Photic sneeze reflex is a bizarre genetic quirk affecting roughly a third of the population, causing them to sneeze uncontrollably the second they step out into bright sunlight.

A closer look

Photic sneeze reflex is a bizarre genetic quirk affecting roughly a third of the population, causing them to sneeze uncontrollably the second they step out into bright sunlight. This happens because the optic nerve sits way too close to the trigeminal nerve, so when sudden bright light hits your eyes, your brain gets confused and accidentally triggers the exact same reflex you use to expel dust from your nose. It is essentially a neurological wiring error, proving that intelligent design might have involved a few Friday afternoon shortcuts. So if you ever see someone walking out of a movie theater and immediately violently sneezing at the sun like a confused vampire, just know their central nervous system is basically short-circuiting