Health
Discover facts about health. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Health
Can extreme fear stop your heart
The body’s alarm response can send a powerful burst of signals to the heart. In rare cases, that surge can disrupt the heart’s electrical rhythm enough to…
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Having a strong sense of purpose improves mental resilience
A clear purpose gives everyday hassles a larger frame. When an annoyance is one small obstacle on the way to something that matters, it may feel less able to…
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Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood a day
About 2,000 gallons sounds like an impossible amount to fit inside you, until you remember the blood keeps circulating. The heart repeatedly sends it through…
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Tidal volume barely taps into respiratory capacity
Your lungs do not empty and refill to their full limit with every calm breath. A resting breath uses roughly 10% of their maximum capacity, leaving room to…
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The right music can make a workout feel less demanding
Studies of exercise and music often find reduced perceived effort, even when the physical task remains demanding. Rhythm, attention, and enjoyment can all…
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Why negative news can ruin your day
Negative news can keep your brain treating the world as an immediate threat, activating the stress response instead of letting it settle. That response can…
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Plyometric training turns a landing into the start of the next jump
A quick stretch followed by contraction uses the muscles and tendons as an active spring system. Soviet coach Yuri Verkhoshansky developed the influential…
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How acrylic nails can shelter microbes
Acrylic nails can create protected spaces between the extension and the natural nail. Moisture and debris trapped there may let bacteria or fungi thrive,…
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Prancercise relies on springy steps mimicking a joyful horse
The creator of Prancercise filmed herself bounding through a park in ankle weights and called the springy motion horse-like. That galloping image is the idea…
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Could overusing antibacterial soap breed tougher bacteria
Think of antibacterial use as a filter: susceptible bacteria are removed, but bacteria that tolerate the product may be left behind to reproduce. They can…
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Half your body's atoms may change within a year
Your body constantly dismantles molecules and rebuilds them, using atoms from food, water, and air while releasing others as waste. Estimates suggest roughly…
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What gel manicures expose your hands to
The lamp hardens gel by shining UV light on your fingertips, and some of that light reaches the surrounding skin. So while your nails are under the lamp, the…
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Sitting close to the TV can reveal a vision problem, not cause it
Getting near the screen does not by itself damage eyesight. But repeatedly needing to sit close can be a sign that distant objects are hard to see. The habit…
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Pharma companies exploit color psychology. If a doctor hands you a bright red pill, your brain subconsciously expects a...
Pharma companies exploit color psychology. If a doctor hands you a bright red pill, your brain subconsciously expects a...
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Mind-blowing biology: The intense trauma your grandparents survived can physically alter your DNA today. This is known as...
Mind-blowing biology: The intense trauma your grandparents survived can physically alter your DNA today. This is known as...
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Scientists swear by the 'coffee nap' for ultimate focus. The trick is to drink an espresso and then sleep for exactly...
Scientists swear by the 'coffee nap' for ultimate focus. The trick is to drink an espresso and then sleep for exactly...
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A sudden inability to smell certain foods like peanut butter is actually one of the strongest early warning signs for...
A sudden inability to smell certain foods like peanut butter is actually one of the strongest early warning signs for...
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Most people apply antiperspirant right after a morning shower. When do dermatologists say you should actually apply it?
Most people apply antiperspirant right after a morning shower. When do dermatologists say you should actually apply it?
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Hollywood lied to you. When performing CPR, the main goal is rarely to restart the heart. What are you actually doing?
Hollywood lied to you. When performing CPR, the main goal is rarely to restart the heart. What are you actually doing?
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Splashing ice water on your face kills a panic attack instantly. This 'mammalian dive reflex' forcefully causes your...
Splashing ice water on your face kills a panic attack instantly. This 'mammalian dive reflex' forcefully causes your...
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Struggle to wake up early? Evolutionary biologists believe natural 'night owls' exist in human populations to...
Struggle to wake up early? Evolutionary biologists believe natural 'night owls' exist in human populations to...
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People skip sunscreen because they think it blocks their body from making Vitamin D. What is the medical reality?
People skip sunscreen because they think it blocks their body from making Vitamin D. What is the medical reality?
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We worry endlessly about diets and exercise, but this common social condition is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes.
We worry endlessly about diets and exercise, but this common social condition is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes.
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Stop letting people guilt you. What actually happens when you crack your knuckles multiple times every single day?
Stop letting people guilt you. What actually happens when you crack your knuckles multiple times every single day?
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