14 Interesting Facts About Brains

1.

Human brains remain half-awake when sleeping somewhere else for the first time. How does it do that? One hemisphere remains more awake than the other. In a study from Brown University, they found the side awake in participants was more often than not the left hemisphere of the brain.

2.

There is a psychological effect called “helper’s high,” where helping people releases the same chemicals in your brain that pleasure or rewards do. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Greater health and increased longevity are associated with this psychological state.”

3.

“Poo-phoria” refers to when a larger bowel movement stimulates the vagus nerve, which travels from the brain to the end of the spinal cord, and creates feelings of lightheadedness, chills, and relaxation. Don’t try and stimulate the vagus nerve yourself on purpose, though. Overstimulation can cause a significant drop in blood pressure and cause you to pass out.

4.

The scientific reason some people pace while on the phone is because the brain lacks the visual stimulation that would typically occur in a face-to-face conversation.

6.

When dogs and humans look at each other, the brain releases oxytocin, the same bonding hormone mothers and babies release when they look at each other.

7.

Humans have no sense of wetness. Wetness is something our brain concludes based on other factors like “our ability to sense cold temperature and tactile sensations such as pressure and texture.” Our skin has no receptors for it.

8.

Neurons in the brain can travel up to 270 miles per hour, but vary based on what kind of signal its sending. For example, touch receptors send a signal at around 150 miles an hour, and pain receptors send signals at around two miles an hour.

10.

If you’re someone who worries too much about what other people think about them, don’t. Research shows people typically focus on themselves and tend to over-exaggerate what their social blunders look like in the eyes of others.

11.

The human brain has 86 billion neurons, which may sound impressive, but will make you feel immediately inadequate when I tell you elephant brains have 257 billion neurons and a brain three times larger.

12.

When two musicians play together, their brain waves synchronize.

13.

Our brains use the same pathways to process both physical and emotional pain. Actually, a study had people take acetaminophen or a placebo and then experience a social rejection. The acetaminophen takers later reported fewer hurt feelings. That’s not to say that you should take Tylenol whenever you’re sad, but it emphasizes the fact that we have one pathway to feel pain.

14.

Finally, this one isn’t about the human brain, but it’s too interesting not to share: Pufferfish release poison as a defense mechanism, but the poison has the same effect on dolphin brains as marijuana has on human brains, so dolphins purposely harass pufferfish to get them to release the chemical.

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/audreyworboys/facts-about-brain

Great fighting by the Janissaries to protect Barbarossa.

Great fighting by the Janissaries to protect Barbarossa.

Ivica Zubac Got Trapped At Midcourt While Surrounded By The Timberwolves Dancers

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Ivica Zubac had a rough night on Friday. Zubac and the Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 128-115, while Zubac, who had nine points and two rebounds in 21 minutes of work, was thoroughly outclassed by Rudy Gobert, who went for 25 points and 21 rebounds.

But the weirdest part of the night for Zubac came before the game even tipped off. The two teams were getting ready to start things while Zubac — who, by nature of being huge, was going to participate in the tip-off — just stood at center court. It was at this point that the Timberwolves Dancers surrounded midcourt as part of their pregame routine, while Zubac just kinda stood there and vibed for a bit. The video of him trying to just kill some time while all of this was going on really is terrific.

I hope that Zubac did not have to, like, go to the bathroom or get a cup of water or anything like that, because dude didn’t have a way to get out of there other than hoping the dance routine ended as soon as possible. The Clippers’ next game is at home against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, and it stands to reason that Zubac knows what he’ll need to do to avoid finding himself in this position at Crypto.com Arena.

Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/ivica-zubac-trapped-midcourt-surrounded-timberwolves-dancers-video/

Study Finds That Parenting Skills Suffer When Parents Use Screens to Unwind

Have you ever been to a restaurant where every member of the family in the next booth is on a screen? Parents are glued to their phones, kids are playing video games, and no one is speaking to one another. A lot about this scenario is alarming, but a new study has found that parent screen time, specifically those who use tech to relax, is associated with poor parenting.

Photo Credit: Pexels

The results came from 549 questionnaires given to parents with at least two children between the ages of 5 and 18. Parents who used screens to unwind experienced more psychological stress and reported poor parenting behavior such as yelling, nagging, and saying hurtful things to their kids.

“When kids are showing difficult behaviors, parents might use technology to withdraw. And when you’re more absorbed in media, you might have stronger, less patient reactions to your children,” says Jasmine Zhang, lead study author and a graduate student researcher in the Whole Family Lab at the University of Waterloo.

Dad and daughter BW add media Study Finds That Parenting Skills Suffer When Parents Use Screens to Unwind

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Zhang says not all technology consumption is connected to bad parenting, but moms and dads should beware of media use that their attention away from direct interaction with their children. Parents who use screens to maintain social connections are more positive, present, and available to their kids.

As with most aspects of parenting (and life in general), it’s about trying to maintain balance. Use your screens but not to the detriment of your children. If you find yourself displaying absent or troublesome behaviors with your kids, it’s time to look for new non-tech ways to relax.

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Tags: · good parenting, Jasmine Zhang, media, nagging, parenting, phones, poor parenting, psychological stress, relax, screen time, screens, social connections, technology, top, University of Waterloo, unwind, Whole Family Lab, yelling

Source: https://twistedsifter.com/2023/01/study-finds-that-parenting-skills-suffer-when-parents-use-screens-to-unwind/

Julia Roberts Real Name

“Actor Julia Roberts is about to uncover a secret hidden deep in the branches of her father’s family tree,” Gates Jr. told the audience, before his sitdown with Julia.

In the segment, Gates Jr. gave Julia the research he had compiled based on her ancestry. “Here’s your great grandfather, John, living with his mother.” His name was John Pendleton Roberts in the 1880 census.

That woman is her great-great grandmother, named Rhoda Suttle Roberts. Julia said she had never heard of that name.

Gates Jr. revealed that there was no father in the records. “The dad — John’s father — is missing.”

Gates Jr. shared that during the 1850s, Rhoda married a man named Willis R. Roberts, but he died in 1864 — “over a decade before Rhoda gave birth to Julia’s great grandfather, John.”

“Julia, Willis Roberts could not possibly be your great-grandfather,” he told her. “He was dead.”

Because Ancestry was able to get DNA from Julia and her cousin, they were able to match them to descendants. “In the end, we found a cluster of matches that tied Julia and her cousin to one man.” That man was Henry McDonald Mitchell Jr.

“So, we’re Mitchells?” Julia asked.

“You’re Julia Mitchell,” Gates Jr. said. “You are not a Roberts biologically.”

Literally me after watching this video:

The full video is super interesting, as they uncover more evidence as to how this whole name mixup came to be. You can watch the full thing here!

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/julia-roberts-real-name

The Chiefs Scored The Season’s Weirdest Touchdown But It Got Called Back For A Holding

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The Kansas City Chiefs must be pretty bored during their game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon. While the Chiefs have a playoff berth all sealed up, the team entered the game in Vegas hoping for a win to keep their hopes of having homefield throughout the AFC playoffs alive, assuming the NFL’s plan for a neutral site conference championship game doesn’t come to fruition.

Anyway, the Chiefs were on the doorstep late in the first half when they busted out this play, which involves playing ring around the rosie and then having Patrick Mahomes line up at running back. It worked out beautiful, except for the fact that there was a holding penalty called and the officials called back what would have been the weirdest touchdown of the NFL season.

The whole thing rocks. The Chiefs play a quick game of Ring Around the Rosie, at which point Jerick McKinnon lines up at quarterback and Mahomes is the running back. They look like they’re running a triple option, but McKinnon actually pitches it to Mahomes, who turns around and throws a screen Kadarius Toney. It is one of the weirdest plays I have ever seen and I love it dearly. Anyway, Toney would score on the very next play, so it all worked out in the end.

Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/chiefs-scored-weird-touchdown-called-back-holding-video/

Kylie Jenner And Travis Scott Have Reportedly Broken Up Once Again

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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have reportedly broken up, according to US Weekly. The news arrives after Jenner and Scott had spent the holidays apart.

“Kylie and Travis are off again, they were supposed to spend the holidays together, but she went to Aspen to be with her family and friends up there,” said the source to the magazine. “This has happened so many times before, they’re known to be on again off again, but always remain friends and great coparents.”

Jenner and Scott first began dating in 2017. The two welcomed their daughter, Stormi, in February of 2018. The two first decided to take some time apart in 2019, not considering it a “full break up,” but making the choice to co-parent Stormi. The two were later reported to have reconciled in May 2021, and three months later, the two were reported to be expecting their second child.

In a video Jenner shared to YouTube, recapping her 2022, she revealed that while she loves all of her sisters equally, she’s revealed that having children of her own has brought her closer to her sister, Khloe Kardashian.

“We’re in this little mom club and it’s a whole thing,” she said. “…They’re all my best friends. It’s been a great year.”

Thankfully, it seems like Jenner has plenty of family to lean on during this time.

Source: https://uproxx.com/music/kylie-jenner-travis-scott-break-up/

The Denver Broncos Received Permission To Interview Former Saints Coach Sean Payton

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Two weeks ago, the Denver Broncos fired first year head coach Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games, with a blowout loss on Christmas to Baker Mayfield and the L.A. Rams proving to be the final straw for the embattled coach. Denver’s 4-11 record was a far cry from where they expected to be this offseason when they shipped multiple first round picks to Seattle for Russell Wilson, hoping to be a factor in the AFC West.

Instead, they’ll be sending a top-5 pick the Seahawks way and cannot help but be fully committed to Wilson given his massive extension they inked him to this offseason. As such, they have to find a new coaching staff that can come in and unlock whatever Wilson has left to offer to try and maximize their situation, and it appears their top target is a former Super Bowl winner. On Saturday, Adam Schefter reported former Saints coach Sean Payton, who retired after the 2021 season and has spent the year doing TV for FOX, was set to interview with the Broncos after Denver received permission to interview him later this month.

Payton’s track record speaks for itself — as does the struggles New Orleans has had in his absence offensively — and while his past isn’t without some controversy, as the recipient of a year-long suspension for Bountygate, he’s about as highly regarded as offensive coaches come. The real question likely isn’t whether Denver wants to hire Payton, but whether the Broncos are the team Payton wants to make his return to the NFL with. There are real questions about whether Wilson is cooked, and while Payton has experience getting the most out of an aging QB (as he did with Drew Brees), whether he wants to try that again with a guy he’s never worked with is another question.

Payton figures to be at the top of a number of coaching wishlists, but Denver will get first crack at an interview with him to gauge where he’s at and what he believes Wilson and the team could be under his watch.

(P.S., it is never not a good time to remind everyone that there is a movie about Sean Payton that they chose Kevin James to star in.)

Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/denver-broncos-interview-sean-payton-coach-permission-saints/