People & Mind

Some people can taste words—a rare phenomenon called lexical-gustatory synesthesia, where hearing or reading certain words triggers unique flavors in their mouths.

The inventor of the first successful digital hearing aid, Miller Reese Hutchison, also designed some of the earliest car horns—helping people be heard in two very different ways.

Some tech CEOs intentionally use the same outfit every day—like Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck—not out of laziness, but to minimize decision fatigue and boost creativity.

Research shows that verbal intelligence is positively correlated with worry and rumination. Brain scans reveal that both high intelligence and excessive worrying share similar patterns of neural activity in the brain's white matter.

Taking a nap after learning something can help your retention of it.

Happiness and stress are contagious; surrounding yourself with happier people will make you happier too.

Research has found that you're more likely to have a creative epiphany when you're doing something monotonous, like fishing, exercising, or showering.

Money can buy happiness, but researchers have found that its emotional well-being benefits max out at a salary of about 75K a year.

Listening to music while working can boost mood and productivity, but the effect depends on the type of task and music—lyrics can interfere with reading or writing, while instrumental music often helps with repetitive tasks.

The fear of being tickled by feathers is known as Pteronophobia.

There's an Iranian man who hasn't washed for over 60 years and smokes animal faeces.

When you wake up with a jolt, it's called a hypnic jerk. This usually happens during the lightest stages of sleep, and can occur as a natural reaction when you fall asleep in a car or airplane.

Singing exercises your heart, lungs, and releases endorphins which make you feel good.

Acts of kindness make us happier and healthier.

When two strangers are forced to talk and maintain eye contact for a while, it can make them fall in love.

Researchers have found that reading reduces stress by 68%, more than listening to music or taking a walk.

People with poor mathematical skills aren't necessarily bad at math because they are 'ungifted'. There is a phenomena called 'Math Anxiety' that makes people perform worse, sometimes leading to math avoidance, which leads to lesser knowledge and consequently more math anxiety.

Exercising makes you both more productive and happier for the rest of the day. Thanks to the release of brain chemicals, it improves your brain function and memory, and the positive effect lasts for the entire day.

According to the University of California, people who blush easily are more generous and trustworthy than those who don't.

Studies show women tend to rate men who display a good sense of humor as more attractive partners, with researchers suggesting humor signals desirable traits like intelligence and social skills.