The amazing human body

WHY?

Men blink half as often as women. On average, a man has 6.5 litres of blood in their bodies, while women have 5 litres.

​How?

The liquids that line our stomachs are incredibly acidic. So acidic in fact that they are able to break down some metals. This doesn’t mean you can go around chowing down on pound coins and keys, but a scientific study found that the acid in our stomachs can dissolve a razor blade. Given that our stomach acid doesn’t hurt us, that sounds a bit farfetched, but this is because our stomach walls are able to repair themselves faster than they degrade.

​Why?

If you were worried you peaked in high school, add about a decade to that and scientists would agree. A study of 3,305 people ages 16 to 44 first detected declines in cognitive speed at age 24, which dropped by about 15% for every 15 years after that. If you’re closing in on 40, these numbers may take a bit longer to crunch, but it adds up to your quickest days being behind you.

​Why?

Goosebumps are caused by tiny arrector pili muscles that contract and raise the hairs on your skin when you're cold, being tickled, or experiencing other types of sensory stimuli. This is known as piloerection, which is a fun enough word in itself. But even creepier, there are some, albeit a small amount of people, who can contact these muscles consciously and can give themselves goosebumps on command, like a deranged party trick.