WEIRD STUFF: Man says he is having sex with a painting

• Published date: 29 April 2022
• Publication title: Jamaica Star, The (Kingston, Jamaica)

An artist has claimed that he is in a sexual relationship with the Mona Lisa

Domingo Zapata recently found fame after 26 of his digital re-interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci's iconic portrait were put on display at The Louvre in Paris and claims the secret to his success is down to his sexual bond with the painting.

He told The Sun newspaper: "I have been working with Mona Lisa for 15 years. When I was painting her so much, I would dream and I have a sexual relationship with her.

"You cannot stop where it's taking you. It's about touch, feelings, being naked. As an artist, the relationship with the canvas is intimate."

The Spanish-born artist claims that his relationship with the painting was spotted by others, notably Pablo Picasso's granddaughter.

He recalled: "Diana Picasso, who is an art expert and a good friend of mine, asked me in the studio: 'Are you dreaming about her... are you having sex with her?'

"And I'm like: 'Of course I am having sex with her in my dreams. If I was not having sex with her, I would have quit a long time ago.'"

Brain zaps could benefit smokers

Zapping the brain could help smokers to quit.

A new study shows that targeting areas with non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) makes them more active and increases the possibility of smokers ditching the cigarettes for good by 2.39 per cent. The experts analysed studies involving 699 patients zapped with a weak electrical charge and Dr Benjamin Petit, from the University Hospital of Dijon in France, thinks that the results are convincing.

He said: "While our review appears modest, with only seven included studies, a low confidence level and a substantial inter-study variability, the result appear to be robust and we feel confident in suggesting that NIBS is a technique of interest for both short term and sustained smoking cessation."

Non-invasive stimulation has increased in popularity in recent times as a method to help people kick addictions to booze and other drugs.

Scientists create robot rat

Scientists have developed a four-legged robotic rat called SQuRo, which stands for small-sized quadruped robotic rat.

It is able to crouch, stand, walk, crawl and turn just as a...