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.

According to research, our brain can only keep 3-4 pieces of information at a time. Furthermore, this data can only be saved for 20-30 seconds. We forget it after this period unless we keep renewing it in our minds over and again. For example, you are driving while chatting on the phone (do not do this!). The person on the other end of the line gives you a number, but you can't write it down, so you memorize it. You repeat the number several times to keep it in your short-term memory until you disconnect and write it down.

Asakusa is a must-see, with its charming streets (and even the metro station) adorned with these beautiful paintings depicting Japanese history. The thick but aesthetically unified murals exude a cultural vibe while fulfilling two functions: art and storytelling. In Asakusa, you can also buy unusual foods and souvenirs and watch cooks produce street delicacies via glass windows. Visit the iconic Kaminarimon temple, albeit you may have to compete with other eager tourists!

Now, before you start freaking out, please hear us out! Sedentism is encouraged in today's environment. After all, we sit during our commutes, to eat, to watch TV, to work, to socialise with our friends, and so on. It turns out that even if you exercise regularly, it won't keep you safe from the risks of the "office lifestyle."

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.

If you want to do something creative, such as write a short story or design a dress, do it after a long and stressful day. This is because studies have shown that when people's brains aren't functioning as well as they should, they become more creative. This is one of the main reasons why people frequently come up with brilliant ideas while taking a shower after a long day at work.

During the first year of being in a romance, a protein in our cells called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) that is vital for the functions of particular sympathetic and sensory nerve cells, appears to thrive. During youthful love, our senses are heightened, and our fight or flight reaction system is activated.

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."

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.

A translator rewrote the story in the 1600s. When the prince attempted to follow Cinderella, Aschenputtel (Cinderella) lost her left shoe at the stairwell.

Do you consider all of your decisions, weighing all of your options and calculating the impact of each outcome? You may believe you are, but you are incorrect. The majority of your decisions are made subconsciously because your conscious mind would be overwhelmed with information and you would likely become mentally frozen. This is because your brain receives over 11 million bits of information every second, and there simply isn't enough "brainpower" to process it all consciously.

Examine the yellow block above for a long time. Is it dizzying after a while? Perhaps even nauseous? If this is the case, you are not alone. A number of studies have found that the colour yellow can make people feel dizzy and nauseated. As a result, it is frequently used sparingly (or very strategically) by those in advertising and is almost never used in the interiors of various modes of transportation, most notably aeroplanes.

In the winter, street sellers offer ice cream from paper boxes on the street. At -30 degrees Celsius, there's no need for a freezer (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).

Katie Mulcahey, a New Yorker, was jailed in 1908 for striking a match on a wall and lighting a cigarette with it. Why? Because it was a breach of The Sullivan Ordinance, a local ordinance that prohibits women (and only women!) from smoking in public. Mulcahey protested for her right to smoke cigarettes in public at her hearing in district court. She received a $5.00 fine. The Sullivan Ordinance was vetoed by New York City's mayor two weeks later.

Scientists from the University of Birmingham investigated bikers aged 55 to 79 who ride their bikes for many hours each day. These researchers discovered that cycling in old age keeps muscle mass and strength from deteriorating. And the fat and cholesterol levels remained constant. However, the most incredible discovery is that cyclists' systems generate immunological T-cells in equal numbers to 20-year-olds. It's incredible since T-cell production begins to decline around the age of 20. This demonstrates that riding a bicycle makes the immune system younger.

Women, believe it or not, are more vulnerable to liver disease such as hepatitis (an inflammation of the liver) and are more likely to die from liver cirrhosis (a chronic disease). Women are also more likely to suffer from alcohol-related brain damage, such as loss of mental functions and reduced brain size.

You may have outgrown the hours-of-making-out-on-the-couch stage of your relationship, but you shouldn't dismiss kissing as a pleasurable pastime with your partner—and also a type of exercise! According to Woman's Day's sexologist, one hour of mild kissing burns 68 calories. "Oh my god, an hour?" you may be thinking. Yes, an entire hour. You've got this! You've always wanted to work out with your hubby, and now is your chance.

There is a spa in Japan where you can bathe in coffee, as well as wine, tea, and other beverages! Bathing in coffee is said to have recharging, relaxing, and skin beautifying properties.

In another University of Pennsylvania research, one group learnt about a starving small child, another about millions dying of hunger, and a third about both conditions. People gave more than twice as much money when they heard about the little girl as when they heard the statistics—and even those who heard her tale in the context of the larger tragedy gave less. Psychologists believe that we are predisposed to help the person in front of us, but when the situation feels too vast, we believe that our small contribution is insignificant.

Many Koreans were forced to fight for the Japanese cause, but one soldier is said to have fought for almost everyone. According to folklore, after fighting for the Imperial Japanese Army, Korean soldier Yang Kyoungjong was captured and forced to serve for the Soviet Red Army, and then the German Wehrmacht. During this period, the Allies arrived in France, and Yang was captured by the US Army.

This study was inspired by evidence obtained from wrongful conviction cases. The study involved interviewing adult suspects in a comfortable setting and employing poor memory retrieval techniques. Within three hours, the suspects had been interrogated in ways that led them to believe in and confess to crimes they had not committed. They were even able to vividly describe the events, and some of them believed they had committed a crime as serious as assault with a weapon as teenagers. Are you willing to be persuaded?

John Duns Scotus, a thirteenth-century philosopher, believed that wearing a pointed cap would help spread knowledge from the tip to the brain, and his "Dunsmen" followers wore them as a badge of honour. However, his ideas became less popular in the 1500s, and the meaning of the Duns cap was turned on its head, becoming something of a joke.

Austrians celebrated their victory over Hungary during the 1848 revolution by clinking their drinks during a toast. Since then, Hungarians have avoided clinking their glasses while toasting since it reminds them of their loss. Instead, if you're drinking a beer in Hungary, say "Egészségedre" while looking your drinking companions in the eyes.

Einstein was leaving a ceremony in his honour on his 72nd birthday. Photographers begged him to grin for the camera as he was getting into his car. Einstein, on the other hand, was weary of smiling for photos—he'd be doing it all evening—so he stuck his tongue out instead. Einstein was so taken with the photograph that he had it printed as greeting cards.