Facts

It’s Impossible to Tickle Yourself

Your cerebellum—the area in the back of your brain that monitors movement—predicts the sensation you will feel when you attempt to tickle yourself, countering the response that the tickle would otherwise elicit in other parts of your brain.

Your Hair Helps the Environment

Dirty hair can be good for the atmosphere: according to environmental engineers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, hair absorbs the air pollutant ozone. Scalp oils were found to be a major contributor to this, so if you want to do your part to help your local air quality, skip the shampoo! More than anything, this fact truly proves to be one of the more interesting things you didn’t know about your body.

Humans “Glow,” You Just Can’t See It

When we talk about someone having a “glow” about them, that’s often literally true. Research has found that the human body does in fact emit visible light, but since it’s about 1,000 times less intense than the levels our eyes are able to spot, it’s not “visible” in practice.

Sneezes Can Travel Up to 20 Fee

You may think you’re safe when the guy all the way across the subway car sneezes, but you may be in the line of fire without even realizing it. A video study conducted by researchers at MIT found that sneezes travel much farther than previously believed—as far as 20 feet.