We all blink 15–20 times a minute, without thinking. There are several reasons for this. One is so our eyes do not dry out. Another reason is to protect our eyes from dust. Scientists say they have found a further reason. Researchers in Canada say we blink less when we are listening to someone speak, especially when there is background noise. The lead researcher said blinking less gives our brain more energy, so we can focus on listening.

The researchers did two experiments on 49 people. The people listened to many sentences being read. In one experiment, there was no background noise. In the other, there was background noise. The people in the test with background noise blinked a lot less. Another researcher said we blink less "when important information is coming". The lead researcher agreed. She said: "We don't just blink randomly."