Life's Little Mysteries Body Mind Archives
The Freakiest Medical Conditions
February 01, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Next time you break a limb or come down with scurvy, be thankful it's not something much, much worse.
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Is Club Drug 'Special K' a Quick Fix for Depression?
January 31, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
New studies show that ketamine, an anesthetic agent, may instantly alleviate depression. Scientists say it will likely gain FDA approval within two years.
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Why Do People Hiccup?
January 27, 2012, John B. Snow, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Hiccups have baffled scientists for years.
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What If You Ate Only One Type of Food?
January 27, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Unless you're drinking human breast milk, your body would quickly deteriorate from nutrient deficiency.
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The Real Skinny: Expert Traces America's Thin Obsession
January 25, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
America is obsessed with thinness, especially in women. But we used to think very differently.
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Can Blind People See Anything?
January 24, 2012, Nicholas Gerbis, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
There is some research that suggests blind people can sense light in unknown ways.
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Why Do Doctors Prescribe Antibiotics for 10 Days?
January 24, 2012, Nicholas Gerbis, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Doctors prescribe antiobiotics for 10 days because that is the sweet spot for most drugs.
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What If Humans Were Twice as Intelligent?
January 13, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
If humans were twice as intelligent, we would be more fulfilled on an individual scale, but society as a whole would be just as conflicted as it is now.
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UK Mom Coughs Up Tumor
January 12, 2012, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
A British mother of six coughed up the entirety of a tumor that was growing in the back of her throat. She's now cancer-free.
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Why Does Hair Change as You Age?
January 10, 2012, Mary Beth Griggs, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Your hair might have gone from straight to curly, but scientists can't quite answer why.
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UK Recommends Weekly 'Alcohol Holidays' for Good Health
January 09, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The UK government is considering advising people to take two days off each week from drinking, but scientists say this isn't actually healthier.
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Men's Shaved Armpits Smell Better to Women, by a Hair
January 05, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
A new study has found that women prefer the smell of shaved armpits on men, but just barely. Strange, considering that hairy pits evolved to make us smell more attractive.
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6 Fun Ways to Sharpen Your Memory
January 04, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Where your brain is concerned, aging isn't a one-way street. Here are six scientifically proven ways to improve your memory.
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6 Fun Ways to Sharpen Your Memory
January 04, 2012, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Where your brain is concerned, aging isn't a one-way street. Here are six scientifically proven ways to improve your memory.
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How Not to Shoot Your Eye Out with a Champagne Cork
December 30, 2011, by Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Every New Year's Eve, eye injuries from flying corks result from people incorrectly opening bottles of champagne.
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Visions of Angels Described in Bible May Have Been Lucid Dreams
December 21, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
A new sleep study shows people can easily dream up an encounter with an angel after being trained in lucid dreaming. Researchers say this suggests some religious visions described in the Bible could ha...
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Brain-Eating Amoeba Fatalities Linked to Common Cold Remedy
December 15, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Two people have died this year in Louisiana after filling their neti pots with tap water that contained brain-eating amoebas, which then entered their brains through their nasal passages as they were u...
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Could Robert F. Kennedy's Assassin Have Been 'Hypno-Programmed'?
December 12, 2011, Eli MacKinnon, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Sirhan Sirhan claims he was hypnotized into assassinating RFK, but does that claim hold water?
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Study Finds the Key to Language: How Humans Form Sentences
November 29, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Researchers have discovered that humans construct sentences by using a certain neural pathway that connects two brain regions.
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Granny-Groping Ghost Explained by Psychology
November 29, 2011, Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A British woman who says she was groped by a ghost was probably actually experiencing a mental phenomenon.
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Forget Why You Walked in a Room? Doorways to Blame, Study Finds
November 21, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
We've all had the experience of going from one room to another in our houses and forgetting why we did so. A new psychology study shows it was the doorway's fault.
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How Has Magic Johnson Survived 20 Years with HIV?
November 04, 2011, Adam Hadhazy, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Magic Johnson has been living with HIV for more than 20 years. How has he beaten the odds?
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How Long Can a Person Survive Under Earthquake Debris?
October 26, 2011, Joseph Castro, Life’s Little Mysteries Staff
How long you can survive depends on how much food and water you have.
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How to Survive Falling From a Plane
October 13, 2011, Nicholas Gerbis, Life's Little Mysteries contributor
If your parachute fails to open, just follow these rules.
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How Sleight-of-Hand Magicians Trick Our Brains
October 10, 2011, Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
As explained in National Geographic's "Brain Games," magicians trick you by utilizing both avenues of your attention. You have no others.
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