Life's Little Mysteries Body Mind Archives
What is a Superbug?
December 29, 2012, Dave Mosher, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
What does the word "superbug" really mean?
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What's a Stem Cell?
December 28, 2012, Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Managing Editor
Embryonic stem cells can morph into any cell in the human body.
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What is a PET Scan and How Does it Work?
December 27, 2012, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Because positron emission tomography is a mouthful, radiologists call it a PET scan for short.
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What is a Hemorrhoid?
December 24, 2012, Robert Roy Britt
Hemorrhoids are distended and swollen veins in the lining of the anus.
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What is 20/20 Vision?
December 21, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
What Does 'Fast Metabolism' Mean?
December 20, 2012, Rachel Mahan, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Metabolism refers to the calories the body uses at rest.
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What Does the Sun Burn?
December 20, 2012, Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
We all know that there is no air in space, and therefore no oxygen to burn.
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What Do Antibiotics Do?
December 19, 2012, Scott Fields, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
When you get sick, more often than not the miscreant is a microbe, and doctors often fight back with antibiotics.
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What Causes Eye Flashes and Floaters?
December 18, 2012, Scott Fields, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The most common cause of eye flashes is pulling between parts of the eye and the most common cause of floaters when this pulling causes material to break free.
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What Causes Hunger Pangs?
December 18, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Hunger speaks not from the belly but from the brain.
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What Causes Goose Bumps?
December 18, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Like sneezing, goose bumps (also known as the pilomotor reflex) represent one of your body's automatic responses, meant to increase your chances of survival in the harsh world.
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What Causes Deja Vu?
December 17, 2012, Robert Roy Britt
Some believe deja vu involves emotional responses to similar events; others figure the brain short circuits, sending an event to memory just a split second before putting it into consciousness.
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What Causes Bedwetting?
December 17, 2012, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
As embarrassing as it is, we are all born wetting the bed. Learning to hold it in is a natural part of growing up.
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What Causes a Charlie Horse?
December 17, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Expect cramps during states of exercise and dehydration.
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What are X-rays?
December 14, 2012, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
An X-ray photon can be hundreds or thousands of times more energetic than a photon of visible light.
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What are Growing Pains?
December 13, 2012, Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The pains are real, but they are not caused by the child's growing body.
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What are Eyelashes For?
December 13, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Eyelashes protect the eye from foreign particles and act as sensors to let the brain know a potentially painful poking could be imminent.
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What are Birthmarks?
December 13, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The term "birthmark" can refer to all sorts of spots.
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Is Optimism Good For You?
December 12, 2012, Robert Roy Britt
Several studies suggest optimists live longer and enjoy better health than pessimists. The real mystery is why.
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Is Antibacterial Soap Really Necessary?
December 10, 2012, Robert Roy Britt
Beyond easing your mind, the more expensive products will indeed clean your hands if you use them right, but plain old soap and water is still a good way to go.
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How Should I Treat a Cold?
December 06, 2012, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The average adult has two to four colds a year. Children get up to 10. Among the remedies ... yes, chicken soup.
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How Quickly Can Bacteria Multiply?
December 06, 2012, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Give bacteria a warm bed and food to eat and they will start to multiply immediately.
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How Much Urine Can a Healthy Bladder Hold?
December 04, 2012, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
A healthy adult bladder can hold up to 16 ounces of urine comfortably.
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How Many Muscles Does a Human Have?
December 01, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Muscular tissue makes up 35-40 percent of our body weight and comes in several types of packages-skeletal, cardiac and smooth.
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How Many Cells are in the Brain?
December 01, 2012, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The complexity of the task requires a fairly inconceivable 100 billion neurons, interconnected via trillions of synapses.
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