancer type rising exclusively in younger adults, prompting researchers to probe environmental and dietary causes.

UPFs - including packaged breads, breakfast foods and sugary drinks - are typically low in fibre and packed with additives such as emulsifiers that disrupt gut health.

Published in JAMA Oncology, the study tracked female nurses aged 25 to 42 over 24 years.

Those with the highest UPF intake tended to have higher BMI, smoke more and exercise less - but even after adjusting for these factors, UPFs were strongly linked with early-onset tumours.