Category: Berry Interesting

Life advice you didn’t ask for, trends you’ll forget by next week, and feel-good fluff designed to help you stop doomscrolling, at least for five seconds.

The Couple That Gossips Together, Stays Together

If you and your partner love bonding over a little tea-spilling about other people, you’re not toxic—you might just be building a better relationship.

A new study out of UC Riverside found that couples who gossip together tend to be happier together. According to researchers, trading hot takes about friends, coworkers, and that one couple from the party last weekend can actually be good for your love life.

The research involved 76 couples, each wearing devices that recorded snippets of their conversations throughout the day—around 14% of their total talk time.

On average, people spent 38 minutes a day gossiping, and about 29 of those minutes were with their significant other. So yes, your partner is officially your gossip BFF.

The researchers think this behavior helps strengthen romantic relationships because it creates emotional intimacy and a sense of “us versus the world.” Whether the gossip is lighthearted or a little more savage, the key is that you’re doing it together.

And it doesn’t have to be mean-spirited. Positive gossip can extend the fun of shared experiences (“I love how funny your coworker is!”), while negative gossip can affirm that you’re on the same page about the people in your orbit. For example, griping about a mutual friend on the ride home from a get-together might reinforce your bond more than pretending everything was great.

The takeaway? Venting, judging, or laughing about other people might actually be one of the secret ingredients to a solid relationship—as long as you’re doing it as a team.

So the next time you and your significant other are on the couch dissecting someone’s awkward toast at a wedding, just remember: it’s not petty, it’s partnership.

Lefties Unite! 10 Sneaky Things Designed for Right-Handed People

International Left-Handers Day (August 13th) is one of those silly holidays no one pays attention to, except the 1 in 10 folks – like myself – who have to spend every day operating in a world that’s basically a giant right-handed playground.

If you’re a righty, you likely don’t realize how many small, everyday things are stacked against us. I’m not saying we deserve our own handicapped spaces, but living in a world designed for righties comes with all sorts of disadvantages we just learn to adapt to.

Even a lot of left-handed folks don’t fully realize how many products are designed and engineered without even the slightest nod to the the sinistral portion of the population that makes up roughly 10% of the world.

Fun fact: The scientific term for left-handedness – “sinistral” – comes from the Latin “sinister,” meaning “left”… because ya’ll used to think we were witches and warlocks. Seriously.

Sure, the big offenders like scissors and can openers get all the press. But the real betrayals are sneakier. Let’s take a tour of the subtle design choices that feel like a personal attack if you’re a lefty.

Zippers on jeans

That flap covering the zipper? It’s always on the left, which means trying to zip with your left hand is basically an Olympic-level sport.

Credit card machines

The swipe slot is always on the right side. And if there’s a pen, it’s tethered to the right too. Same story at banks.

Measuring cups

Hold it in your left hand and suddenly you’re measuring in milliliters instead of ounces. Not a problem if you’re doing metric, but this is ‘Merica! (Luckily, left-handed bakers do have options now.)

Car fobs with flip-out keys

The switchblade-style ones are designed so righties can flip them open smoothly. Lefties? It opens into the palm of your hand unless you do it upside down and push the button with your finger instead of your thumb.

Microwaves

Hit the open button with your left hand and get smacked in the arm by the door. Every. Single. Time.

Rulers and tape measures

Use one left-handed and the numbers are upside down. Why you gotta be sabotaging my DIY projects all the time!?

Power tools

This one’s a serious safety issue! Chop saw handles are commonly on the right, meaning lefties have to cross their arms over the blade like they’re auditioning for a workplace safety video.

Novelty coffee mugs

If there’s only printing on one side, it’s usually placed for righties so everyone else sees the funny design. Lefties get to see it, but don’t get to share. Everyone else just sees the blank side.

Playing cards

Many decks only have numbers in two corners, which means if you’re playing left-handed, you’re basically flying blind.

Serrated knives

The teeth are angled for right-hand cutting, so lefties end up slicing bread thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top. Seriously, it’s a thing that even most lefties don’t know about. They sell special left-handed knives now that would cause the same issue if righties tried to use them.

Yes, it’s a right-handed world out there, and lefties have to adapt every day. So if there’s a special lefty in your life, maybe buy them a pair of lefty scissors and a mug with printing on both sides. It’s the little things.

The Four Commandments of In-Flight Eating

If you’ve ever cracked open a tuna fish sandwich at 35,000 feet—or sat near someone who did—then you already know: certain foods should never fly.

Planes are basically flying sardine cans with wings. Air circulation is minimal, escape options are nonexistent, and there’s no such thing as a personal exhaust fan. That’s why travel etiquette experts say when it comes to in-flight dining, the golden rule is simple: Keep it in your bubble. That means your noise, your elbows, and especially your smells.

According to one etiquette pro, there are four sacred rules for eating on a plane. And yes, they read kind of like airline commandments.

1. Thou shalt not bring smelly food aboard.
This is the big one. No tuna, no garlic-heavy leftovers, no sulfur-scented hard-boiled eggs, and definitely no fish of any kind. Think less “flavor explosion,” more “neutral and forgettable.” If your meal could clear a room, it doesn’t belong in the sky.

2. Thou shalt not eat like an animal.
Messy foods = a messy cabin. Sticky ribs, powdered donuts, spaghetti, and anything that drips or splatters should stay on the ground. If it requires a bib or three napkins minimum, rethink it.

3. Thou shalt be allergy-aware.
This one’s less about manners and more about safety. That innocent peanut butter snack might trigger someone else’s serious reaction in a confined space. Stick to safer options if you can.

4. Thou shalt not go full “open bar.”
Alcohol dehydrates you and hits harder at high altitudes. One too many mid-flight cocktails could leave you woozy, rude, or even kicked off the plane. So sip smart and hydrate often.

So what should you eat up there?

The best in-flight snacks are simple, compact, and inoffensive: crackers, pretzels, fruit (dried or fresh), a granola or protein bar, maybe a meat-and-cheese snack pack. Even a muffin or piece of chocolate is fair game.

Bottom line: if your food passes the “would I want to smell this in an elevator?” test, you’re probably safe. Happy flying—and even happier snacking.

AOL Pulls the Plug on Dial-Up Internet, Ending a Noisy Era

Gen Z may love their wired headphones, thrifted cameras, and all things retro, but if they ever wanted to experience ‘90s-style Internet, that door just got a little harder to open.

AOL has officially announced it will shut down its dial-up Internet service on September 30, 2025. Yes, somehow, this was still an option in 2025.

For millions of Americans in the 1990s, “America Online” was the on-ramp to the World Wide Web. Before broadband and Wi-Fi, you got online through your telephone line — complete with that ear-piercing chorus of digital screeches, beeps, and static that meant you were connecting. And if someone in the house picked up the phone, well, you were instantly disconnected.

Back in the day, AOL flooded mailboxes with shiny CDs promising free trial memberships — often boasting “100 free hours” — before charging a monthly fee. The service peaked when logging on meant chat rooms, AIM messages, and the thrill of hearing “You’ve got mail.”

AOL shortened its name in 2006, but by then broadband and wireless Internet had already taken over. According to U.S. Census data, only about 160,000 Americans were still using dial-up in 2023, making up roughly 0.1% of all Internet connections in the country. It remains most common in rural or remote areas where high-speed options are limited, and satellite is the only alternative.

Dial-up’s one big selling point has always been price — sometimes under $10 a month — but that comes with a glacial speed limit of 56 kilobits per second. At that pace, a single song takes around 12 minutes to download, and a high-definition movie? About 170 hours. That’s over a week of your computer working harder than you do on Monday mornings.

AOL says the shutdown is part of its regular evaluation of products and services, and while this is the end for their dial-up, other companies like Microsoft and NetZero still offer similar connections for the few who want or need them.

So, farewell, America Online. Thanks for the nostalgia, the CDs we used as coasters, and for making us believe the Internet was a place where “getting mail” was exciting.

If you never got to hear that iconic dial-up handshake sound, just know: you really missed out… and also, you’re probably better off.

A Woman Got Trapped Inside a Chuck E. Cheese Kids’ Game

Chuck E. Cheese is the place where a kid can be a kid. And where an adult can be… a cautionary tale.

Last Thursday in California, an unidentified woman decided she just had to try a kids’ game called Snow Day. It’s a small room where fake snowballs rain down, and kids try to grab them and toss them into a hole before the clock runs out. Unfortunately, this woman took “get the ball in the hole” a little too literally and ended up putting her entire arm in there. 🧐

And it wasn’t coming out.

Firefighters had to be called, and it took them 22 minutes to free her… probably because they had to keep stopping to wonder, “How… exactly?” She was fine afterward and even stayed to enjoy the rest of her visit, which is bold. (Most of us would have ghosted the place and started a new life in another state.)

No one knows exactly why she reached into the hole… Confusion about the rules? Retrieving a ball? Spontaneous lapse in judgment?

But Chuck E. Cheese shut down the game until technicians could make sure that no other grown-ups were going to “Winnie the Pooh” themselves into it.

A spokesperson emphasized the game is perfectly safe, adding that the “young adult” was “playing one of the games intended for children” and chose to stick her arm in “a hole not intended for hands or arms.” Which is corporate-speak for “we design our games for pre-teens, not adventurous adults with bad ideas.”

Naturally, a crowd of smartphone-wielding onlookers filmed the whole ordeal. The video went viral, making her the latest entry in the internet’s ever-growing library of “Adults Stuck in Things They Shouldn’t Be In.”

Are Electric Vehicles Making Us More Carsick?

Electric vehicles might be kinder to the planet, but for some passengers, they’re far less gentle on the stomach. If you’ve ever stepped out of an EV feeling a little woozy, you’re not alone… and there’s some solid science behind it.

Studies have found that motion sickness tends to be more common in electric cars than in their gas-powered counterparts. One big reason is the lack of familiar sensory cues. In a traditional car, the rumble of the engine and subtle vibrations give your brain advance notice when the car is speeding up or slowing down. In an EV, that noise and vibration are basically gone, leaving your senses flying blind.

Then there’s regenerative braking, a standard EV feature that slows the car down more gradually than a typical brake system. While it’s great for energy efficiency, it can confuse your body’s internal navigation system.

Your eyes, inner ear, and sense of balance—collectively known as the vestibular system—are getting different messages. Scientists call this a neural mismatch.

Your brain can’t reconcile what it sees and what it feels, which can trigger that dreaded “I might lose my lunch” sensation.

In short, EVs can unintentionally create the perfect storm for queasiness: quiet rides, smoother stops, and fewer physical hints that a change in motion is coming.

The good news? Researchers are already working on ways to fix it. Ideas include adding subtle vibrations to mimic engine feel, adjusting interior lighting to give visual motion cues, or even creating dashboard displays that visually predict acceleration and braking. All of these could help passengers’ brains sync up with what the car is doing.

Until then, the best seat in the house might actually be the driver’s seat.

Driving requires constant visual and physical engagement, which helps prevent motion sickness. Passengers prone to carsickness in EVs might also benefit from looking at the road ahead, cracking a window for fresh air, or avoiding backseat phone scrolling marathons.

So, while EVs are leading the charge toward a greener future, some of us may need a little time—and maybe a few engineering tweaks—before our stomachs are fully onboard.

10 Things That Happened 10 Years Ago: Aug 10-16

Dad Bods, “farting carrots,” and love songs for face-numbing narcotics. Here’s what was in the news 10 years ago this week.

“Dad Bods” were coming into style

A student at Clemson named Mackenzie Pearson had just coined the term months earlier in an article called “Why Girls Love the Dad Bod.” A poll that August found overweight or plus-sized men were the best in bed.

Selena Gomez sang about “farting carrots”

A radio host in the U.K. asked Selena to clarify what the lyrics were to her new song “Good For You.” People thought (or hoped) the opening line was, “I’m farting carrots. I’m farting carrots.” It’s actually, “I’m a 14 carat. I’m 14 carat”… like a diamond. (Sure, Selena… if that’s the story you’re sticking with.)

An NFL player sucker-punched his own QB and broke his jaw

New York Jets defensive end IK Enemkpali was beefing with star QB Geno Smith, who supposedly owed him $600. On August 11, 2015, he sucker-punched Smith in the locker room and broke his jaw. Smith ended up having to cede the starting QB job to Ryan Fitzpatrick and only appeared in one game that season. Enemkpali was immediately released and signed with the Buffalo Bills, but never played in the NFL after that season.

Jimmy Carter announced he had cancer

He was 90 years old when he announced he’d been diagnosed with stage IV melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain. But the former president and peanut farmer would go on to beat cancer and live another decade. He passed away on December 29, 2024 at age 100.

Seth Meyers took a seat

He’d been hosting “Late Night” for just over a year when he opted to start doing his monologue from behind his desk instead of standing. Fans thought the standing monologues were awkward, and sitting behind his desk more closely mimicked his “Weekend Update” segments from “SNL.”

“Watch me nae nae” was ranked one of the worst lyrics of the year

The BuzzFeed community ranked Silentó’s “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” at #3. The top spot went to Chris Brown and Tyga’s “Ayo” for the line, “I’ma take her ass down if she bring her friend around / F*ck ’em both like ayo.” (Classy stuff from two classy guys.)

“Rolling Stone” ranked the 100 best songwriters of all time

They really went out on a limb and put Bob Dylan at #1. The rest of the Top 5 were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson.

“Can’t Feel My Face” was the #1 song in America

The Weeknd topped the Billboard Hot 100 with his ode to cocaine. The #1 album in America was Luke Bryan’s “Kill the Lights,” and the N.W.A. movie “Straight Outta Compton” debuted at #1 in theaters that week.

Mexico said they wouldn’t pay for the wall

Then-candidate Donald Trump had been promising to build a wall across the southern border and make Mexico pay for it. A spokesman for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto responded by calling the comment irresponsible and saying, “Of course it’s false.”

LeBron James offered college scholarships to 2,300 kids

He partnered with the University of Akron, offering $9,500 scholarships to up to 2,300 underprivileged kids if they decided to pursue higher education. Not all of the money came directly out of LeBron’s pocket, but the pledge was valued at nearly $90 million.

Addicted to ChatGPT? You “Slopper”!

Imagine if Clippy from Microsoft Word never went away… and instead became your life coach. That’s basically where we’re at, except Clippy had a glow-up and goes by “ChatGPT.”

And now, there’s a new term for people who rely on it way too much: “Sloppers.”

It’s the latest internet label for folks who ask ChatGPT to help with everything from writing emails to planning their social lives. The term started circulating on TikTok, where someone proudly announced, “A friend coined the word Sloppers for people who use ChatGPT for everything. That’s such a good slur.” (Social media: where insults go to thrive.)

One guy told a story about being on a first date with a Slopper… when the woman pulled out her phone to ask ChatGPT what she should order. Yep, she needed A.I. to choose her dinner. He was so thrown off, there was no second date. Probably a good call.

So why “Slopper”? It’s short for “A.I. slop,” a reference to the flood of weird, robotic, low-effort content generated by artificial intelligence. And it’s not just the content… it’s the idea that some people are letting A.I. do all their thinking for them.

Still, not everyone is sold on “Slopper.” Other nicknames being floated include “Botlicker” (ouch) and “Second-hand thinker” (double ouch). Honestly, they all sound like names your smart refrigerator would call you during an argument.

Of course, we’re still in the early days of this tech revolution, and our collective cringe vocabulary is just getting started. But if you find yourself whispering “Hey ChatGPT” more than you talk to actual humans, maybe take a breath. Step away from the algorithm. Go outside.

Or don’t. Just ask ChatGPT what to do next.

This Math Formula Can Determine If You Got Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed

Someone has created a ridiculously overcomplicated math formula to figure out if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Of course, you probably don’t need a formula to tell you that… especially if it’s a Monday… since most of us already know by the time we’ve burned our toast or stubbed a toe.

This “morning mood” equation factors in all sorts of daily variables, like how long you spend eating breakfast, exercising, showering, doing your makeup, wrangling the kids, or whatever else qualifies as your “getting ready” routine. It also includes the number of hours you slept and the exact time you got up.

It looks intimidating, but it’s not actually that hard to do. You will, however, need a pen, paper, and the patience of someone who hasn’t been awake for only 20 minutes.

Here’s the breakdown:

  1. Take the number of minutes you spent eating breakfast. Double it.
  2. Add that to the number of minutes you spent exercising and showering. Write that total down for later.
  3. Now, take the number of hours you slept. Subtract it from eight, then add one.
  4. Multiply that by the number of hours your wake-up time was away from 7:12 a.m., PLUS one. (Yes, 7:12 specifically… don’t ask.) Write this number down too.
  5. Take the first number you wrote down, and divide it by your second number.
  6. Finally, add that result to HALF the number of minutes you spent on other “getting ready” activities.

If your final total is more than 37, congratulations: You woke up on the right side of the bed. If it’s 37 or less, well… maybe don’t talk to anyone until you’ve had coffee.

(Here’s video of a British mathematician explaining it, but it doesn’t make it easier to wrap your head around. For what it’s worth, I did it and got a 33, which means I got up on the wrong side today.)

The Top Everyday Things That Make Us Smile

According to an online report, the average person will run into about 11 little moments today (and everyday) that make them smile… and not just the polite “customer service” smile, but the real kind that sneaks up on you.

Here are the top 10 everyday things most likely to make that happen:

  1. Spending time with your family. (Yes, even that one cousin.)
  2. Waking up to a bright, sunny day.
  3. Making someone else smile.
  4. Finding money in your pocket. (The ultimate adult treasure hunt.)
  5. Scoring a great deal on something.
  6. Running into an old friend.
  7. Getting a surprise.
  8. Hanging out outdoors.
  9. Eating your favorite meal.
  10. Hearing a good joke.

Just missing the list at #11 was listening to your favorite song.

Rounding out the Top 15 were chocolate… watching your favorite show… getting a compliment… and hearing a baby laugh. (Which is always solid smile fuel… unless it’s 3 a.m. and that baby is yours.)

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