WEIRD STUFF

Hitler may have had micro-penis

Adolf Hitler may have suffered from a genetic disorder that stunted his sexual development and left him with a micro-penis.

A new DNA analysis has revealed that the Nazi dictator carried Kallmann syndrome, a rare condition that disrupts puberty and testosterone production, often leading to undescended testicles and underdeveloped genitals.

According to the findings, Hitler had around a one-in-10 chance of possessing a micro-penis -- lending surprising truth to the wartime song Hitler Has Only Got One Ball.

The analysis, carried out by a team led by Professor Turi King, best known for identifying the remains of Richard III, also disproves long-standing rumours that Hitler had Jewish ancestry.

University of Bath expert Professor King said: "If he was to look at his own genetic results, he'd almost certainly have sent himself to the gas chambers."

She added that the team had "agonised" over whether to conduct the analysis, but decided it was important to approach the work "in an extremely measured and rigorous fashion".

Professor King added: "The genetics can in no way excuse what he did."

The DNA sample was taken from a bloody sofa in Hitler's Berlin bunker, where he took his own life in 1945.

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Football makes fans brains go wild

Football fans experience dramatic changes in brain activity every time their team scores, wins or loses.

Scientists in Chile scanned the brains of supporters as they watched footage of real match goals -- and found that the emotional highs and lows of football trigger powerful neurological reactions within seconds.

When a fan's team scored, the brain's reward and pleasure centres lit up, releasing feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, the same neurotransmitter linked to joy, motivation, and even addiction.

But when their rivals scored, a very different system switched on: regions involved in introspection and emotional processing, helping fans rationalise the painful blow.

The study monitored 60 male fans age 20-45 from two fierce Chilean rivals -- Colo-Colo and Club Universidad de Chile -- using fMRI brain scans as they watched 63 goals, from their team, their rivals, and neutral clubs.

Researchers also surveyed their levels of fanaticism, including belonging, passion, and even tendencies towards aggression.

The more devoted the fan, the more explosive the brain's reaction during key match moments.

Lead researcher Francisco Zamorano Mendieta, of Clinica Alemana de Santiago, said: "Deep commitment to the team influences neural activity. Important victories activate reward networks in the brain more than victories against non-rival teams. These networks are formed in childhood."

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Switching to vegan could save planet

Going vegan could almost halve your environmental impact.

Researchers at the University of Granada in Spain found that switching from a typical Mediterranean diet to a fully plant-based one slashed carbon emissions by 46 per cent, used 33 per cent less land, and required seven per cent less water.

Their results also showed reductions in several other pollutants linked to global warming.

To compare the two eating patterns, the team designed week-long meal plans -- each totalling 2,000 calories per day -- based on either a healthy omnivorous Mediterranean diet or a completely plant-based version, featuring tofu, tempeh, legumes, soy yoghurt and seeds.

Dr Noelia Rodriguez-Martin, who led the study, said: "Moving from a Mediterranean to a vegan diet generated 46 per cent less CO2.

"It also used significantly fewer natural resources and lowered other pollutants associated with climate change."

Animal-based foods have a far higher carbon footprint because livestock produce methane during digestion, while manure and fertiliser release nitrous oxide -- two potent greenhouse gases.

But the researchers say you don't need to go fully vegan to make an impact.

Rodriguez-Martin added: "You don't need to go fully vegan to make a difference. Even small steps towards a more plant-based diet reduce emissions and save resources. Every meal that includes more plants helps move us towards healthier people and a healthier planet."