Health
Discover facts about health. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Health
Why human eyes have such white sclera
Having bright white eyes makes us terrifying to predators but incredibly good at communicating. The visible white sclera exists almost exclusively so we can…
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Why burning off your fingerprints won’t erase them
Bad news for aspiring supervillains trying to erase their criminal past. The unique ridges on your fingertips are rooted deep in the basal layer of your skin.…
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Losing 100 hairs a day is normal
Your scalp is constantly engaging in a slow-motion biological shedding festival. It is perfectly standard operational procedure for up to one hundred…
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Chemical sunscreen works inside your skin
You probably thought it sat on top like a polite little shield, didn't you? Nope. Chemical sunscreens actively seep directly into your dermal layers to…
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Why dreams vanish after you wake up
You can experience the most profound, life-altering epic while unconscious, but good luck remembering it. Your system rapidly shreds the memories upon waking,…
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Why your eyes won’t pop out when you sneeze
You can safely ignore the playground rumors. While sneezing does temporarily spike your blood pressure and intracranial pressure, your eyes are firmly secured…
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Why deep-sea divers can get drunk underwater
As if diving into dark, crushing ocean depths wasn't dangerous enough, the high-pressure nitrogen forced into your system acts as an intense intoxicating…
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Substance P specializes in transmitting agony
Anatomy dictates we possess a designated chemical messenger whose sole purpose is to ruin your day with intense pain signals. This specific neuropeptide…
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Your body holds enough phosphorus for over 2,000 matches
You contain enough raw phosphorus to create the heads of over two thousand matches. So yes, you are quite literally full of highly reactive, combustible…
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Deltoid neatly divides into three distinctly separate heads
Your shoulder cap is basically a highly unstable tripod. The deltoid muscle aggressively splits into a front, middle, and rear section, each wildly firing in…
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Milk doesn’t actually make your cold worse
Your grandmother's anti-dairy crusade during flu season is scientifically void. Milk interacts with saliva to temporarily coat the throat, creating a slightly…
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Some people naturally grow a second row of eyelashes
Forget spending money on cosmetic extensions; a specific biological glitch called distichiasis gifts some people a second set of lashes. It looks stunning,…
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Humans may be the only animals that cry from sadness
While plenty of animals use basal tears to lubricate their eyes, we are completely unique in our ability to cry because we are sad. This bizarre evolutionary…
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When your gut brews alcohol without a drink
Getting a DUI without ever taking a sip of alcohol is technically a biological possibility. Thanks to a highly specific gut flora condition literally called…
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Custom immune responses take an entire week to build
While your innate immune system panics, your adaptive immune system takes its sweet time playing microscopic chess. It takes roughly a week for your cells to…
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How a sneeze can fracture a rib
We act like we are apex predators, but a slightly aggressive bodily reflex can literally shatter our core structure. When you sneeze violently, the massive,…
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Nature sounds can reset your ability to focus
Surprise, listening to babbling brooks is better for productivity than your coworker's loud chewing. Acoustic environments mimicking nature act as a cognitive…
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Cold sores can hide in your nerves for years
Stop calling them 'fever blisters' to make yourself feel better. Over half the global population carries HSV-1. After the initial infection, the virus…
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Why a hit below the belt can make you nauseous
The male anatomy has a massive evolutionary design flaw. Testicles are densely packed with nociceptors and share nerve pathways with the stomach and vomiting…
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Some blood-pressure drugs began as snake venom
Pharmaceutical companies essentially weaponized snake attacks for your benefit. Several classes of modern arterial pressure drugs are synthetically derived…
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Spleen physically enlarges when actively fighting threats
When internal security is breached, the spleen literally balloons in size to handle the extra filtering load. It physically swells up like an overworked…
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Why dynamic warmups can preserve your power
Violently swinging your limbs around is dramatically better than just sitting and stretching. Moving through an active range of motion effectively lubricates…
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Rust doesn’t cause tetanus—the dirt does
The rust itself is totally innocent. Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani, a bacteria that happens to love hanging out in dirt and manure. The rusty nail…
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A tick bite can make burgers off-limits
A quiet stroll through the tall grass can end your relationship with cheeseburgers forever. Certain tiny arachnids carry a compound that, when transmitted via…
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