Showing posts with label creazy-discoveries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creazy-discoveries. Show all posts

January 21, 2008

weirdest news stories of year 2007 - bear or bigfoot?

September 16, the Allegheny National Forest, the town of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, USA; Rick Jacobs, a hunter, fastened his auto-trigger camera to a tree in the hope to capture a deer, but instead he got pictures of a mysterious hairy, walking on all fours creature that many argue is a Sasquatch.

Jacobs wasn't present when the three photos were taken, the camera was motion sensitive & equipped with an automatic trigger that was set to go off when anything large enough set off the sensor, which did two bear cubs then the strange beast. The camera had also an infrared (invisible) flash making it possible to take picture in the dark.

Photo 1 - Two Bear Cubs (click to enlarge)

The Elk County deer hunter says he doubts anyone is more skeptical about the whole situation than he: “We hung on to them for a whole week before we did anything with them,” he said of the pictures. “We couldn’t figure out what they were. I’ve been hunting for years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Photo 2 - The Creature (click to enlarge)

Jacobs sent the photos to the Bigfoot Research Organization, which pursues reports of the legendary two-legged creature - the Bigfoot also known as the Sasquatch - that is thought to live in parts of the U.S. and Canada. "It appears to be a primate-like animal. In my opinion, it appears to be a juvenile Sasquatch," said Paul Majeta, field researcher for the Bigfoot Research Organization.

Employees in the Pennsylvania Game Commission challenged this explanation, saying that it looked like "a bear with a severe case of mange.", They also go on to say that conservation officers routinely trap bears to be tagged that look like the creature in the photos.

Photo 3 - The Creature (click to enlarge)

If you visit the BFRO site (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) there's a photo of a gorilla & another of a skinny bear, plus an analysis. According to them, the photo n°3 (above) of the creature would represent (according to experts they have spoken with) a healthy primate smelling the ground & not a skinny bear smelling the ground ... the bad quality of the photos in fact make it difficult to favour one or the other theory, but it seems many of the persons who saw them & who are used to see both bears & primates think the creature can't be a bear; if it's not a bear, what it is? Most likely a class of known or maybe unknown primate ... or maybe all this story is just a good old hoax?

October 25, 2007

electromagnetic wormholes could allow invisibility

I always thought the things and creatures made invisible in the fictions on tv & cinema, weren't ready to be invisible in real, because invisibility involves three dimensions, a viewer can be anywhere around the object that should be hidden, & instead of this object, he should view the scenery behind it, this part of the scenery, when the object is visible, is hidden by it, & should be emulated by the layer that covers the object in order to hide it; as the scenery behind the object is different according to where the viewer is, the image reflected by that layer should be unique for each viewer & credible of course.

that's what in my eyes makes invisibility - artificial invisibility - too complicated.

never mind if you didn't get some of or all what I was trying to explain .. to enter the topic, it seems that a group of mathematicians, of the university of rochester, recently thought up a way to build a device called "electromagnetic wormhole" that could make objects traveling through it invisible.

according to the same scientists, the electromagnetic wormhole is not what's commonly known as a "wormhole" - a feature of spacetime that is essentially a 'shortcut' through space and time that could serve for traveling over vast distances - instead, the theorized wormtunel is supposed to make an object inside it electromagnetically invisible to outside observation.

one of the scientists allan greenleaf says:
It would create a complete a disconnection between the outside world and stuff inside the cloaking region, it's good for hiding things.

the stealthiness of the electromagnetic wormhole is originated from a coating of "metamaterials", artificial substances distinguished from other composite materials for having unusual properties such as the ability to bend light in novel ways ... if for instance light is bend from some surface, this one will become invisible.

previously, in october 2006, researchers from duke university led by david r. smith, had demonstrated that a shield of metamaterials about 5 inches (13 centimeters) wide could become invisible (more about that here), however, it was not a true invisibility cloak since it only worked in two dimensions and only at microwave frequencies while humans and other animals see light at much higher frequencies.

you can read more on national geographic site from which I got the information.

July 28, 2007

extremely strange animal: camel spider

incredible facts about a very weird animal that lives in the sahara, the camel spider, in fact it's not a real spider according to wikipedia, it belongs to the solifugae order while spiders belong to the order araneae.

well, before relating the unbelievable & extremely strange facts on camel spiders, and to have a more clear view on them, it's a good idea to watch this short video:


now the facts!


the term solifugae is derived from latin, and means "those that flee from the sun". in the day time camel spiders always try to hide from the sun, that's why they could run after your shadow; one of the first things people say is "they chase you OMG!". if you hear someone saying that just say: "yeah, it's because they're after a shady spot and your big dumb body probably produces a lot of shade.".

more weird and even more scary, camel spiders can grow over two feet in length. they have a potent venom that numbs your flesh and dissolves it.

they can also lay eggs under your skin which have a gestation period of three months before they burst and dig their way out.

after their pupal stage, they grow wings for a short period and fly around, looking for preys so they can grow bigger. adults can get up to three feet in length, and eat small domestic animals.

they often burrow under the sand in large groups, waiting in ambush, to attack animals as large as cows and horses (and camels) as a pack.

camel spiders, can climb walls and hang from ceilings, to drop on unsuspecting people (or animals).

they are highly intelligent and live in gregarious burrow societies. They can scream and have a highly developed language!

archeologists and biologists discovered odd geometric shapes in the desert, camel spiders build small structures out of sticks and sand!

more scary and worrisome, if you're not careful, they will steal your car, and take your kids and raise them in the wild and teach them to bite tourists!

camel spiders beg for coins on street corners; they can play the violin and they write calligraphies with weed stalks and compose classical music when they aren't busy devouring things.

based on true comments from a youtuber

July 22, 2007

monology: studying human stupidity

all started with something I read claiming the study of stupidity was named "monology", so I started looking for any information on the word "monology". I have to admit I didn't find a lot, & I realized that monology is not the study of stupidity, its meaning according to thefreedictionary.com is
n.1. The habit of soliloquizing, or of monopolizing conversation.
It was not by an insolent usurpation that Coleridge persisted in monology through his whole life.
- De Quincey.
nothing to do with studies or stupidity; some also call the study of stupidity "stupidology", this word is even harder to find in any dictionary than the word "monology". in fact there's no official term for "the study of stupidity", it's simply called ... "the study of stupidity".

giancarlo livraghi, fascinated with stupidity (his own then humans') made a lot of research in the domain of stupidity, & in his article the power of stupidity, says he was surprised by the little amount of study dedicated to the topic:
There are University departments for the mathematical complexities in the movements of Amazonian ants, or the medieval history of Perim island; but I have never heard of any Foundation or Board of Trustees supporting any studies of Stupidology.

there are few works though covering the subject decently ...

one of the oldest was from walter b. pitkin (1878 - 1953), a book published in 1934, called "a short introduction to the history of human stupidity" (*); "short introduction", because pitkin knew there was a lot to do to cover human stupidity, & that he wasn't able to accomplish that task in the 300 pages of the book, so in the end of the book he added:
Epilogue: now we are ready to start studying the History of Stupidity.
pitkin claims 4/5 people are stupid. (quite stupid allegation in livraghi's opinion) he observes that in spite of the difficulty to give a definition to stupidity (for instance, geniuses are often considered stupid by a stupid majority), stupidity definitely runs the world (which is proven by the way the world is run) :
Stupidity can easily be proved the supreme Social Evil. Three factors combine to establish it as such. First and foremost, the number of stupid people is legion. Secondly, most of the power in business, finance, diplomacy and politics is in the hands of more or less stupid individuals. Finally, high abilities are often linked with serious stupidity, and in such a manner that the abilities shine before all the world while the stupid trait lurks in deep shadow and is discerned only by intimates or by prying newspaper reporters.


later on, from 1988, carlo maria cipolla (1922-2000) decided to explore the subject & elaborated his "stupidity theory". in his italian written book "allegro ma non troppo" ("happy but not by too much"), he describes stupid people as a group, more powerful by far than major organizations such as the mafia, which without regulations, leaders or manifesto nonetheless manages to operate to great effect and with incredible coordination.

he observes that the number of stupid people is broadly underestimated. that is something we notice every day. aware as we may be of the power of stupidity, we are often surprised by it where we least expect it. we often underestimate the awful effects of stupidity and, because it is so unpredictable, stupid behavior is more dangerous than intentional mischief; this could be summarized using "hanlon’s razor": «never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.» or simpler by robert heinlein's statement: «never underestimate the power of human stupidity.» (see children version of this last one in: give half a proverb to a child, watch the result ...).

concretely, cipolla's theory of stupidity is composed of five fundamental laws:
  1. always and inevitably each of us underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
  2. the probability that a given person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic possessed by that person.
  3. a person is stupid if they cause damage to another person or group of people without experiencing personal gain, or even worse causing damage to themselves in the process.
  4. non-stupid people always underestimate the harmful potential of stupid people; they constantly forget that at any time anywhere, and in any circumstance, dealing with or associating themselves with stupid individuals invariably constitutes a costly error.
  5. a stupid person is the most dangerous type of person there is.

here are some quotes of other works & thoughts on the topic:

". . . on any matter not self-evident there are ninety-nine persons totally incapable of judging of it for one who is capable; and the capacity of the hundredth person is only comparative . . ." John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859; rpt. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974), p. 79.

". . . independent thought, to a good many men, is quite impossible, and to the overwhelming majority of men, extremely painful." H. L. Mencken, "The Genealogy of Etiquette," Smart Set 47, No. 1 (September 1915): 309.

". . . nine-tenths of the beliefs of nine-tenths of mankind are totally irrational." Bertrand Russell, "Is There a God?" (1952), in The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, ed. John G. Slater and Peter Köllner (London: Routledge, 1997), Vol. 11, p. 548.

"People are not intelligent. It is very unreasonable to expect them to be so, and that is a fate my philosophy reconciled me to long ago. How else could I have lived for forty years in America?" George Santayana, letter to Bertrand Russell (c. December 1917), The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell (Boston: Little, Brown, 1968), Vol. 1, p. 57.

you may also want to take a look at james welles's "understanding stupidity".


* more extracts from the book on deuceofclubs.com

July 18, 2007

cool ki tricks, mind & body training

The best thing about mind/body training is how it makes you feel inside. But maybe the second best thing is, it lets you do impressive stuff you couldn't do otherwise. Like make it impossible for someone much bigger than yourself to bend your arm. Or make your body feel so heavy that two people can't lift you off the ground - even though they could a moment before. These Cool Ki Tricks are certainly cool, but they also teach you a lot about your mind/body state.


UNBENDABLE ARM

The classic (yet always impressive) Cool Ki Trick.

What Happens.

Someone tries to bend your arm when it's stiff, and succeeds. But when your arm is very relaxed, it becomes impossible to bend. This feels very strange. And it's probably one of the best first ways to get a feeling for the correct mind/body state. We try to always teach this to beginners the very first time they come to Aikido class. I remember coming home after my first class and trying to show this idea to my wife. I couldn't do it, but she could. It bugged me for weeks.



KOKYU DOSA

A subtle test of ki which shows that size and strength really aren't that important.

What Happens.

Two people sit in seiza facing each other. You extend your wrists, and your friend holds onto them. Though your friend holds tight and uses all her muscle, you find it easy to push her over. Yet when she tries to push you, you're immoveable. This is probably the most fascinating of all the Cool Ki Tricks, but it's also the most subtle. Being able to push over someone who's bigger and stronger than you is certainly fun, but you may not be able to do it at first. Don't feel bad! In fact, it is an advantage to train with people that you find difficult to push over. And take heart in knowing that many Aikido students never succeed at pushing over their instructors, even after decades of practice. (You've got to figure, the instructors are practicing, too.)



UNLIFTABLE BODY

Master this Cool Ki Trick, and you'll be able to freak people out at will.

What Happens.

This one is hard to believe. And the scary thing is, we have no idea how it works. You hold your arms at your sides and have two people grasp your forearms - one person on each side. On the count of three, they lift you in the air. It's easy. Then, you have them try it again. This time, they can't lift you.



FINGER RING

Like super-gluing your thumb to your index finger, only you won't need to have them surgically separated.

What Happens.

You make a ring with your thumb and forefinger. Then you ask a friend to pry them apart. He sweats and strains, but he can't do it. An ideal way to introduce the idea of mind/body training to someone at a casual gathering. You know, the kind of occasion where having people attack you and then throwing them across the room might be frowned upon.



see also:

13 strange body & mind afflictions

strange health advices

June 22, 2007

13 strange body & mind afflictions

after the article about the 18 strange tricks to do with your body, here's an article on 13 tricks your body & mind could do to you!

all are weird, some are just funny, others annoying but some are mortal (n° 4 & 8 especially).

I got this article from smh.com.au, but enriched it with links to wikipedia, imdb & other sources of information, added some notes too, it's great to have fun, but if we manage to learn some useful things by the way, it's even greater ... place to the article ...

ps: all links below open in new windows (or tabs).


Ever felt the urge to eat dirt or attack the alien impersonating your brother? Megan Gressor can explain why.

From excess digits to errant hands, extreme hairiness to disappearing penises, there is no end of strange ailments afflicting humanity. Some are serious, others are downright bizarre. Here are some fascinating, odd and mercifully rare conditions that can affect our bodies and brains:

1. ALICE IN WONDERLAND SYNDROME

Also called micropsia, this condition distorts visual perception so that objects that are close appear disproportionately tiny, as though viewed through the wrong end of a telescope. It owes its name to Lewis Carroll's fictional protagonist, Alice, who perceived things as too small or too big after taking magical medicines. Usually temporary in nature, the syndrome is associated with migraines. Carroll suffered migraines, so perhaps he was describing his own experiences.
micropsia on wikipedia

2. PICA

This is a compulsive appetite for non-edible items, including clay, stones, cigarette ash, paint, glue, laundry starch, ice and even hair. Found among pregnant women and young children, particularly in poorer areas, it's thought to relate to nutritional deficiencies and may be treated with mineral supplements. However, that's just one of many theories about pica, whose precise causes are unknown. It's also found among brain damaged or mentally ill people, among whom it can take particularly dangerous turns including swallowing sharp objects (known as acuphagia). Undigested items can also form bezoars - calcified "stones" - in the stomach.
pica on wikipedia

3. FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME

Imagine suddenly putting on a convincing French accent. Or Scottish. Or Italian. It sounds like fun, but it's no joke for the victims of Foreign Accent Syndrome, which can set in after strokes or other brain trauma. Without warning, they'll start speaking their native tongue with a different accent, which could sound anything from Swedish to South African. Victims need never have heard the accent in question, according to Oxford University researchers Dr. Jennifer Gurd and Dr. John Coleman, who believe it arises from damage to areas of the brain responsible for language production, altering pitch, pronunciation and speech patterns. So people with the syndrome aren't putting on a foreign accent, it just sounds that way.
foreign accent syndrome on oxford blueprint | wikipedia

4. ONDINE'S CURSE

A wonderful name for a nasty problem, this is a sleep disorder resulting from a malfunctioning autonomic nervous system. Its victims are unable to breathe spontaneously but must consciously will each breath, so will suffocate if they fall asleep. Respirators may help. Also known as congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome, Ondine's Curse derives its name from the legend of a water nymph, Ondine, who fell in love with a human, thereby forfeiting her immortality. Though he had pledged his undying love, Ondine discovered him snoring in the arms of another woman. She cursed him, declaring that as he had pledged his love with every waking breath, he would die the moment he fell asleep.
ondine's curse on wikipedia

5. ALIEN HAND SYNDROME

Another condition arising from brain trauma, this bizarre syndrome involves losing control of one hand, which can do anything from gesticulating to unbuttoning clothes its owner is trying to put on with his or her other hand. The condition is also called Dr. Strangelove Syndrome, thanks to Peter Sellers' inspired performance as Dr. Strangelove in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb). Sellers's mechanical hand alternated between throttling himself and throwing Nazi salutes. While victims can still experience sensation in the affected hand, they say it seems to have a mind of its own. The only solution is to keep it busy, for example by holding onto something - just not, hopefully, your own throat.
alien hand syndrome on wikipedia

6. POLYDACTYLISM

Still on the subject of hands, polydactylism is a congenital abnormality involving being born with too many digits, ranging from rudimentary nubbins to fully formed fingers or toes. While rare, polydactylism is prevalent among communities given to intermarriage, such as Philadelphia's Old Order Amish. Notables with the condition have included Henry VIII's ill-fated second wife Anne Boleyn (whose extra pinky sparked rumours of her being a witch), war photographer Robert Capa and cricketer Garry Sobers. According to The Guinness Book of Records, the record for extra digits goes to Indian brothers Tribhuwan and Triloki Yadav, who boast 20 fingers, four thumbs and 24 toes between them.(*)

* mumu's note: if you add up 20, 4 & 24, you'll get 48, so an average of 24 digits to each (Tribhuwan & Triloki), in fact the current guinness record is hold by another indian: devendra harne , a kid with 25 digits: 12 fingers & 13 toes!
polydactylism on wikipedia

7. CAPGRAS SYNDROME

A loved one has been stolen by a doppelganger; sounds like a movie about alien abduction. But for sufferers of Capgras Syndrome, the action occurs only in their brains, not outer space. This syndrome involves the delusion that a significant other, such as a parent, spouse or other relative, is being impersonated by an imposter. Sufferers sometimes attack the supposed double. The delusion can also extend even to oneself, with the person convinced that the reflection in the mirror is that of an imposter. While extremely rare, it is linked with brain damage, psychotic disorders and various neurological problems that somehow interfere with normal face recognition abilities. The syndrome owes its name to the French psychiatrist (Joseph Capgras) who first described it.
capgras syndrome on wikipedia

8. RILEY-DAY SYNDROME

Feeling no pain; it doesn't sound like a problem, but it can be lethal for the victims of a syndrome involving, among other symptoms, insensitivity to pain. Caused by a chromosomal abnormality found among Ashkenazi Jews - people of Eastern European Jewish descent - the syndrome makes its victims exceptionally accident-prone because they simply don't register warning signs of tissue damage such as wounds, bruising and burns. They are even oblivious to oxygen deprivation, which means that when they hold their breath, as infants often do, they do so until they black out. Riley-Day patients tend to die young - around half before the age of 30 - from their injuries.
riley-day syndrome or the familial dysautonomia on wikipedia

9. JERUSALEM SYNDROME

This one sounds like the title of a Robert Ludlum thriller, but it's actually a religious psychosis triggered by a visit to Jerusalem. Observed since medieval times, its victims may believe that they are prophets and parade around the city proclaiming the Holy Writ or exhorting sinners to repent. Affecting around 100 tourists per year, it generally clears up once they leave town. However, it can have serious repercussions, as with the widespread rioting that ensued when Australian man Michael Rohan set fire to the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in 1969, convinced he was the "Lord's emissary".
jerusalem syndrome on wikipedia

10. HYPERTRICHOSIS

People with hypertrichosis, a congenital condition involving hair growing all over the body - including eyelids and even ears, which can sprout long curls - have always attracted enormous interest, especially as sideshow stars. Probably the most famous was JoJo the Dog-Faced Boy (aka Fedor Jeftichew, a Russian recruited by showman P.T. Barnum), who toured widely during the latter half of the 19th century. There are different forms of hypertrichosis, distinguished by varying hair type, quantity and distribution. Some cases also have a little hairy appendage called a faun tail.
hypertrichosis on wikipedia

11. PENIS PANIC

Koro is one of a number of names for a hysterical condition known medically as Genital Retraction Syndrome, whose victims become convinced that their genitals are disappearing into their bodies. It can be contagious, sparking off "penis panics", such as the one that overtook Singapore in 1967 in which thousands of men became convinced that their penises were being stolen; it was contained by a complete media blackout on the condition. Often blamed on witchcraft, Koro typically strikes in less developed parts of the world, including Africa and Asia, where belief in sorcery remains strong. It's thought to be an extreme overreaction to normal genital shrinking from cold or other causes. Koro can be treated with medical reassurance and anti-anxiety medications.

12. PROTEUS SYNDROME

Named after Proteus, the Greek god famous for changing his shape, this is a progressive disorder causing disfiguring tumours and abnormal bone development. It's extremely rare, with just over 100 cases confirmed since it was first identified in 1979. Its most celebrated victim was Joseph Merrick, aka "The Elephant Man", a grotesquely deformed man befriended by Dr. Frederick Treves, a physician at London Hospital. At first, Merrick was believed to have suffered from the nerve disorder neurofibromatosis, but in 2003 DNA testing on his remains showed that he in fact had Proteus Syndrome. His story inspired the 1980 film The Elephant Man, starring John Hurt as Merrick.
proteus syndrome on wikipedia

13. EMOTIONAL BLINDNESS

This one is included simply for light relief, as it isn't a rare illness so much as a universal phenomenon.

Emotional blindness occurs when people exposed to confronting images - violent or erotic - fail to register other stimuli for a short (about one-fifth of a second) but critical period thereafter - a hiatus that doesn't occur after looking at more innocuous images.

This phenomenon, dubbed "attentional rubbernecking"(*) by US researchers who reported it in The Psychonomic Bulletin and Review(**) ... could have evolutionary value.

From a survival point of view, it pays to focus more on things that signal physical danger or reproductive possibilities, while filtering out less emotionally charged input. attentional rubbernecking undoubtedly worked for cavemen, who never knew when the next sabre-tooth tiger (or sexual partner) might turn up. Nowadays, given the capacity of sexy billboards to distract drivers from road conditions, for example, it's more likely to be a health hazard.

* mumu's note: "emotional rubbernecking" in original article.
** link to a pdf file.

June 16, 2007

strange health advices

a friend of mine told me about two strange enough doctors, one of them advised her to drink coffee to take care of hypotension, the other one said: "there's no method to stop smoking, it's simply impossible, believe me I've tried!".

the body tricks below though would be really helpful health advices if they work, & I think they are, & in the same time they're "weird" enough to be posted here, or just exposed in a weird manner, enjoy & do good things to your body! :)


Here are eighteen interesting "tricks of the body" to learn.


1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear.

When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, but you're more discriminating. Take that tickle in your throat; it's not worth gagging over. Here's a better way to scratch your itch: "When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm," says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. "This spasm relieves the tickle."

2. Experience supersonic hearing!

If you're stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It's better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you're trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Overcome your most primal urge!

Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about Jessica Simpson. Thinking about sex preoccupies your brain, so you won't feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. For best results, try Simpson's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" video.

4. Feel no pain!

German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

6. Fight fire without water!

Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.


7. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!

Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

8. Make burns disappear!

When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natural method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

9. Stop the world from spinning!

One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance—the cupula—floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. "As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises," says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

10. Unstitch your side!

If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

11. Stanch blood with a single finger!

Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed—if you don't mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums—just behind that small dent below your nose—and press against it, hard. "Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose," says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. "Pressing here helps stop them."

12. Make your heart stand still!

Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It'll get your heart rate back to normal.

13. Thaw your brain!

Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. "Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too," says Abo. "In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache." The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

14. Prevent near-sightedness!

Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles—like the eyes—into relaxing as well.

15. Wake the dead!

If your hand falls asleep while you're driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It'll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don't let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.

16. Impress your friends!

Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.

17. Breathe underwater!

If you're dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first—essentially, hyperventilate. When you're underwater, it's not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it's the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin' ain't right. "When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity," says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. "This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen." It'll buy you up to 10 seconds.

18. Read minds!

Your own! "If you're giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep," says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.

source: impact lab