The human body, in spite of all the achievements of medicine, still largely remains terra incognita. And many information about him, transmitted from generation to generation, often ignore the difference between fact and fiction.
We present you the top 10 "facts" about the human body, which are actually completely false.
10. We use only 10 percent of the “power” of the brain
Weighing just over 1.4 kilograms, the human brain is home to nearly 100 billion neurons. They transmit information to each other through contact points - synapses, of which there are about a quadrillion in the brain.
The brain is divided into three primary parts - the brain, cerebellum and brain stem.
- In the brain, which occupies approximately 85% of the entire brain, most of the work related to the intellect and personality of the person occurs.
- The cerebellum controls coordination and balance.
- And, finally, the brain stem is the connecting link between the brain and spinal cord. Connected to the spinal cord, the brain controls most of the automatic functions of the body, such as breathing and digestion.
It would be unbelievable if all this complex “design” used only 10 percent of the “bandwidth” of the brain.
The claim that we use only 10% of our brain supposedly appeared in the late Victorian era. In the late 1890s, Harvard psychologists William James and Boris Sidis used the prodigy of William Sidis (his IQ was nearly 300) as evidence that all people have the ability to be just as smart. We just need to try.
Further research at the beginning of the 20th century showed that rats with brain damage can solve certain problems. This was used to confirm the conjecture that the human brain is also full of untapped potential. In modern science, there is no evidence of a theory of 10%.
9. It will be 7 years before chewing gum is digested
Many mothers scared their children by the fact that if they swallow gum, then the stomach will need seven years to digest it. If your seven years have not yet passed, you may be relieved to learn that this "fact" is complete stupidity.
The US Food and Drug Administration defines chewing gum as a “non-nutritious chewing substance.” (Translation: this is not food). Chewing gum is not recommended to be swallowed, but if this happened, then it's okay. Some of the ingredients, such as sweeteners, are digested. And the main part of chewing gum, which is an elastomer, will come out of the body naturally.
8. Teenagers have acne from chocolate
As if puberty and study are not difficult enough, so many more teens are told that eating delicious chocolate has a causal connection with acne.
Fortunately, the myth of chocolate and acne is grandma's tales. Eating foods that are high in fat will certainly increase your blood sugar. And this can indirectly affect the appearance of acne. But no food is a guaranteed way to avoid teenage acne.
7. Carrots improve night vision
During World War II, the British Ministry of Information conducted a campaign during which Royal Air Force pilots ate a large amount of carrots. By this they explained their supernatural ability to shoot down German fighter pilots under cover of darkness.
In truth, all the carrots in the world could not give you the gift of night vision. British troops discovered German bombers using the latest radar. It is unlikely that German intelligence bought on the idea that British pilots are fed high-octane carrots. Nevertheless, the myth of the benefits of carrots for vision has long outlived its creators.
6. We have five senses
The Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to recognize the five senses of the human body. You probably learned them back in elementary school: vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste. But these feelings are not the only ones.
What is a “feeling”? In fact, it is a sensor that can perceive external influences. Each feeling is activated by a unique phenomenon.
Depending on the classification, people have from 9 to 33 senses. They include certain feelings, such as blood pressure, a feeling of light, a feeling of color, and a sense of balance, which you knew about but did not consider “meaningful.” So, the next time someone says that he has a sixth sense, you can answer that you already have 33 of these feelings.
5. The ability to collapse the language “tube” - hereditary
Many people can ridiculously turn their tongue into a “tube” and this skill is considered the dominant genetic trait. That is, if one of your parents could do this, then you can. Not really.
In 1940, the famous American geneticist Alfred Stertevant published a study in which he concluded that the ability to curl the tongue is an inherited trait based on the dominant gene. However, the scientist’s joy at his discovery was short-lived. It turned out that there are twins, one of whom can curl his tongue with a “tube”, but the second one cannot. And the results of Stertevant's research were quickly debunked.
4. We lose most of our heat through our heads.
In the 1950s, scientists conducted research by exposing objects to low temperatures and studying where heat comes from. It turned out that most of the heat came out through the top - the “head” of the item.
The problem with this study is that the items were wrapped in a coat, and only their tops were exposed. So yes, if every part of your body is wrapped up and your head is uncovered, you will lose a disproportionate amount of heat through your head.
However, later studies show that, ceteris paribus, about 7% of the heat will “go out” of the head. This makes sense because the head occupies approximately 7% of the body area.
3. Hair and nails continue to grow after death
In third place in the list of false facts about a person is a widespread, albeit rather frightening error.
In fact, the human body is quickly dehydrated after death. When this happens, the skin begins to wrinkle and shrink. This gives the illusion that hair and nails are still growing.
2. The habit of crunching with knuckles leads to arthritis
Arthritis is a universal term for a group of pain syndromes, including pain, swelling and inflammation in the joints. For many health-conscious people, the prevention of arthritis includes a seemingly simple recommendation - not to crack your knuckles. However, this recommendation is not true.
Crunch in the knuckles and joints is associated with vesicles formed in the synovial fluid (joint lubricant). And studies conducted by doctors at Harvard Medical School have not found evidence that finger crunching has a causal relationship with arthritis. However, it is really better to give up this habit. It really hurts an unpleasant sound.
1. If you shave your hair regularly, it will grow thicker and darker
First place in the ranking of popular misconceptions about the human body, we gave, perhaps, the most common myth. It says: after shaving, hair growth will increase, while the hairline will be thicker and darker than before.
Any changes in growth rate can be caused by hormonal changes. But otherwise, it is only imagination. When we cut off the hair, the rest of it looks like a noticeable dark spot on the skin. In addition, the rest of the hair seems tougher because we cut it straight across.
There is no scientific evidence that shaving, whether with an ordinary razor or one of the best epilators, affects the thickness, growth rate or color of hair.
