(Our happy-hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.)

Humans may be powerless to resist surfing the Internet because the brain releases addictive chemicals into the body whenever it processes new information.

A study in California tested volunteers looking at different photographs, and noted that more brain activity occurred when they were shown difficult, mysterious or complex pictures.

That activity represents the brain-releasing addictive chemicals ("opioids") that make us feel good and get us hooked on new "hits" of information.

The researchers in the study say the same brain activity occurs when people use the Internet. That's why we can't stop clicking on pictures of Irish hotties when we should be working.

Luckily, if this research is anything to go by, there's nothing you can do about it. Our advice? Give in. Abandon yourselves to us. We'll take good care of you.