crying

Why Chopping Onions Makes You Cry

Slicing into one is the equivalent of attacking it, and they want us to stop

(Newser) - Onions are notorious for making us weep, but why? Scientists say they now have a pretty good understanding of what's going on, reports NPR in an interview with chemist and author Eric Block. It turns out the vegetable has "evolved a chemical defense system" in an attempt to... More »

Sex Assault Charge Leads to Sobbing Mugshot

Anthony Zingale allegedly held knife to woman for sex

(Newser) - There's nothing at all amusing about the serious charges a Wisconsin man is facing—but his mugshot is getting a few pokes on the Internet. Anthony Zingale, 19, is accused of threatening a Plymouth woman with a knife in a rape attempt at a house party Saturday night, the... More »

Passengers on JetBlue Flight Cheered for Crying Babies

New ad asks passengers to cut flying moms a break

(Newser) - Something that's probably never happened in the history of aviation happened recently on a JetBlue flight from New York to California: Passengers actively rooted for babies to start crying. The one-of-a-kind flight was documented for a JetBlue Mother's Day ad released this week, Adweek reports. After passengers were... More »

Doctor Says This Move Will Calm Almost Any Crying Baby

Dr. Robert Hamilton calls it 'The Hold'

(Newser) - In California, even the doctors are chill, and they know how to calm your wailing infants. Or at least soft-spoken pediatrician Dr. Bob Hamilton does, as he demonstrates in this viral video that desperate parents are apparently viewing in droves—it's had more than 5.7 million views since... More »

Man's List of Everything That Makes His Wife Cry Goes Viral

'She was hungover and saw a picture of a piglet'

(Newser) - Spilt milk is about the only thing Lex Gillies doesn't cry over. To prove it, London comedian Aaron Gillies kept a list of everything that made his emotional wife cry in a month and posted it to Twitter on Sunday, KFOR reports. As of this story, the list titled... More »

Yes, There Is Such a Thing as a Good Cry

Crying boosts a person's mood after 90 minutes: study

(Newser) - Feeling gloomy? Shed a few tears, then wait 90 minutes, and you'll probably be in a better mood. That's the word from researchers involved in a new study out of the Netherlands that suggests crying actually boosts a person's mood, but not immediately. Scientists asked 60 participants... More »

Babies Really Do Fake-Cry

It's a technique to get what they want: study

(Newser) - Looks like babies have been tricking us. Just as many parents suspected, infants sometimes cry without actually being upset, a new study suggests. Instead, their tears are aimed at getting what they want, the Week reports. A researcher in Japan reviewed 102 crying episodes of two babies; he filmed the... More »

You're Not the Only One Who Cries on Planes

Why do we shed tears, especially when airborne?

(Newser) - If you've ever flown alone, you may have felt it. High above the earth, a yawning emptiness might creep over you, along with—perhaps—a tear. It's certainly happened to Elijah Wolfson at the Atlantic , and he's not the only one—a Virgin Atlantic survey once found... More »

Video of Tearful Obama Is Awesome

Mary Elizabeth Williams: It proves he's a 'leader with a heart'

(Newser) - A video now making the rounds shows President Obama shedding tears as he thanks young staffers in Chicago. Cynics are already having a field day, but Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon thinks the clip will resonate among the president's supporters because it's "an affirmation of exactly who... More »

Restaurant Bans Crying Kids

Grant Central Pizza in Georgia asks parents to take tots outside

(Newser) - Do you like listening to screaming children while you eat? No? Well, Grant Central Pizza feels your pain. The Atlanta-area restaurant has added a new message to its menu: "We respectfully ask that parents tend to their crying tots outside." Grant Central's co-owner Donnie Parmer tells Fox... More »

Chemical in Women's Tears a Turnoff for Men

Tears of sadness cool sex appeal

(Newser) - Women's tears of sadness contain a chemical signal that's a big turn-off to men, researchers were surprised to discover. Emotional tears are chemically different from tears caused by dust in the eye or chopping onions, and when male volunteers got a sniff of tears (which have no noticeable odor) collected... More »

Is John Boehner Crying Because He's Drunk?

Speaker-elect's alleged drinking problem the hot rumor on the Hill

(Newser) - John Boehner’s latest public crying episode has gotten Capitol Hill talking, and some are speculating that there’s a simple explanation for the waterworks: He’s drunk. “For years, political professionals have quietly discussed Boehner’s drinking,” writes Matt Lewis of Politics Daily . “Some have told... More »

Guys, It's OK to Cry at Toy Story

For those who grew up with cowboys and spacemen, bring a hanky

(Newser) - Owen Gleiberman would like to get something off his chest: He cried at Toy Story 3, and he doesn't mean a few sniffles. "I’m talking about that soppy, awkward thing where you make sounds," the Entertainment Weekly critic fesses up. He also suspects he's not alone among... More »

La. Rep. Cries During Oil Spill Testimony

'Everything I know and love is at risk'

(Newser) - Things got emotional in the House today, when Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon broke down during his testimony about the Louisiana oil spill. He began by rattling off a string of disasters that has befallen his state, like Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, and Ike. “It's not been fun,” he said.... More »

Too Much Crying Can Damage Babies' Brains

Prolonged distress releases too much cortisol, says Penelope Leach

(Newser) - Letting your baby cry is not okay, at least if you believe parenting guru Penelope Leach. In her new book, Leach says recent brain research proves that letting young ones wail for prolonged periods puts them at risk of suffering brain damage. “It is not an opinion but a... More »

Man Charged With Striking Stranger's Child

Annoyed by crying, Ga. shopper pledged to 'shut her up for you'

(Newser) - A Georgia man is being held on charges of felony cruelty to children after he slapped a stranger’s crying child in Wal-Mart, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Roger Stephens, 61, approached the mother and said, “If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for... More »

Cats Do Use Mind Control: Study

Cry used by hungry kitties shows knowledge of human hearing, psychology

(Newser) - Cats seeking food use a cry that humans find maximally urgent and annoying, LiveScience reports. Researchers played a range of cat calls for humans and found that one—a high-pitched cry embedded in a purr—to be the most difficult to ignore, whether the subject owned a cat or not.... More »

'Lost' Child in Anti-Smoking Ad Really Cried

Filmmakers let kid lose sight of mom to make spot more effective

(Newser) - A new anti-smoking ad that shows a child crying after he loses his mother in a crowded train station portrays genuine distress, MSNBC reports. The 4-year-old—acting with his real mother—was allowed to lose sight of her for "a very brief moment," said an exec with the... More »

Tears Lone Signal of Sadness: Study

(Newser) - Tears are more than just an indicator of sadness, Wired reports—they may be the indicator, as far as other people are concerned. People categorize identical images of a face totally differently if tears are present in one photo and digitally removed from the other, a new study found. “... More »

No Crying in the Courtroom!

Murder case prosecutors seek ban on 'strategic bawling' by defense to sway jury

(Newser) - State prosecutors in Ohio want to ban teary-eyed appeals to the jury in an upcoming capital murder case, Time reports. A motion seeking to prohibit blubbering defense attorneys accuses them of crying on cue and violating a 1999 Ohio Supreme Court ruling that it’s “improper to inflame a... More »