InterestingMost people instinctively close their eyes while kissing, but a significant minority prefer to keep them open. Scientists believe eye closure helps the brain focus on tactile sensations by reducing visual distractions.8792k
Mind-BlowingThe human brain contains roughly 86 billion neurons connected by approximately 100 trillion synaptic connections—far more connections than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.4123k
InterestingAfter age 30, the brain begins to gradually shrink, losing about 5% of its volume per decade after age 40, with some regions like the hippocampus shrinking as much as 0.84% annually.2261k
Mind-BlowingWhen someone looks at a new love, the neural circuits that are usually associated with social judgment are suppressed.2051k
InterestingBrain scans show that people who view photos of a beloved experience activation of the caudate - a dopamine-rich part of the brain's reward system involving motivation and desire.1584k
InterestingListening 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.695k
Mind-BlowingListening to music activates the same dopamine reward system in the brain that responds to sex, food, and drugs.343k
InterestingWhen 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.326k
Mind-BlowingDuring REM sleep, your brain can be as active as when you're awake, with some regions showing even more intense activity than during waking hours.273k
InterestingDaydreaming activates the brain's 'default mode network,' which research links to enhanced creativity and insight-based problem-solving.251k
InterestingPeople 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.173k