Human body

Organs long misunderstood, reflexes that outlived their purpose, figures that defy intuition: the human body as science describes it.

324 anecdotes, most recent first.
Highlights

Ritual cannibalism explained a terrible kuru epidemic

Kuru is a fatal neurological disease that decimated an aboriginal population of Fore tribes in eastern New Guinea. This condition mainly affected women and children because they consumed the central nervous system of the deceased during funeral rites, while men ate the muscles and remained spared. The end of these anthropophagy practices under the pressure of the Australian administration allowed the disease to disappear, the last case of which was recorded in 2003.

2026-04-13

Circe's magic is explained by pharmacology

Circe's poison finds a scientific explanation in jimsonweed, whose atropine causes psychotropic effects such as delirium and intoxication. The magical counter-potion of Ulysses, the moly provided by Hermes, corresponds to the snowdrop. Modern pharmacological studies confirm that its active ingredient, galanthamine, neutralizes the action of atropine.

2026-07-14

Opioids can increase pain

Hyperalgesia is a paradoxical phenomenon by which opioids increase sensitivity to pain instead of relieving it. This disorder manifests during prolonged use of these substances or at high doses. Neural circuits are thus modified by these psychoactive molecules despite their initial analgesic effects.

2026-04-04

Vanilla is the only orchid cultivated for our food

Vanilla is a spice derived from certain tropical orchids placed under cultivation. It is the only orchid cultivated for food purposes alongside a few varieties of Orchis whose root is used to make salep. This cultivation requirement explains why vanilla ranks among the most expensive agricultural products in the world relative to its weight.

2026-10-15

Laminak are Basque spirits with animal feet

Laminak are fantastic beings from Basque mythology living underground, in caves or near springs. These nocturnal creatures possess a changing appearance, being able to take the form of normal-sized women whose lower body presents beastly attributes. Many places in the French and Spanish Basque Country owe their name to them, as well as the construction of several bridges or churches.

2026-10-13

Ahsoka Tano's lightsabers turn white

Ahsoka Tano is a character who crafts new lightsabers after abandoning her old ones. She recovers the crystals from the lightsaber of the Sixth Brother, an Inquisitor killed during a duel on the moon of Raada. By placing these crystals into her weapons, she purifies their initial red color which then becomes completely white.

2026-10-13

Children with exceptional gifts born from a supernatural marriage

The Shipibo-Conibo people of the Peruvian Amazon believe in the existence of supernatural marriages between women and spirits. The offspring of these unions vary according to the exact nature of the father spirit. The child born from a human-type spirit thus possesses exceptional gifts.

2026-10-12

Tattooing is officially recognized as an art form

Tattooing was recognized as an artistic expression in October 2023 by the Académie des Arts-Sciences-Lettres. This cultural institution marked a turning point by awarding its vermeil medal to this practice. The prize was thus awarded for the first time to a professional in the field, the tattoo artist Mikael de Poissy.

2026-10-12

A crucial oversight in the Omar Raddad case

Omar Raddad is a gardener whose shoes bore particles indicating his presence in a cellar, contradicting his initial statements. The accused had first claimed not to have gone down there for two months, before remembering on February 18 that he had stored flower pots there shortly before the murder. This change in behavior and this lie led Judge Renard to doubt the gardener's innocence, according to remarks reported by Ève Livet.

2026-10-12

The bed on bricks against the Tokolosh

The Tokolosh is a creature similar to an incubus in South African beliefs. To prevent this demon from attacking them during their sleep, virgin women adopt a specific precaution. This measure consists of placing their beds on bricks in order to keep the threat away.

2026-10-11

Incubus syndrome refers to erotic sleep disorders

Incubus syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder referring to nocturnal manifestations combining sleep paralysis, erotic arousal, and hallucinations. In 1979, the researcher L. B. Raschka proposed this name to group these episodes with a strong sexual and psychotic dominance. Affected individuals generally retain no memory of them, learning of their actions from their loved ones or their victims.

2026-10-11

Nightmares were long considered a fatal disease

The nightmare was long perceived as a medical condition in its own right with causes and treatments. Louis Dubosquet proposed in 1815 to replace the Latin term incubus with cauchemar in medical dictionaries. This doctor believed at the time that this nocturnal ailment could herald manic delirium or lead to death after repeated crises at the Hôpital de la Salpêtrière.

2026-10-11

Incubus visits are explained by sixteenth-century medicine

In 1569, the physician Jean Wier published a treatise explaining that incubus attacks were illusions caused by diseases and not by demons. He illustrated his point by analyzing the case of a fourteen-year-old young nun named Gertrude who believed she slept with Satan every night. According to him, vapors resulting from melancholy rose to the brain to oppress the animal spirits and disturb the sleeper's imaginative faculty.

2026-10-11

Zoophilia with demons according to the Church in the 19th century

René Louvel, vicar general of the Évreux bishopric, published in 1858 a Treatise on Chastity for the use of confessors. This theology manual classified mating with an incubus or a succubus among acts of bestiality. The author added that this capital sin constituted a crime of adultery or incest depending on the physical appearance adopted by the demon.

2026-10-11

Stealing an incubus's conical cap ensures the discovery of treasure

Stealing the conical cap of an incubus ensures the discovery of a treasure according to the Latin writer Petronius. This headgear, named pileus, was sometimes depicted on ancient coins such as those minted in Bithynia and Galatia. This mythological creature was thus frequently adorned with this cap similar to that of freed Roman slaves.

2026-10-11

An incubus is said to be the father of the enchanter Merlin

The incubus is a male demon whose tales of nocturnal sexual attacks are found in folklore. Children born from these evil unions are often attributed extraordinary destinies and exceptional abilities. The enchanter Merlin thus constitutes the most famous example of a being sired by this creature according to legends.

2026-10-11

Young iguanas eat feces to digest plants

The Iguana iguana is an arboreal reptile whose diet changes radically during its life. At birth, young iguanas do not possess the enzymes or microorganisms essential for breaking down plant cellulose. They must ingest the feces of adults in order to acquire this essential microbial flora that will allow them to become strictly herbivorous.

2026-10-11

The head color of iguanas changes according to their status

The green iguana is a territorial animal whose males clash during the breeding season. During these ritual fights, the winner manages to climb onto the back of its opponent to bite the folds of its neck. The head of the dominated male then takes on a dark green hue while that of its aggressor turns white in a few minutes.

2026-10-11

The green iguana sees ultraviolet light with its eyes

The green iguana is an arboreal reptile equipped with specific ocular cells called double cones. This specificity provides it with excellent color perception and helps it distinguish the ultraviolet range. This visual ability allows it to expose itself effectively to sunlight in order to absorb the UVA and UVB rays essential for synthesizing its vitamin D.

2026-10-11

Fines for outlaw tattoo artists

Tattooing has been subject to strict health regulations in France since decree number 2008-149 of February 19, 2008. Professionals must notably declare their activity to the prefecture, follow hygiene training, and use sterile or single-use equipment. Failure to comply with these required measures exposes offenders to fifth-class tickets, meaning fines of up to 1,500 euros.

2026-10-11

Tattooing increases the risk of malignant lymphoma

Tattooing presents health risks, including an increased probability of developing malignant lymphoma, which is a rare cancer affecting white blood cells. A study published in 2024 concluded that this risk was increased by 21% in tattooed individuals. This danger is particularly linked to the age of the tattoo rather than its size, with a peak in the two years following the procedure and then after ten years.

2026-10-11

Lasers explode pigments under the skin

Laser tattoo removal consists of removing a tattoo using a laser that projects a very brief and powerful light. This action causes a thermomechanical effect that makes the grains of color trapped in the dermis explode. It is a long and painful method that requires strict skills, since in France, its practice is reserved for trained and qualified doctors.

2026-10-11

Permanent makeup is a trap as you age

Permanent makeup is an aesthetic tattoo made by injecting pigments under the epidermis intended to imitate eye, lip, or eyebrow makeup. This practice is discouraged because facial aging causes sagging of the features which distorts the initial design. In the event of a facelift or eyelid surgery, these indelible lines become unsightly and laser tattoo removal cannot be performed near the eyes.

2026-10-11

D3O changes state according to impact speed

D3O is an orange, dilatant polymer material whose mechanical behavior varies according to the speed of deformation. When handled slowly it behaves like modeling clay, while an impact causes its instantaneous hardening to absorb and disperse energy. This material is today integrated into sports protective equipment, military uniforms, and smartphone cases.

2026-10-09

An empty room behaves like an acoustic capacitor

A room with rigid walls filled with air is modeled in acoustics as a capacitor whose capacitance is proportional to the volume of the cavity. This approximation works when the shortest acoustic wavelength remains much smaller than the largest dimension of the room. Engineers thus use simple electronic components to represent the physical behavior of compressible fluids.

2026-10-09

The Kalmyk horse reaches maturity very late

The Kalmyk horse is a saddle equine from the steppes that exhibits slow growth. Sexual maturity occurs between 5 or 6 years while the animals are only adults at the age of six. This growth ends definitively only between 6 or 7 years.

2026-10-08

Coptic tattoos served as church entry passes

The Christian tattoo of the Copts has been practiced since the 7th or 8th century. This habit comes from a monastic tradition or an obligation imposed by Muslim Arabs on non-converts. Nowadays, these marks on the skin allow not only to display one's faith, but also to identify oneself easily at the entrance of churches.

2026-10-07