Ever say a word over and over again and start thinking about how weird it is… and then how weird all things are? Something similar happens to me when I think about some of the normal stuff I do everyday. How do these things even happen? How did we all decide that this is acceptable behavior?
Here are some everyday things that are actually pretty weird when you think about them:
1. Blushing.
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As your brain senses unwanted social attention, the veins in your face dilate and the blood flow in your cheeks increases, giving you a rosy complexion. Scientists don’t quite know why this happens, but they do know that the more you call attention to it, the redder you become.
2. Crying.
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Scientists believe that tears help us get rid of unwanted hormones. However, no other animal on this planet bleeds water from their optical passages when sad. Maybe that’s because other animals don’t watch Pixar movies when they’re drunk.
3. Sex.
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Sex is for reproduction purposes, but we have different biological characteristics instead of just one so that we can trick the parasitic creatures living on our bodies by diversifying our genes. Our bodies do this so the parasites can’t eat us alive.
4. Farting.
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Farting was always historically weird, but the reason we fart is because of bacteria colonies in the intestine which produce hydrogen sulfide as a byproduct. That byproduct needs to come out sometime, preferably not when getting a back rub from a lover
5. Zoning Out.
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It’s not because of your brief experimental phase in college. Scientists believe it to be normal for humans to zone out 13% of the time. A little zoning out is good for the brain, helping us reach epiphanies and other creative rewards. Too much zoning out can cause us to run into streetlights, which is not good for the brain.
6. Hugging.
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Despite also feeling really nice, hugging is proven to have health benefits. A proper hug of 20 seconds or more can increase oxytocin (the bonding hormone) and lower blood pressure.
7. Handshaking.
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There’s no scientific reason why many cultures accept shaking hands as a sign of friendship or respect. We’ve been doing it for a really long time. Artifacts depict the ancient Greeks handshaking as early as the 5th century. Experts say this was possibly a sign of peace between warring nations as the empty hands hold no weapons.
8. Kissing.
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It seems to make sense when you’re in the moment, but “swapping saliva with another human being” doesn’t exactly sound as enticing as “kissing”. That’s what’s going on, though. That exchange of enzymes allows us to sort through the pheromones and see whether your mate is healthy, sick, or a really bad kisser.
9. Having Pets.
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Prehistoric man found a friend in wolves who left humans alone, and he waited to eat their scrap of food when they left. Generations of these wolves grew closer and closer to the humans and formed a symbiotic relationship where dogs would protect them in exchange for food. They began to evolve to be “cuter” to us so we would be more likely to protect them.
10. Laughing.
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It is believed that laughing is a signal to others to decrease stress and contribute to tribal cohesion. You can say this whenever someone makes fun of your dorky laugh.
11. Getting Pins And Needles.
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The funny-bone situation occurs by applying too much pressure to a nerve. When the nerve returns to normal, our brains interpret it as a thousand little needles poking your body.
12. Blinking.
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We blink every 2-10 seconds to remove dust particles from the eye’s surface. Blinking also blocks out certain memories from the brain, and that’s why you don’t notice your eyes closing all the time.
13. Shaving.
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This one is still a mystery to scientists. Body hair is designed to trap pheromones our bodies use to woo a mate. Shaving may look better, but why did we start doing it?
14. Sleeping.
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Sleep is weird because we are pretty much forced to do nothing for a third of our lives. While we may appear to be stagnant, our brain is actually sorting out neurons to further develop, a necessary process for our memory and learning. Or rather “supposedly” necessary since there isn’t a concrete biological reason why we NEED to sleep.
15. Bouncing Our Legs When Sitting.
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This is one example of the brain creating a “control pattern” to distract itself from anxiety. It also helps with the blood flow to and from your legs.
16. Hiccuping.
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This is a remnant of our far-off evolution from amphibians. Tadpoles use a similar technique to get air from water, which we still use as fetuses in the womb.
Weird, right? Now let’s all go back to pretending like these things are all okay and this conversation never happened. (Just don’t forget how similar you are to a tadpole.)
