Martin Lotze, a German researcher, studied the brains of both professional athletes and professional writers and discovered that their brain activity during athletic competition and the writing process was very similar. Lotze discovered an interesting difference between professional and amateur writers: professional writers used their speech-processing centres of the brain to develop their stories, whereas amateur writers relied on their vision centres to imagine the story first.

Danish researchers investigated 387 pairs of twins in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. They discovered that merely glancing at someone’s face may predict whether they would live until old age. If a person appears younger than their actual age, they will live longer than if they appeared older. And scientists have showed that it is pre-programmed at the DNA level. Telomeres, which are key bits of DNA that signal a cell’s reproduction ability, are also connected to how youthful a person seems. People who appear to be younger have shorter telomeres, yet longer life...

Walter Arnold of the English town of Paddock Wood, Kent, was the first person to be charged for speeding, according to Guinness World Records. On January 28, 1896, Arnold was caught driving four times the speed limit in his 19th-century Benz—but because the speed limit at the time was only two miles per hour, he wasn't travelling too fast by today's standards. The officer had to track him down on his bike, issuing a £4 7s penalty and earning Arnold the swift distinction.

Scientists from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research discovered that shivering in the cold for 10 minutes burns more fat than a one-hour workout. These new discoveries build on a past study into brown fat, a kind of fat tissue that consumes energy rather than storing it. So Start shivering...

If you ask an American what they are, they will respond American. If you ask someone from the United Kingdom, they may claim to be British. According to The Rakyat Post, if you ask a Malaysian, they will most likely reply they are Malay, Chinese, Indian, or Dan Lain Lain, which means "other." Malaysia has a Malay population of 55%, a Chinese population of 25%, and an Indian population of 10%. There are more than 60 sub-ethnic groupings in Sarawak and Sabah alone. Malaysia is a unique melting pot of cultures, with a diverse spectrum of nationalities, and is a popular destination for travellers and expats from all over the world.

Italy was a dictatorship until 1945, while having a royal dynasty until 1946. Following WWII, the country decided to become a republic, and King Umberto II governed briefly from May 9 to June 12, 1946. He spent the rest of his days in exile in Portugal. In Italy, he is regarded as "the May King," a reference to his exceptionally brief rule.

The Egyptians placed a high value on the afterlife. They thought that by mummifying a deceased person's corpse, their spirit would continue on in the afterlife for all eternity.

Archaeologists uncovered a tablet in Iraq in 1976, which has since been lost. Researchers, on the other hand, were able to interpret and decipher the writing from an image of the tablet. What were the outcomes? We know the tablet contains jokes, but the complete context has been lost in translation. The world's oldest your mother joke is "...of your mother is by the one who has relations with her." "What or who is it?" Do we comprehend it? No way, but we know a "your mom" joke when we see one!

Stubbs, an orange cat, was named honorary mayor of the Alaskan town of Talkeetna in 1997. With a population of 772 in 2000, it would not have taken many votes to win the position (and the small town didn't have a real, human mayor anyway), but Stubbs proved adept at the role, gaining fans from all over the world and "serving" in the position for years, greeting tourists and becoming a beloved symbol of the town until his death in 2017.

If you don't like grapes, wearing crimson underwear on New Year's Eve is also said to bring good luck. The custom of wearing red underwear on December 31 is widespread, spanning Italy, Spain, Bolivia, and beyond. Everyone is welcome to take part; men and women alike follow the tradition. Participants also have a variety of clothing options as an added bonus. Others wear socks, bras, and garters, while some wear red boxers, briefs, or panties.

In the good ol' USA, around 300 billion pizzas are sold each year. Not only that, but 93 percent of Americans have eaten pizza in the last month, according to a recent survey. Around the Super Bowl, there is a significant increase in pizza delivery sales. It doesn't get any more American than that! Unfortunately, there is no official statistics on how many of those pies were devoured as a result of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos' "Two Pizza Rule."

Granted, everyone dislikes certain colours, but is it really possible to be afraid of a specific colour? Apparently, yes. Chromophobia, also known as Chromatophobia, is an irrational fear or aversion to certain colours. Fortunately, chromophobia is an extremely rare diagnosis that is caused by a conditioned response or a previous negative experience.

You might have already noticed that every picture of iPhones on any advertisement has the time set at 9:41. But why is that? There is a cool story behind this. When Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone, the local time was 9:42 at that time in San Francisco, California. They knew that they will unveil the iPhone at 9:42 and set the time to 9:42 in the slideshow as well.

However, when the iPad was released, they announced it at 9:41. Since then, this is still in effect as of yet. So, whenever you see an iPhone in any advertisement, you will see the time is set at 9:41. And, it is not a coincidence at all. Now you know the story behind this as well.

Psychologists have examined a phenomena known as reactance, which states that when individuals think that particular liberties are being taken away, they not only break the law, but break it significantly more than they would normally in order to reclaim their freedom. This might be one of the finest psychological facts to explain why a youngster who isn't allowed to use his phone in class will chew gum while texting.

Scientists can detect whether a gene has been effectively inserted into an animal's DNA by adding some type of clearly recognised marker to it. When testing an anti-FIV gene in 2011, scientists at the Mayo Clinic employed a fluorescent protein from a particular jellyfish. The tests were successful, however the cats did glow in the dark. In fact, these cats' offspring sparkle in the dark! Nonetheless, their accomplishment is only one step toward an ultimate solution for AIDS.

Cheese rolling is one of the oddest sports that takes place every spring in Gloucestershire, in the west of England. An 8-pound round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled from the top of Cooper Hill, and competitors pursue it down to the bottom. They are intended to catch the cheese, but it is nearly impossible, thus the first person to cross the finish line wins the cheese.

According to University of California researchers, we spend 30% of our time daydreaming every day. This proportion can go as high as 70% at times (for example, during long travels), but there's nothing wrong with it. According to studies, those who enjoy floating in the clouds are more creative. They're also superior at problem-solving and stress relief.

Traditionally, Russia was Moldova's largest export market, consuming up to 90% of its wine. However, a diplomatic conflict in 2006 resulted in a Russian ban on Moldovan and Georgian products, which has proved disastrous to the economies of both countries. Nonetheless, it is the world's 20th largest wine-producing country (as of 2014).

In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IV waged war against cats. He said that black cats were Satan's tools. He commanded the annihilation of these felines throughout Europe as a result of this notion. This strategy, however, backfired, resulting in a rise in the number of plague-carrying rats.

This occurred while he was shooting "127 Hours." According to legend, Franco enrolled in an NYU acting class where the teacher gave him a "D." He was working 127 hours at the time. Another aspect of this incident is that the professor was eventually sacked for assigning a "D" grade to Franco's paper.

Why doesn't your stomach digest itself if it has so many enzymes and acids that it can digest a piece of meat? It turns out that it sort of does. The cells that line your stomach proliferate fast in order to replace the cells that are killed in the course of their everyday tasks. Every three days, we develop a new gut lining.

Ventriloquist dummies, like dolls, have become a staple of horror films. A ventriloquist's dummy named Slappy is one of R.L. Stine's most iconic antagonists. If they terrify you, avoid visiting the Ven Haven Museum near Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Vintage ventriloquist dummies line the walls. This is undoubtedly your worst nightmare if you're afraid of dolls. How funny, these people should have destroyed them, but no, they thought why not show it to the world...

Official statistics show that over half of all persons up to the age of 64 have the equivalent of a high school graduation, significantly below the OECD average of nearly 75%. Younger generations, on the other hand, are defying the trend, with 65 percent of millennials obtaining the certificate — and the number is climbing.

First and foremost, we're not debating whether ham and pineapple belong on a pizza. Sam Panopoulos immigrated to Canada from Greece in 1954. In Chatham, Ontario, he worked as a cook at the Satellite Restaurant. Panopoulos came up with the notion of using canned pineapple on pizza in 1962. His inspiration for this unusual combo came from Chinese Sweet and Sour style food. Because of the odd fruity component, the Hawaiian pizza was first disliked. However, as people tried it, the new topping quickly became a popular option all around the world! Hawaiian pizza has nothing to do with the Hawaiian Islands. It was called after the brand of canned pineapples that they first used.