Readers Digest_AUSTRALIA April2020

OATUSRARPSOLDTDKOCRASISETSS

LAUGH

YSomuarrsteelrf!

PAGE 30

Drama in Real Life
INTO THE JAWS
OF A HURRICANE

PAGE 114

Australia’s Rare
TREE KANGAROO

8PAGE 24
Truths About
YOUR METABOLISM

PAGE 66

Available now, everywhere H to

8 LAUGH

Yourself
Smarter!

Drama in Real Life
INTO THE JAWS
OF A HURRICANE

Australia’s Rare
TREE KANGAROO

8Truths About

YOUR METABOLISM

CONTENTS

APRIL 2020

Features 42 42

24 health 56

making a difference Adult Autism art of living

Tree Kangaroo Mum While autism is Metronomics
usually diagnosed in
It takes a special childhood, some You’ll run into all
person to help raise people only receive a sorts of weird and
these unusual tree- diagnosis much later. wonderful people
dwelling marsupials. travelling by
LISA FIELDS commuter train.
CATH JOHNSEN
52 VANYA LOCHAN
30
food on your plate 66
mental health
Walnuts – health
Laugh Yourself A Great Food
Smarter for Thought 8 Truths About How
We Burn Kilojoules
Finding things funny These tempting
launches a cascade crunchy nuts have There are a lot of
of meaningful brain some serious health myths about the
activity. ADAM PIORE benefits, too. impact metabolism
has on your health,
30 KATE LOWENSTEIN AND especially when it
DANIEL GRITZER comes to weight loss.
COVER IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
JULIA BELLUZ FROM VOX

ON THE COVER: LAUGH YOURSELF SMARTER – PAGE 30

1

72 CONTENTS 100

language APRIL 2020 technology

Word Sleuth 92 Prediction
Addiction
Here’s a clue: these 82
plot devices will help Fantastic forecasts
you solve mysteries. profile of personal and
consumer gadgets
SAPTAK CHOUDHURY Let’s Stop that have since
Wasting Food become reality.
76
When Selina Juul ANDY SIMMONS
photo feature dedicated her life to
the fight against food 106
Tight Spaces waste, she started a
movement that’s travel
Packed in like a changing a country.
sardine? Crowds and Back Roads of Japan
overcrowded places TIM HULSE
are an increasing fact Exploring the historic
of everyday life. 92 villages and rural
beauty of alpine
CORNELIA KUMFERT animal kingdom Japan by hire car is
less complicated than
72 Rare Bird you may think.

2 april 2020 New Zealand locals DIANE GODLEY
are scaling up efforts
to safeguard kiwi in
their natural habitat
from threats.

STÉPHANIE VERGE

134

114 Departments

114 the digest

bonus read 18 Pets
20 Health
Into the Teeth of 23 News From the
a Hurricane
World of Medicine
A recording from the 129 RD Recommends
bridge tells the story of
a cargo ship, El Faro, regulars 20
with 33 crew aboard 4 Editor’s Note
as it sails into an 6 Letters 3
intensifying hurricane.
10 News Worth
WILLIAM LANGEWIESCHE Sharing
FROM VANITY FAIR
12 My Story
16 Smart Animals
55 That’s Outrageous
60 Look Twice
103 13 Things
113 Quotable Quotes

humour

50 Life’s Like That
64 Laughter, the

Best Medicine
90 All in a Day’s Work

the genius section 16

134 Wake Up Your
Brain

137 Family Fun
138 Puzzles
140 Trivia
141 Word Power

READER’S DIGEST

EDITOR’S NOTE

Laugh Yourself Healthy

I ENJOY SEEING THE FUNNY SIDE OF LIFE. Perhaps
it’s a necessary survival tool as the mother of three teens
and one pre-teen. But science can back my hunch that
having a quiet chuckle and a jolly giggle is genuinely good
for my sanity – and my brain. In ‘Laugh Yourself Smarter’
(page 30) we meet a neuroscientist who is also a stand-up
comedian (an interesting mix!). His research, both in the
laboratory and on the stage, has revealed that laughing
boosts our physical and mental wellbeing.
In a nutshell, laughing is the perfect
workout for your brain.

On a more serious note, in ‘Rare Bird’
(page 92) we meet a team of volunteers
whose work in New Zealand’s Bay
of Plenty region is helping to protect
the iconic kiwi, which is facing
serious decline. I hope you
enjoy this issue.

LOUISE WATERSON
Editor-in-Chief

4 april 2020

Vol. 198 OATUSRARPSOLDTDKOCRASISETSS
No. 1179
April 2020 LYSoomAuwaUrrtsGoteelHfr!

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson PAGE 30
Managing Editor Zoë Meunier
Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan DIONrFTaAOmaTHHUinERRRJeAICaWAl LSNiEfe
Art Director Hugh Hanson
Senior Art Designer Adele Burley PAGE 114
Senior Editor Diane Godley
Associate Editor Victoria Polzot ATRusEtEraKlAiaN’sGRAaRrOeO
DIGITAL Head of Digital Content Greg Barton
PAGE 24
ADVERTISING Group Advertising
& Retail Sales Director Sheron White 8YOURTMruEtThAsBAObLoISutM
Account Manager Darlene Delaney,
Sales Support Manager Conor Hillis PAGE 66

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READER’S DIGEST

LETTERS

Reader’s Comments And Opinions

Got It Covered!

Today I spotted the January 2020
magazine in a local bookshop.
I haven’t read Reader’s Digest for
a long time but I was drawn to the
creative and spectacular cover.
I was very quickly caught up in
the production and presentation
of the articles. The Dorothy Dix
story (‘Dear Miss Dix – This is My
Problem’) and accompanying
photo is priceless. All in all, I am
very pleased I bought a copy.

ROB GERMON

Sharing Their Story With Us you include, well written. I will look
forward to the next one.
I always look forward to reading
each month’s My Story. The writers ELLENA PERSINE
you choose and their stories are
a great and varied mix. I really Foods That Heal
enjoyed ‘A Sign From Above’ (My
Story, February), Richard Whitaker’s ‘18 Foods Proven to Heal’
journey from an 11-year-old boy (February) was particularly
to well-respected meteorologist interesting to me. I appreciate that
was not only informative but you’ve listed each of the foods with
entertaining and, like all the stories their particular healing properties.
The foods that made the list are

Let us know if you are moved – or provoked – by any item in the magazine,
share your thoughts. See page 8 for how to join the discussion.

6 april 2020

also foods that are readily available Letters
and easy to add to your diet.
RETURN TO SENDER
MAXINE MATTHEWS
We asked you to think up a clever
Strange Creatures caption for this photo.

I just loved ‘Stranger Things’ Jack in the box.
(February), it was the perfect article Also Tom, Dick and Harry.
to share with my nine-year-old
grandson. He was amazed that I CHRIS RAMOS
would read the sorts of articles
he enjoyed. His favourite? Box office seats.
The bombardier beetle. Mine,
the Eurasian roller bird. MERRAN TOONE

It was wonderful to see his Talking Heads box set.
enthusiasm as we read about these
formidable creatures together. MICHAEL GOATHAM

MAUREEN COLBY Male Order.

Runs in the Family HELEN WONG

Thank you for delivering my New kids on the block.
granddaughter’s first copy of
Reader’s Digest. She has just turned SUSHA BHASKARAN

WIN A PILOT CAPLESS Congratulations to this month’s
FOUNTAIN PEN winner, Chris Ramos.

The best letter each month WIN!
will win a Pilot Capless
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month’s winner, Maureen Colby.

readersdigest.co.nz 7

READER’S DIGEST

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and the girls loved me! Wit was
certainly an ice breaker. I kept a Anecdotes and jokes
little black book in which I noted Send in your real-life laugh for
material which I could draw on at Life’s Like That or All in a Day’s Work.
any given moment. Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter
is the Best Medicine!
Reader’s Digest has given me Smart Animals
tremendous pleasure particularly Share antics of unique pets
when I was recuperating after a or wildlife in up to 300 words.
serious accident. I keenly await Reminisce
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The world needs Reader’s Digest. past that made a huge impact in
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8 April 2020

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READER’S DIGEST

NEWS WORTH SHARING

Fake Fur Receives PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
Royal Approval

At the age of 93,
Queen Elizabeth
II has made a
notable sartorial
statement by removing
real fur from her day-to-
day wardrobe.

The move was revealed
by her senior dresser,
Angela Kelly. “If Her
Majesty is to attend
an engagement in
particularly cold weather,
fake fur will be used to
make sure she stays
warm,” she says.

The Queen’s ceremonial
robes will remain with
their fur intact and she
won’t get rid of anything
she already owns.

Nonetheless, Claire
Bass, of animal charity,
Humane Society
International, says the
decision will send “a
powerful message that fur
is firmly out of fashion.”

COMPILED BY VICTORIA POLZOT

10 april 2020

3D Street Art in the Philippines News Worth Sharing
Promotes Roads Safety
Stick Library for Dogs
With the approval of the Public
Works Department and the ‘FETCH’ may well be a
local government, the roads
in Antipolo City, in the Philippines, have dog’s favourite game but when
been painted with 3D murals of optical New Zealander Andrew Taylor
illusions to promote road safety and noticed a lack of good fetching
prevent pedestrian-related accidents. sticks at his local park, he knew
just what to do.
TaskUs collaborated with local artist
Albert Raqueno and Carbomedia The 59 year old from Kaiapoi
Manila, an artist collective, to create had been chopping excess
art in pedestrian lanes in an effort branches from trees in his yard
to make the roads safer for vehicles and realised he could use them
and pedestrians. The bold artworks for a ‘stick library’ for the local
– which feature a brick wall, path pups. Several dozen branches
to a castle and octopus tentacles were chopped into conveniently
climbing out of the road – are located sized sticks, cleaned, sanded,
along busy pedestrian areas such as placed into a custom-make box
sports arenas and high schools, to that was labelled ‘Stick Library:
remind motorists to slow down and Please Return’ and brought to
encourage pedestrians to cross in the the local park.
lanes for their safety.
With daughter Tayla, he
“Addressing social concerns can organised a party attended by
be fun and engaging while remaining more than 50 dogs and their
purposeful at its core,” says Paul owners. Although it’s a simple
Garcia from TaskUs. idea, it is loved by both hounds
and humans.

11

READER’S DIGEST

MY STORY

More Than
Just a Passport

That wrenching feeling of signing
your nationality away

BY Rima Datta

It was a hot day in May 2010 I’d struggled to master a foreign ILLUSTRATION: PRIYA KURIYAN
when I stopped being an language; where I’d found work and
Indian. Officially. It happened made new friends; where I’d brought
in a musty little office of the up my son, largely on my own; and
immigration and naturalisation learnt to be truly independent.
authority in the German city that
had come to be my home. Yet, in all those years, I’d hung on
to my Indian citizenship, ambivalent
I was early for my 3pm about giving it up in spite of the
appointment with the official difficulties I faced because of it – the
responsible for Einbürgerung inability to vote and the problems
(naturalisation). As I waited to go in, with international travel being the
I felt weighed down by the enormity most important ones.
of what was about to happen.
Now, approaching retirement, I
It had been a long road that had realised I’d like to spend more time
brought me to this door: a childhood in India, where I also have a house,
and youth in India, through family and friends. I was afraid,
university and a 14-year stay in the though, that an absence of more
US and finally to a life of 25 years than six months could result in a loss
in Germany. I’d been rooted and of my resident status in Germany,
uprooted several times, but this is which over the years had come to be
where I’d lived the longest – where my home. Ambivalent though I was,

12 april 2020

My Story

I knew I couldn’t afford to let this pass some sort of inspection
door to Germany close forever and, to prove myself worthy of
given that dual citizenship was not the citizenship that was
permitted, I knew of no other way of about to be conferred upon
keeping it open. me. I worried that I would
fail. To control my nerves,
At 3pm I knocked gently on the I forced myself to look
door and went in. The official, an around the office. There
unsmiling middle-aged woman were a few small plants
with greying hair and a raspy and nondescript art prints.
smoker’s voice, asked me to take a The only picture that stood
seat while she got my file out. I felt out was a face, round as a
unaccountably tense as if I were ball, by avant-garde artist
there to be assessed once again. The Paul Klee called Marked
mandatory written test was behind Man, which is divided into
me, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have to variously coloured sections.
How appropriate, I thought!
Rima Datta divides her time between A sectioned face, symbolic
Goa and Germany. She loves nature of the immigrants who sit in this
and is saddened by the pace of chair, their souls broken into the
urbanisation. Rima also enjoys writing colours of the cultures they come
poetry. from, their multiple identities, their
divided hearts.
I was surprised by her first
question. “Have you brought your
last salary statement?”
“No, I thought the salary
statements from last year were
enough.”
“Well, that was four months ago!”
she said with a disapproving look,
and I knew that I’d already failed,
that I’d been found wanting.
“Should I come back some other
day?” I asked quickly.
“No, no, that’s all right,” she said
grudgingly, wanting to get the whole
thing over with. “We can go on. Just
make sure you bring it to me later.”

13

READER’S DIGEST

So, on we went. ask the Indian consulate,” she said.
She handed me a piece of paper “It’s their property, not ours. And
and asked me to read it out loud. It certainly not yours!” This last bit
was a half-page of text in German. I was said with a certain amount of
started reading it, but she interrupted vehemence.
me, saying, “Please read it all …
including the place and date.” So I Earlier, I had taken my Indian
started again, stumbling inexplicably passport out of my bag one last time
over words I knew well. It was an and run my fingers over the golden
oath I was reading, swearing to be emblem embossed on the dark blue
loyal to this country and to observe cover and flipped through the much-
all the duties of a citizen. stamped pages, curling slightly at the
Then, handing me her pen, she edges. All the countries I’d been to
said, “Sign here,” tapping on the – the US, Switzerland, South Africa,
bottom of the page I’d just read. Lesotho, Bhutan, Mexico – all with
And so, with one stroke of her pen, their own visas, entry and departure
I signed my old nationality away. stamps in different colours.
My eyes were too full of tears to
read the citizenship certificate she This passport had confirmed my
handed me. We shook hands to seal identity as an Indian national. It’s
the deal. That was all the ceremony what I’d held in my hands when I’d
there was to it. No photograph, no stood in various consulate lines to
fanfare – just a dry handshake. Trying get visas, in lines at airports, while
to explain my tears I said, it was a Germans, Americans, British citizens,
huge schritt (step) in my life and, at just walked through with the breezy
the same time, a terrible schnitt (cut). confidence of ‘first-world’ citizens.
The lady looked surprised
at that, but agreed that it was a There would be none of that
very important step. “You must anymore, now that I had joined
be willing to give something up their ranks. Like them, I could live
to get something else,” she said in Germany indefinitely, vote, go in
sanctimoniously. and out of Europe and travel to most
I watched sadly as she took my old countries around the world without
Indian passport away and slipped it needing a visa. I, too, had become a
into a plastic envelope to be sent to first-world citizen!
the Indian consulate in Munich.
“Can I get it back after it’s been Why then, instead of rejoicing, did
cancelled?” I asked. I feel so sad?
“That’s something you’ll have to
Do you have a tale to tell? We’ll pay
cash for any original and unpublished
story we print. See page 8 for details
on how to contribute.

14 April 2020

TALKS What’s New in RD Talks

Sit back and enjoy the audio versions of the most engaging
stories to have appeared in Reader’s Digest magazine.

DEADLY DOSE – MILLY’S
THE ROSE PETAL LAST WALTZ

MURDER Both inspirational
and touchingly sad,
Kristin Rossum’s this is the story of a
flea-ridden and aged
husband was found little stray dog that
came to stay a while.
dead, surrounded by

rose petals. But how

exactly did he die?

THE RIGHT IDEA SURGERY UNDER
THE SNOW
Success starts with
the right idea and With amateur helpers
and homemade
the conviction instruments, a
to stick to that
idea – something medical student had
property developer to perform an eye
Harry Triguboff operation on a fellow
understands well. Antarctic explorer.

TO LISTEN GO TO:

w ersdigest.com.au/podcasts
www.readersdigest.co.nz/podcasts

www.rdasia.com/podcasts

READER’S DIGEST

SMART ANIMALS

If they are not entertaining us, they are astounding us

Foster Mum house adjacent to the courtyard. ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES
Soon there were three little
DYAN SENEVIRATNE hatchlings. Sadly, about a week after
they had hatched, tragedy struck.
In 2015, my nephew, his wife and Despite rules that no one should
their two small children moved disturb the bird family, a ceiling fan
to Nawala, a suburb in Colombo, close to the nest was inadvertently
Sri Lanka. As their natural love of switched on. When the mama bird
animals – and birds in particular decided to take flight she fell to her
– remained, my nephew had an death. The question then was how
internal courtyard built next to their to feed the little brood.
new living room with a fish pond,
trees and creepers – mimicking the My nephew and his kids decided
jungle they’d left behind. to feed the young ones with whatever
morsels of food they could come
Returning home after a weekend
away, the kids noticed that a You could earn cash by telling us
pair of red-vented bulbuls had about the antics of unique pets or
created a nest of leaves and twigs wildlife. Turn to page 8 for details
in a precarious space between a on how to contribute.
painting and the wall inside the

16 april 2020

Smart Animals

by, but no one could replicate the missing, then flew away. A few hours
delicate art of a mother bird feeding passed and the papa bird returned
her young via a pointed beak. It was accompanied by another bird.
impossible to gently place scraps
of food into the open mouths of the She went straight to the nest and
baby birds and a day passed without fed the hungry babies with food
any food making its way into the she had concealed in her beak.
starving babies. The new female red-vented bulbul
became their foster mother. She
When my nephew’s family had continued to perform the duties of
almost given up hope, the papa a mother, protecting and feeding
bird appeared. He checked out the the fledglings, until the chicks had
nest, perhaps realising that his mate sufficient strength to crawl out and
and the mother of his babies was gingerly fly away.

Perceptive Pooch his eyes more affectionate and
he’s always close by. When the
KATHERINE LOW bounce returns to my step, he
knows he can have his ‘me’
As each year passes, my nine- time and rumbles with his
year-old Maltese-shih tzu, smelly, broken toys, taking
Dexter, becomes more perceptive them for happy laps up and
to my moods, my actions and down the hallway, shaking the
my energy. When I feel fragile, imaginary life out of them.
Dexter’s movements are gentle, He knows there’s room to
be naughty, like breaking into

the neighbouring construction
site and executing crazy-eyed,
mad dashes around the joint,
knowing full well that he’s not
supposed to be in there.
I never knew I could feel
annoyed while dying of laughter
at the same time. He always
seems to know what to do and
when to do it. No amount of
gratitude will equal the magic
my little buddy sprinkles into my
daily life.

17

READER’S DIGEST

PETS

Caring for Senior
Dogs and Cats

Thoughtful changes can improve the quality of life

BY Dr Katrina Warren

Our regular pet IN MUCH THE SAME WAY the lifespan of humans is
columnist, increasing, our dogs and cats are also living longer,
Dr Katrina Warren, largely due to improved nutrition and health care.
is an established Cats and dogs are generally considered to be seniors
and trusted animal from around eight years of age. Large and giant
expert. breeds of dogs are considered senior at a younger age,
generally from five to seven years. Recognising your
pet is a senior is the first step to managing their health
and comfort. Veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren shares
her expert tips on how to best care for older pets.

DIET Seniors need a balanced diet that is lower in

kilojoules, protein and fat but higher in fibre. Dry
kibble can sometimes be too hard for older pets
to chew. If your pet is having difficulties, consider
switching to a softer food, wetting kibble with water or
broth or perhaps cooking a homemade diet. Be sure to
discuss your ageing pet’s dietary needs with your vet.

EXERCISE AND WEIGHT It’s important for dogs PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

to remain active and undertake gentle exercise in
keeping with their health and ability. Your four-legged
buddy that once enjoyed an energetic outing might be
happier with short and slower strolls. It’s not unusual
for dogs and cats to gain or lose weight as they age.

18 april 2020

Pets

Extra weight can predispose them
to heart disease and diabetes as well
as contributing to osteoarthritis.
Keep an eye on their weight and
advise your vet of any
significant changes.

CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR Older dogs and cats require
AND HEALTH Pets inevitably adjustments to their daily regime

slow down as they age GENERAL COMFORT Elderly
but these changes can
sometimes be symptoms dogs are less able to cope with
of underlying issues. Watch for extremes of temperature, so take
changes such as excessive thirst care to keep them comfortable on
and/or urination and loss of hot days and away from damp and
housetraining, difficulty getting up, draughts in cold weather. Grooming
climbing stairs or getting into the remains important and is also an
car. Also, the appearance of lumps ideal opportunity to check for any
or bumps, bad breath and bleeding unusual lumps or bumps, fleas, skin
gums, diarrhoea or vomiting, as problems or pressure sores. Your vet
well as changes in sleep patterns will be able to recommend a diet
can all be reasons for concern. and treatments to ensure your ‘best
Pets can suffer from dementia-like friend’ enjoys a comfortable life.
illnesses as they age. If your pet
appears confused, forgets basics like
toilet training, starts to bark or howl
or becomes aggressive, a vet check-
up should be your first step.

HOW TO MAKE OLDER PETS MORE COMFORTABLE

Ask your vet issues to get in and grooming, particularly
about medication to out of the car. beneath their tails and
relieve the discomfort around hind leg areas.
of aching joints and Place pieces of carpet
stiff muscles. or bedding where your Check toenails, they
dog rests to help them may not wear down due
Buy a ramp to assist rise from slippery floors. to reduced activity and
your dog with mobility may need trimming.
Help cats with

19

READER’S DIGEST

HEALTH

5Clear Signs You Might ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES; SOURCE: RD.COM

Have an Unhealthy Gut

You need the right balance of bacteria in your
gastrointestinal tract to maintain good health

BY Colette Harris

Your gastrointestinal tract brain chemical serotonin, making
is inhabited by microbes energy available to the body from the
collectively called the food we eat, and disposing of foreign
microbiome, which includes substances and toxins, according to
bacteria, fungi and even viruses. dietitian Lisa Dreher. Though most
Although it sounds gross and even of us have a mixture of good and bad
unhealthy, it’s in fact, the complete bacteria, sometimes the bad guys get
opposite. Gut bacteria perform the upper hand, causing dysbiosis, or
many important functions in the an imbalance in gut bacteria, which
body, including aiding the immune can play a role in a number of health
system, producing the feel-good conditions. So, how do you know

20 april 2020

Health

when you have an imbalance? These with absorption of vitamins, minerals
signs point to a dysbiosis that has the and fat. “If you’re not able to digest
potential to make you sick. and absorb fat normally, you can
actually see some weight loss,” Dreher
YOUR STOMACH DOESN’T FEEL says. Other types of bacteria have
RIGHT Diarrhoea, constipation, been linked to weight gain.

bloating, nausea and heartburn YOU’RE ANXIOUS OR FEELING
are classic symptoms of problems BLUE Roughly 80 to 90 per cent of
with gut health. “Gastrointestinal
discomfort – especially after eating serotonin, a neurotransmitter that
carbohydrate-rich meals – can be affects mood, social behaviour,
the result of poor digestion and sleep, appetite, memory, and even
absorption of carbohydrates,” Dreher libido, is produced in the gut. When
says. Reflux, inflammatory bowel less serotonin is produced, it can
disease, irritable bowel syndrome negatively impact mood. “Gut
and colitis have all been linked to an imbalances of the microbiome can
imbalance in the microbiome. trigger depressive symptoms,” says
Dr Todd LePine, who specialises in
YOU CRAVE SWEET THINGS internal medicine.

Craving food, especially sweets YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING WELL
and sugar, can mean you have an
imbalance of gut bacteria. Although Not having enough serotonin can
unproven, some experts believe that lead to bouts of insomnia or difficulty
if there’s an overgrowth of yeast in the getting to sleep, according to Dreher.
system, which might happen after a
course or two of antibiotics where you HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHIER
wipe out all the good bacteria, then GUT Eating right is the first step in
that overgrowth of yeast can actually
cause you to crave more sugar. improving gut health. In fact, the
types of foods we eat can change
THE SCALE IS GOING UP OR our microbiome in as little as
DOWN Certain types of gut bacteria 24 hours, according to Professor Ali
Keshavarzian, who specialises in
can cause either weight loss or weight digestive diseases and nutrition.
gain, especially when they colonise To feed your good bacteria swap out
in the small intestine, a condition processed foods, bread and pasta
called SIBO (short for small intestine for plants, fruit, seeds and nuts. And
bacterial overgrowth). Too many consider adding yoghurt or drinks
microbes in the small intestines can containing probiotics, or healthy
mess with gut health by interfering bacteria, to your diet.

21

READER’S DIGEST

HEALTH

Ways You’re
Flossing
All Wrong

BY Liesa Goins

FLOSSING seems to help prevent own, says dental professor Dr Elliott PHOTO; GETTY IMAGES; SOURCE: RD.COM
gum disease, and researchers have Maser. “Saliva flow decreases
linked the bacteria that ride along when one sleeps, so food material
with periodontitis (the official name left on the teeth overnight have a
for gum disease) to an increased risk great chance of starting a bacterial
of stroke, heart disease, some cancers, breakdown process or causing gum
and even Alzheimer’s disease. inflammation,” he explains. For that
reason, you should make sure you
YOU’RE NOT FLOSSING ENOUGH floss before bed to remove bacteria
and food particles.
“My preference is twice a day,” says
dentist Chris Strandburg. “When it YOU’RE NOT FLOSSING THE
comes to oral hygiene, bacteria are WHOLE TOOTH You have to wrap the
the enemy,” he explains. Since we eat
three times a day, we’re constantly side surface of the tooth with the floss
adding debris and bacteria to the and use the strand as a tool to clean
spaces between our teeth and gums, the entire area, not just between the
so removing those threats frequently teeth, Dr Strandburg explains. You’ll
will keep your mouth healthier. want to contour the floss around the
tooth in a C shape and slide it up and
YOU’RE NOT FLOSSING AT THE down, making sure you rub the back
RIGHT TIME Flossing is an integral of the tooth as well. “The string should
also be carried below the gumline
part of oral hygiene because two to three millimetres to remove
brushing does not remove all bacteria,” he says.
particles of food and plaque on its

22 april 2020

News From the

WORLD OF MEDICINE

PHOTO: ADAM VOORHES HYPERTENSION CONTROL AS vegetarian or vegan meat substitutes,
A GROUP EFFORT 28 per cent of the products exceeded
maximum recommended salt levels.
Many attempts to treat hypertension
involve only two people: the VIEW OF GREEN SPACES
patient and his or her doctor. A CURBS CRAVINGS
trial conducted in Malaysia and
Colombia asked what would happen It’s well known that being in nature
if more people were added to the confers a host of physical and mental
equation. In half of the participating health benefits. A new study suggests
communities, busy doctors shared that simply seeing green spaces can
some of their tasks (eg, counselling help reduce unhealthy cravings. Of
patients, monitoring treatment) with 149 participants, those whose views
non-doctor health workers. The trial from their homes featured more than
also recruited ‘treatment supporters’ 25 per cent green space reported
(friends or family members) to fewer and less intense urges for junk
accompany patients to health food, alcohol and cigarettes.
appointments and encourage them
to take their medication and follow HEALTHY FOOD MOTIVATION
lifestyle advice. By the end of a year,
the patients who’d received this Australian researchers analysed the
attention saw a much greater diet of 12,000 people to measure life
reduction in their blood pressure
compared to patients getting satisfaction and happiness, and
the usual care. And, their overall found that they both increased
cardiovascular risk score went within two years in people who
down by almost twice as much. changed their diet to include
more fruit and vegetables –
MEAT SUBSTITUTES with eight servings daily being
HIGH IN SALT optimum. “Eating fruit and
vegetables apparently boosts
According to a recent British
survey of meat-free burgers, our happiness far more
ham, sausages and other quickly than it improves
human health,” said study
co-author Redzo Mujcic.

23

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

TREE
KANGAROO
MUM
PHOTOS: (TREE K ANGAROO) ALISON WRIGHT; (LE AVES) GET T Y IMAGES
It hops like a kangaroo,
eats leaves like a koala
and climbs like a
possum… the little-known
Australian tree kangaroo
is as old as time itself,
but in more recent years,
the species has found
a dedicated protector
in Karen Coombes

BY Cath Johnsen

24 april 2020

25

READER’S DIGEST

aren Coombes rolls over sleepily in the bed
of her Malanda home in North Queensland

K and opens her eyes. Sun streams into the
room and she sees a tree kangaroo joey
perched on the bed next to her, munching hungrily
on a branch of leaves while staring intently at her.

A second joey snuggles under the room for their first bottles of special
covers, while yet another sleeps macropod formula for the day, while
soundly on top of her, encouraging she sips on a steaming cup of tea.
Karen to lie in bed a little longer. A
fourth joey, an early riser, has hopped “When they’re very young, I do
off the bed and is exploring the bed- three- or four-hourly feeds through-
room. out the night,” Karen explains. “If I do
occasionally have a couple of nights
“People will think I’m nuts but off and someone else is caring for
yes I wake up to four tree kangaroos them, I’m worried about them and
each day, often trying to clean my can’t sleep. I need to have a tree kan-
arms and face and talk to me,” Karen garoo to cuddle up to … no offence to
chuckles. “They love human warmth my husband,” she laughs.
and interaction when they’re little
and they thrive better by sleeping Karen, a veterinary nurse, and
in bed with me because normally husband Neil, a carpenter, moved to
they’d be in a pouch 24 hours per Malanda 20 years ago and built their
day and have the constant heartbeat home on a sprawling 65-hectare
and warmth of their mothers,” she property, much of it lush rainforest
explains. teeming with cassowaries, possums,
pademelons and, of course, tree kan-
While many people have nev- garoos.
er even heard of tree kangaroos, a
unique Australian marsupial found Shortly after settling in the Malan-
only in small pockets of rainforest in da area, located 90 minutes south-
North Queensland, Karen has dedi- west of Cairns, a local wildlife carer
cated her life to rescuing and reha- introduced them to the native species
bilitating sick, orphaned and injured of tree kangaroos, known as the
tree ‘roos’. Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo. A second
species, the Bennett’s tree kangaroo,
After she playfully wrestles the lives further north still in the idyllic
joeys out of her bed, Karen takes the Daintree Rainforest.
younger babies out to the lounge
For Karen, it was love at first sight

26 April 2020

Tree Kangaroo Mum

several outdoor enclosures as
well as a small hospital, while
Karen monitored the ongo-
ing care of the animals and
set up the Tree Roo Rescue
and Conservation Centre – a
not-for-profit organisation
that would allow her to raise
much-needed funds.

Lillie, a blind tree kangaroo in Karen WHEN I ARRIVE to meet
Coombes’ care, gets her daily cuddle Karen, she’s busy unloading
a ute load of leafy branches,
and she immediately began taking in which she tells me is only one
rescued tree roos that had been hit by day’s supply of food for the 16
cars or mauled by dogs, but she was tree roos currently in her care.
surprised at the lack of information She beckons me into the hos-
available about the animal. pital, which looks more like a
holiday cottage, to meet one of
“Many Australians don’t even know her charges.
tree kangaroos exist,” Karen says, who “This is Lillie, one of our big ba-
completed a PhD in 2005 at James bies,” Karen says, bending to pick up
Cook University, documenting the a plump, eight-kilogram tree roo rest-
ecology of the Lumholtz’s tree kanga- ing on an old couch. Looking rather
roo species. “When I started my PhD, like an oversized possum but with an
I even had one family member say, ‘I extra-long tail, Lillie snuggles into Ka-
think you’ve been sitting in the rain- ren’s neck, clearly enjoying the cuddle.
forest smoking too much dope!’ Well, “She came in as a youngster, blind
I don’t smoke dope,” Karen laughs. and with eye damage,” Karen ex-
“And then I got the usual ‘Oh, aren’t plains. “She’d been attacked by a dog
they drop bears?’ kind of comments.” and had a fractured ankle that turned
into a bone infection. She comes in
As the couple became known in the house every day and is a star on
the area and demand grew, Neil built our Facebook page. Neil brings her
up about five in the morning, and she
climbs on the ropes and shelves, that’s
her playtime.”
With the hospital at capacity, Karen
then leads me through her house

27

READER’S DIGEST

and into the laundry where a

tree roo, recently hit by a car,

sits lapping at a bowl of water.

Turning its dark face towards

the door as we enter, it looks

at us expectantly, but it’s clear

from its misty eyes that this

one is also blind.

“Because of the hotter and

drier weather we’re having, the

rainforest is stressed and so are

the tree kangaroos,” Karen ex-

plains. “More and more we’re

getting tree kangaroos coming

in with central blindness and

optic nerve damage, which may A tree kangaroo recovering in the outdoor
be caused by increased toxins enclosure on Karen’s property
in the rainforest leaves due to a

lack of water.”

It’s just a theory at this stage, but their four resident tree roos.

Karen is working closely with pathol- “T hey ’re ver y i ntel l igent a nd

ogists at Charles Sturt University to quite cheeky animals so it’s nice to

document and study the eye damage share that with our guests and edu-

from eye tissue samples taken from cate people about the species,” says

deceased tree kangaroos, and is Alana, who is involved in their daily

hopeful of finding answers. care and training. “Guests get to

She also works closely with Dream- give them a scratch or feed them

world Wildlife Foundation’s wildlife the plants and f lowers that they

supervisor, Alana Legge, to help love, along with some treats such as

rehome tree roos once they have chickpeas.”

been rehabilitated, but are unable to Yet despite the attempts at public

return to the wild, often because of education, Alana says that not a day

permanent blindness. goes by without visitors scratching

Dreamworld, on the Gold Coast, is their heads in puzzlement at the

one of the few zoo environments in sight of the tree kangaroos – listed

Australia where visitors can observe as near-threatened by the Nature

Lumholtz’s tree kangaroos, and the Conservation Act. “We’ve had them

only one in the world that offers an for five years at Dreamworld and we

interactive experience with one of still hear the same question every

28 April 2020

Tree Kangaroo Mum

day: what are they and where do branches and have a great time.
they come from?” They’re typical little kids and teen-
agers. They run up and down the
UNFORTUNATELY, for those that trees and chase each other and it’s
prefer to see animals in their nat- really quite special to see.”
ural habitat, the Lumholtz’s tree
kangaroo is notoriously difficult to Recently, Nerada Tea sponsored the
spot in the wild. construction of two new enclosures at
Karen’s Tree Roo Rescue and Conser-
However, sightings are almost guar- vation Centre to help accommodate
anteed at the Nerada Tea Estate at the growing number of rescues result-
Malanda, not far from Karen’s prop- ing from blindness and loss of habitat.
erty, where you can sip on a steaming But despite the challenges facing the
brew of farm-fresh tea in the onsite species, Karen remains an optimist.
café while watching a family of resi-
dent tree kangaroos deftly climbing “I think that every single person can
the trees that fringe the tea planta- do something to help our wildlife, re-
tion outside. “We’ve had tree kanga- gardless of what species it is,” she says,
roos on the Nerada Tea Estate for a swinging a hefty male tree roo onto
long time and some of the females her shoulder. She turns to address
have successfully produced quite a him: “Hey, gorgeous! Can I pat you?
few young,” says plantation manager, You’ve grown so big!” She looks back
Tony Poyner. at me and smiles. “As for the
Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo, I’d like to
“Depending on where they are think we can save them, but I always
in the trees, you can sometimes say you can’t save a species if no one
see little joeys pop out of the knows anything about them. So that’s
mum’s pouch, jump around on the what I’m all about, all the time.”

Technology Goes Old School

Although Casio pioneered its electronic calculator in the
1950s, the abacus is still valued in Japan and often used by
elderly cashiers. In fact, many Japanese believe the abacus can
hone maths skills and manual dexterity, and there are several
schools in the country teaching the skill. The government puts
the number of learners taking advanced lessons in the abacus
at 43,000. Practitioners who attain qualifications can even vie

for abacus supremacy in national tournaments.

MONOCLE

29

MENTAL HEALTH

Laugh

Yourself

Smarter

Humour activates our brains and
enhances our wellbeing perhaps

more than anything else

BY Adam Piore

30 April 2020

E. B. White once
wrote, “Humour
can be dissected,
as a frog can, but
the thing dies in the
process.” That might
not be true after all

31

READER’S DIGEST Amir likes to tell his audiences – PREVIOUS SPREAD: MOLLY RICHARDSON (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION), MATTHEW COHEN (GL ASSES), ERIC ISSELEE/SHUTTERSTOCK (OWL)
and occasionally his students – that
y day, Ori Amir is a his dream is to become a “profes-
mild-mannered 30-some- sional comedian and an amateur
thing university profes- neurosurgeon”. (“That way I could
sor. He teaches under-

Bgraduate psychology and
neuroscience classes, cut up brains for fun!”) In fact, he

conducts sophisticated research into has already managed to combine

how the brain functions, and keeps these seemingly unrelated passions.

normal office hours on the leafy cam- Amir is one of the leading research-

pus of Pomona College in Southern ers studying the way the brain cre-

California. ates and understands humour.

But his students aren’t Unless you happen to be

fooled. They’ve seen a neuroscientist who

the YouTube vide- moonlights as a

os, the ones that Amir likes to tell his stand-up, that spe-
document his audiences that his cialty might seem
not-so-secret trivial compared
other life. In one dream is to become a with other fields
of them, Amir is professional comedian o f c o g n i t i o n .
gripping a micro- and an amateur But the question

phone and stand- neurosurgeon of why we find
ing centre stage in things funny has

a 1400-seat theatre fascinated philoso-

wearing a striped rug- phers for centuries.

by shirt, faded blue jeans, This is a particularly ex-

battered construction boots and a citing time for Amir and his fellow

ridiculously shaggy white fur coat. humour researchers. It has been

It’s the second night of the Glendale only in the past few years that scan-

Laughs Comedy Festival, and Amir ning technologies, such as functional

is grinning broadly at the audience magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI),

through his ample beard, looking have let us see how the brain works

like a crazed 1.9 metre red-headed when it is processing information. It

Fozzie Bear. turns out that joking, long dismissed

“As you can tell by my accent, I’m by some as a frivolous diversion

a neuroscientist,” says Amir. “They from the serious business of reality,

tell the professors where I work to may make us smarter and healthier.

dress ‘business casual’. This is the There is even some evidence that a

best I can do. My wardrobe ranges sense of humour helps the human

from very casual to inappropriate.” species survive.

32 April 2020

Laugh Yourself Smarter

Ori Amir takes
his field of study
seriously. When
he’s not in the lab
studying humour
and the brain, he can
be found performing
stand-up comedy

PHOTO: MIQUEL GONZALES To understand why humour people to look at a series of pic-
is a kind of superfood for the tures while their brains were being
brain, it helps to know what scanned in an fMRI machine, it was
our brains crave in the first place. the more complex images – a work
You might think they’d prefer it when of art, a sprawling vista, a group of
we sit alone in a room and stare at a animals – that tickled the neurons in
blank wall – we don’t burn up much their heads most.
energy doing that. But the brain is
like a muscle, and it needs exercise. It’s the activation of those neurons
What gives the brain a workout? In- – nerve cells, which, among other
formation. When researchers asked things, send and receive sensory
information – that ‘lights up’ the

33

READER’S DIGEST

Laughter Facts

Laughter has there are also other found that the primates
surprisingly little to variables we like, like laughed all the time.
do with jokes and the drawing is good, or Usually, the laughter
humour: Most the comedian is one we came from
laughter does not come admire, or a person we spontaneous reactions
from listening to funny don’t like is being put to physical contact,
stories. Neuroscientist down,” explains Bob such as wrestling,
Robert Provine found Mankoff, the humour chasing, tickling or just
that we’re 30 times and cartoon editor at being surprised. Other
more likely to laugh at Esquire. researchers have found
something when we are evidence that rats laugh
talking to our friends, It will not help you – in a high-pitched,
even if what they’re lose weight (sorry): ultrasonic kind of way –
saying isn’t really funny. While laughter has though rat pups laugh
In this instance, been shown to improve far more often than the
laughter helps your health in many adults.
communicate to our ways, it does not burn
conversational partners more kilojoules than It’s a universal
that we like and going for a run, sadly. language: Laughter
empathise with them. Although laughing does sounds basically the
In other cases, we may raise a person’s energy same in every culture,
use laughter to disguise expenditure and heart leading some
our nervousness or to rate by about ten to researchers to believe
ease tension. 20 per cent, you would that laughter and
have to laugh solidly for smiling somehow
It’s not just the up to three hours to connected our human
humour that makes a burn off a bag of potato ancestors wherever
joke funny: People chips. they encountered each
find jokes funnier when other. In fact, according
they are told by Humans aren’t the to the University of
someone they know, only ones who do it: Kentucky, the sound of
especially if they Researchers in England laughter is so common
consider that person who spent several and familiar that it can
funny. A clever cartoon months with captive be recognised if played
seems even funnier “if chimpanzee colonies backwards.

34 April 2020

Laugh Yourself Smarter

f MRI scans in bright, almost psy- different ideas or elements. (To wit:

chedelic colours. In fact, there is an a 1.9 metre neuroscientist in a fluffy

almost drug-like effect taking place. fur coat and construction boots.)

The brain is filled with opioid re- When we first see or hear this mash-

ceptors – yes, opioid, as in the drug. up, we’re confused. That’s the setup.

Made of specialised proteins, these The punch line is the resolution of

receptors poke out of our neurons that confusion. (Oh, this is his idea

like tiny radio antennas designed of business casual! Wocka-wocka.)

to pick up passing signals. When So in that sense, appreciating hu-

the right kind of molecule mour is not unlike solving

bumps into a receptor a puzzle, and it yields a

– perhaps one of the similar kind of satis-

body ’s nat ura lly faction. Instead of

occurring opi- The more neurons an ‘aha’ moment,
oids, such as an that are activated, you get a ‘haha’
endorphin, or a the more pleasure moment. In fact,
synthetic drug we feel. In essence, Biederman and
designed to look Amir theorised
like one, such as learning and problem that because hu-
morphine – it can solving get mour requires the

kick off a cascade us high brain to process

of brain activity that lots of distinct types

bathes the neurons in of information (What

feel-good neurotransmit- is considered appropri-

ters and other chemicals. The more ate business attire? Is it ever OK to

neurons that are activated (and the wear fur?), funny revelations would

more activated they are), the more activate different and more dispa-

pleasure we feel. In essence, learn- rate parts of the brain than unfunny

ing and problem solving get us high. ones. This would excite the neurons

Amir and his mentor, professor of even more, which would lead to the

neuroscience and psychology Irving release of more neurotransmitters

Biederman, suspected that humour and activation of the reward centres

might feed the brain in much the of the brain.

same way that complex information To test their hypothesis, Amir and

does. People who study humour gen- Biederman recruited 15 students

erally agree that most jokes are built to view 200 simple line drawings

around an incongruity – an inappro- during an fMRI scan. Each drawing

priate, absurd, surprising or unusual came with two captions: an ‘obvious’

combination of two fundamentally description and an ‘interpretive’ one.

35

READER’S DIGEST

A picture with three Ts in a row, the this extra burst of brain activation at

obvious caption read ‘thick T-shaped the moment we ‘get’ a joke that trans-

junctions’. An interpretive caption forms ‘aha’ into ‘haha’, Amir and

might read ‘trumpet valves’, because Biederman concluded. What’s more,

the three Ts resemble the finger but- the opioid receptors they were stud-

tons on a trumpet. ying are located in the higher-level

Some of the interpretive captions processing areas of the temporal

were designed to be funny. On a lobes, where we store the mem-

drawing of two horizontal ories and associations we

ovals wedged inside a use to make sense of

vertical one, the ob- the world. They also

vious caption read have connections

‘two smaller hori- If appreciating to neurons in the
zontal ellipses in humour is good basal ganglia, the
a larger vertical exercise for our brains, reward centre of
ellipse’. The in- then writing a joke the brain.
terpretive de-
scription: ‘Close- is exercise “We had come
on steroids to think of these

up of a pig looking perceptual systems

at book titles in a as relatively mun-

library’. (Look at the dane structures meant

drawing below.) The sub- simply to passively get us

jects were asked to rate each information,” Biederman says.

caption as ‘not funny’, ‘a little funny’, “But it turns out that getting new in-

or ‘funny’. formation is actually pleasurable.”

As expected, the interpretive cap- From there, the researchers took

tions lit up more areas of the brain their analysis one step further. In a

than their obvious counterparts – in follow-up study, Amir recruited peo-

line with the cognitive theory that ple to compose captions for a series

insight in and of itself is pleasurable. of cartoons while he scanned their

The scans also brains. When they

revealed that hu- Is this a picture of came up with a
three ovals, or is it a
morous insights pig looking at book joke, the same re-
activated the most titles on a library gions of the brain
regions. The fun- shelf? The funnier that light up when
nier the subjects caption activates people appreciate
rated a caption, more of your brain. humour were ac-
the more neurons tivated. And, as in
were fired. It is the first study, the

36 April 2020

Laugh Yourself Smarter

This Is Your Brain on Humour

These fMRI scans of the left and right halves of the brain show how it responds
to different types of information. The yellow and orange represent greater
activation than baseline brain function, while blue represents significantly lower
activation than baseline. Scan A is of the brain looking at a cartoon with a non-
humorous caption. In scan B, the brain is looking at a cartoon with a humorous
caption, which activates more neurons.

AB

PHOTO: COURTESY ORI AMIR funnier the jokes, the more neurons who watched a funny video experi-
fired in the jokers’ brains. enced significant improvements in
their ability to learn and retain new
But the firing of the brain cells information, possibly because the
occurred on a different timeline, feelings of mirth reduced levels of
enhancing the process and making cortisol, a stress hormone that has
it all the more powerful. When we been shown to hinder recall.
‘get’ a joke, the neurons are activated
in a quick burst. When we construct A good joke can function as a re-
a joke, activity in the same brain re- lease valve for the whole body. “Hu-
gions increases slowly as we rack our mour can help reframe stressors,
brains for dissimilar elements that challenges, or difficulties that seem
we can link. If appreciating humour insurmountable to a person,” says
is good exercise for our brains, then social psychologist Tom Ford and
writing a joke is exercise on steroids. co-author of The Psychology of Hu-
mour. “If one is able to make light of
Humour helps our cognition in a stressor, then it doesn’t seem so big.
less obvious ways too. Laugh- It seems more manageable.”
ter is a natural stress reliever,
and our brains work better when they Researchers in Hong Kong, for
aren’t slowed down by a fog of wor- instance, demonstrated that when
ry. In 2014, researchers in California nursing home patients with chron-
demonstrated that elderly subjects ic pain enjoyed jokes, funny books,
goofy singing and dancing on a

37

READER’S DIGEST

weekly basis, their perception of the benefits. Merely experiencing
pain and loneliness decreased sig- humour will do the trick.
nificantly. They also felt happier and
more satisfied with life. Others have But there might be an even strong-
demonstrated that laughter can be er reason that a sense of humour is
associated with increased blood flow, hardwired into the human genome.
improved immune response, lower Not only does humour make us
blood sugar levels, and better sleep. smarter and healthier, but it may
You don’t have to write a joke to reap also make us more attractive to the
opposite sex.

How to
Be Funnier

Are you humour-challenged?
Do the witticisms not trickle
off your tongue but clunk?

Experts share their tips
on strengthening your

funny bone

BY Andy Simmons

38 april 2020

Laugh Yourself Smarter

“There’s a gigantic study,” Bieder- Because creating and appreciating
man notes, “that’s been done in jokes require us to make connections
38  cultures. It turns out that in between many discrete pieces of in-
every culture, both males and fe- formation, having a sense of humour
males desire their potential mates demonstrates that we possess a wide
to be bright. How do we know that breadth of knowledge and that we
someone’s intelligent?” In Western know how to think about it in novel
cultures, at least, it’s often by the and innovative ways.
person’s sense of humour.
A study of 400 university students

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIQUEL GONZALEZ Question everything Don’t worry, be happy Surprises work
Let the absurdities of The myth of the morose “Lead the audience to
everyday life be your comic notwithstanding, assume one thing, then
muse. Jerry Seinfeld happy people are funnier, surprise them with
made his career say Austrian researchers. something different,”
wondering, “Why does “Increased depression is comedy coach Jerry
this happen?” For associated with greater Corley writes on
example: “Why does problems in the use of standupcomedyclinic.
moisture ruin leather? humour to cope with com. Example: “Never
Aren’t cows outside a lot stressful events.” say anything bad about a
of the time?” Fortunately, humour can man until you’ve walked
be contagious. The a mile in his shoes. By
Get the blood flowing researchers also found then he’s a mile away,
Funny people tend to be that cheerful people tend you’ve got his shoes, and
more creative, according to laugh more, which can you can say whatever you
to brainpickings.org. To help you feel funnier, even want.”
get their juices flowing, if you are prone to telling
they move: “Dickens and corny jokes such as this: Go easy on yourself
Hugo were avid walkers Which side of a duck has If you’ve tried these tips
during ideation; Burns the most feathers? The and the room still isn’t
often composed while outside. erupting into laughter
‘holding the plough’; every time you open your
Make it snappy. “My mouth, fear not! While
Twain paced madly building blocks are little creating humour
while dictating; jokes and short ideas,” exercises your brain the
Goethe composed says comedian Demetri most, simply appreciating
on horseback; Martin. Example: “The a good joke or a funny
Mozart preferred worst time to have a heart story brings with it ample
the back of a attack is during a game of benefits for your health.
carriage.” charades.”

39

READER’S DIGEST

When comedy is
pure gold: Charlie
Chaplin’s classic
The Gold Rush

Charlie Chaplin’s Good Humour Theory

In a 1920 prototype of Reader’s Digest, film legend Charlie Chaplin shared the
surprising minimalist craft that went into his Hollywood hits. “To make an
audience roar is the ambition of many actors, but I prefer to spread the laughs
out. It is much better when there is a continual ripple of amusement, with one or
two big ‘stomach laughs’, than when an audience ‘explodes’ every minute or two.
‘Restraint’ is a great word, not only for actors. Restraint of tempers, appetites,
desires, bad habits, and so on, is a mighty good thing to cultivate.”

found that those who scored highest Being funny ensures that only the PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
on intelligence tests also scored high cleverest, fittest and most creative
on humour ability – and they report- people procreate, helping safeguard
ed having more sex. This confirmed a the survival of the human race.
wide body of literature that suggests
that “humour is not just a reliable If a healthy sense of humour can
intelligence indicator ... but may be make you smarter, sexier and happi-
one of the most important traits for er, then one thing is clear: finding
seeking human mates.” time in your day for a good joke or
two is no laughing matter.

40 april 2020

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; (MAN) GETTY IMAGES ONLINE

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Adult Autism:

IN

42 april 2020

HEALTH

SIGHT
Sometimes the condition is
not diagnosed until well into
adulthood. The news can
be both a shock and a relief
BY Lisa Fields
43

fter a particular- of his behaviour, such as insisting
that things had to be in a certain
ly stressful day at place and turning off the lights in
a particular order. “Very quickly, it
work three years made sense,” he says. “It was a relief.”

ago, engineer ABOUT AUTISM

Jo Bervoets, 51, Autism is a developmental disability
that impacts the way that people in-
headed home, teract and communicate with others
throughout their lifetimes. Experts
only to discov- are not sure what causes the condi-
tion, but people may have a genetic
er the trai n was noisier and predisposition towards autism, which
sometimes runs in families. Autism
more chaotic than usual. is also more common among people
who have sensory processing disor-
“I was already a little bit lost in my ders, which makes people abnormal-
ly sensitive to things that affect any of
head before I went to the train sta- their five senses, such as loud noises.

tion,” says Bervoets. He had recently Autism was once believed to be
rare, but it is now thought to affect
started a new job, and the fact that he about one in 160 children worldwide.

couldn’t connect with his new col- Males are more likely to be diag-
nosed than females, although experts
leagues had left him feeling anxious. aren’t sure why. Some theorise that
females may be less likely to inher-
When the train pulled into his it the condition, while others hold
that autism presents differently in
station, Bervoets headed for the females, leading to underdiagnosis.

shared-bike station where he usual- “It seems that there might be a
‘female autism phenotype’, which
ly grabbed a bicycle to pedal to his doesn’t fit with the profile usually as-
sociated with men and boys on which
neighbourhood, but there was none assessment tools are usually based,”
says Aurélie Baranger, director of
available. Feeling overwhelmed, he Autism-Europe, an advocacy group.

suddenly realised that he didn’t know Symptoms include a wide range
of disabilities, which appear early
how to get home.

“I phoned my wife, and somehow I

got home,” Bervoets says. After three ILLUSTRATION (PREVIOUS SPREAD): SHUTTERSTOCK

months at his new job, he’d burned

out. “I completely crashed, and it was

black.” He says his memory is still

fuzzy about what happened that day.

Too upset to return to work the next

day, Bervoets consulted a psychia-

trist. She decided to send him to an-

other specialist for testing. After two

months of evaluation, he received a

formal diagnosis: autism.

“It was a surprise,” says Bervoets.

He and his wife, Els, did some on-

line research and quickly realised

that the diagnosis explained some

44 april 2020

PHOTO: JOHANNES VAN ASSEM in childhood, with diagnosis after Engineer Diederik Weve: “Accepting it
the age of four, on average. Doctors gave me a new perspective on life”
use the term ‘autism spectrum dis-
order’ to encompass everyone who’s information, and self-regulating emo-
been diagnosed. At one end of the tions. It can have a significant impact
spectrum, symptoms are so severe on their daily life.”
that people who don’t get the right
support are unable to communicate, BLENDING IN
and require lifelong assistance. At
the other end of the spectrum, peo- Autism awareness has become more
ple have such subtle symptoms that widespread this century, and great-
they may function like anyone else er numbers of children with subtle
(perhaps with some odd habits), and symptoms are now diagnosed at
their autism may go undetected well young ages. But decades ago, doctors
into adulthood. rarely diagnosed people towards the
subtler end of the spectrum.
People with autism may follow
strict routines and focus on their own “Fifty years ago, nobody would
narrow interests. But this is not true call autism what we call autism
for everyone with the condition. today – they would just be consid-
ered quirk y,” says Hens. “We no
“I don’t think you can generalise longer see autism as this kind of con-
anything with regards to autism, but dition where children are completely
many have this idea of hypersensi- locked up in themselves and have no
tivity and the world being too much,”
says autism researcher Kristien Hens. 45
“The world is too fast and they have
to take more time to process the in-
formation that they receive.”

Although everyone with autism
experiences the condition different-
ly, people may have certain traits in
common. Many, for example, have
trouble making decisions, are con-
fused by facial expressions, and have
trouble navigating social situations.

“Many autistic people have dif-
ficulty with executive functioning,”
says Baranger. “They may have trou-
ble with certain skills such as plan-
ning, staying organised, sequencing

READER’S DIGEST

contact; it has become a condition diagnosis of Asperger’s in favour of
with a very wide definition.” autism spectrum disorder.

Those who were diagnosed as It can be exhausting, says Bervoets.
adults often blended into society dur- “You go to receptions, and you need
ing childhood. to think about how many kisses are
given, where to stand, when to make
“They were able to manage daily eye contact. All of these things nor-
life by learning social rules through mal people don’t have to think about,
observing others and using logic and we need to think about.”
reasoning to develop ‘scripts’ or ‘for-
mulas,’” says psychology researcher REACHING MILESTONES
Victoria Russ. “This method of learn-
ing social behaviour helps individu- Many people graduate from univer-
als to develop strategies to fit in.” sity, have meaningful careers, get
married and become parents before
Autism awareness learning, in middle age or beyond,
has become more that they’re on the autism spectrum.
widespread this
“A career which harnesses an
century indiv idua l’s st reng t hs, and one
which creates a level of predictabil-
Imitating the behaviour of their ity, routine and structure to life, can
peers is often effective, says Dr Bojan enable someone to have a fulfilling
Mirkovic, a psychiatrist who studies and successful life,” Russ says.
Asperger’s syndrome. But, he adds,
“It involves a very large cognitive Diederik Weve, 62, an engineer,
effort that may become exhausting sought a diagnosis ten years ago
and lead to depression.” Asperger’s after friends recognised similar
is an autism condition characterised behaviours in a friend’s autistic child.
by the desire to focus conversations He received an Asperger’s diagnosis.
on specific intellectual interests.
Current practice is to phase out the “The autism fitted me,” he says.
“Accepting it gave me a new perspec-
tive on life.”

Before he even knew he had it,
Weve says, autism shaped his career
“in a way”. He recognised that he
functioned best when he was able
to solve things on his own. “I always
found in my career that it was best to
be a specialist in a niche area so that
people would come to me rather than
the other way around.”

46 april 2020

PHOTO: JOHN BENTLEY IN THE WORKPLACE Peter Street didn't do well at school.
He is now a published author
Although many autistic people find
jobs that suit them, the condition is Autism, found that autistic traits
associated with underemployment. were negatively related to income.
Some people take positions beneath
their abilities because they can’t han- “Although there are some roles
dle the stress of too much responsi- where technical skills are para-
bility or because depression, anxiety mount, it is hard to imagine a work-
or autism-related disabilities may place or role for which it is not also
prove too challenging. useful to be skilled at processing so-
cial information,” says study author
Peter Street, 71, was diagnosed William Skylark, senior lecturer in
with autism at age 64. His problems psychology at Cambridge University.
started in childhood. “I couldn’t do
English, maths – couldn’t do any- Researchers have also found that
thing in the classroom, really,” he autistic adults are less empathet-
says. “I’d end up with ink all over me, ic, which may limit their success in
and I kept wondering why the other social or professional situations. A
children could do things – simple 2018 study published in the Journal
things – and I couldn’t.” of Autism and Developmental Disor-
ders studied 173 adults who were sent
He was held back twice during for autism assessments. It found that
school, then dropped out at age those who received an autism diag-
15. He worked as a gravedigger for nosis tended to have lower scores on
years, then became a gardener and a questionnaire that measured how
later a forester. He didn’t become well someone understands others’
literate for years. In 1982, Street was feelings.
hospitalised after an accident and
befriended a fellow patient, a liter- Research has demonstrated that
ature teacher, who tutored him and people with autism also have diffi-
encouraged him to write. Street has culties with understanding what one
since published four volumes of po- person thinks about another person’s
etry and a memoir.
47
Inability to connect meaningfully
with colleagues or go with the flow
may limit people’s upward mobility
or earning potential, even if they’re
successful professors or engineers.
A 2017 British survey of 2471 people,
published in the journal Molecular

READER’S DIGEST

Were these famous people on the spectrum?

Long before autism was recognised, notable historic figures were busy
contributing to maths, science, philosophy, art and literature while
exhibiting autistic traits. Michael Fitzgerald, adjunct professor of psychiatry
at Trinity College Dublin, has studied the lives of prominent historic figures
and suggested that several may have had autism.

CHARLES DARWIN was ISAAC NEWTON couldn’t in the science of
obsessed with his interact with his peers, genetics and was
interests, rarely swayed was hyperfocused on his socially awkward.
from his daily routine, work and couldn’t
and reportedly had a understand facial Their enduring
lack of empathy. expressions or body achievements stand
THOMAS JEFFERSON was language. as a testament to their
socially awkward, lacked ability to accomplish
empathy, had strict GREGOR MENDEL great things despite –
routines, and obsessively or perhaps because
focused on his interests. followed strict daily of – their condition.
routines, was utterly
obsessed with his work

thoughts, understanding non-literal their own children are being diag-
expressions and the meanings of nosed,” Baranger says.
indirect remarks or sarcasm.
The news comes as a relief for many
Empathy is a core skill needed for adults, who suddenly understand why
social interactions; without it, people they’ve always felt differently than
may have trouble making friends or others. “For some people,” Baranger
dating. Street is glad to have met his says, “it alleviates the sense of guilt
wife of 50 years through a friend. that they have experienced through-
out their life, notably because they
“Dating was an absolute nightmare have been blamed for their behav-
for me,” Street says. “I hadn’t a clue iours since childhood.”
about it.”
Bervoets’ diagnosis helped him
DIAGNOSIS realise that he’d rather study philos-
ophy, a lifelong passion, than contin-
Some adults, like Bervoets, are diag- ue working as an engineer. He’s now
nosed after seeing a mental-health working towards his PhD.
professional. Others seek diagnoses
because they recognise autistic quali- Diagnoses may help people re-
ties in themselves after learning about define previous experiences. “They
the condition. “They can discover that finally manage to explain why…
they are on the autism spectrum when they have often messed up their job

48 April 2020