In the same way that human conception shows a seasonal rhythm, so does our vulnerability to diseases. It seems preposterous that the month you are born can affect your future health. But how long you live, adult height, and how likely you are to develop a range of diseases, including devastating conditions such as schizophrenia, all turn out to be linked with the month of birth.
More books are written, published and sold per person per year in Iceland than anywhere else. One in ten Icelanders will become a published author in their lifetime.
But why is it so?
Every person with a little bite of interest in magic knows what an Ouija board is. Believed to be a gate to another world, this “talking board” or “spirit board”, as it was called, is a rectangular slate, usually made of wood or plastic, which is used to contact spirits or souls of various people who passed away. On the other hand, it is frequently used as a simple way to have fun and spend time with friends.
Did you know it is illegal to get a fish drunk in Ohio or you can get arrested for harassing Bigfoot in Washington state? Find out other strange laws in the U.S. with this amusing infographic.
Codex Seraphinianus is the name of one of the strangest books that was ever published. It was created between 1976 and 1978 by the Italian architect and designer Luigi Serafini and was published in 1981. So far, the book is considered the most peculiar and comprehensive encyclopedia.
Reading does help you form a better you. Your ability to “read” the thoughts and feelings of others could be affected by the kind of fiction you read. That may be because literary fiction tends to focus on the psychology and inner lives of the characters.
That’s the conclusion of a study in the journal Science that gave tests of social perception to people who were randomly assigned to read excerpts from literary fiction, popular fiction or nonfiction.
Do you know how much material falls onto Earth from space every day? How many different species there are in the ocean? How far the continents move every year? Check out the full version below:
How literate are you by 1918 standards? Here is one version of the Devens Literacy Test, used on Army recruits during World War. The test was designed by psychologist E.A. Shaw and named after Camp Devens, in Ayer, Mass., where it was developed. It begins with simple queries meant to be answerable by people with minimal education, moving forward into more and more difficult questions targeted at soldiers who had been to college.
TV networks commonly cancel shows that started off with a lot of hype. In fact, approximately 25% of shows get canceled after their first season.