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Delve into the mysterious and shocking secrets of the human body that will leave you astonished and perhaps a bit fearful. Explore how our body parts may evolve and change drastically in the next century, making them unrecognizable to us today.
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00:00Take a look at your fingernails. Are they a bit ridged?
00:03There are a bunch of reasons why that might happen, and it has nothing to do with your manicure skills.
00:09To start with, know that your fingernails might be a good indicator of any health problems.
00:14But those vertical ridges are normal, especially when you get older.
00:19It's your skin's way of showing it needs to slow down.
00:23New skin cells don't get produced as rapidly as they used to,
00:27so you get this texture on your fingernails.
00:30However, if this is just one of many other weird symptoms,
00:34it might be more than just a sign of aging.
00:37For instance, it may be a sign of a chemical imbalance,
00:40which can give you vertical ridges, but also make your nails look spoon-shaped.
00:46Don't put stuff in your ear. You know that.
00:49Even with Q-tips, you should always be gentle when using it.
00:53Otherwise, you could end up causing more harm.
00:56What's even more interesting is that sticking things in your ear
00:59can trigger a weird coughing mechanism, also known as the Arnold's Ear Cough Reflex.
01:05Turns out that the ear has a say in coughing because of the vagus nerve.
01:10This long nerve road from the brain to the belly.
01:13It taps the ear, handles the voice box, and takes a detour to the stomach.
01:18This nerve runs all sorts of daily activities without us being able to control it,
01:23from speaking to eating, and even bathroom breaks.
01:27Now, the part that connects it with the ear is Arnold's nerve.
01:31This one deals with touch sensations.
01:34Stick something in your ear and it can get triggered.
01:36And it's precisely that tickle sensation that can make you cough.
01:40Think of it as a brain blip, tricking your body into believing it's got something in the throat.
01:47You end up coughing as a way to kick out the imaginary intruder.
01:52You might be missing a muscle in your arm too, but it's okay.
01:56You are most likely born that way, and you're also one of many.
02:00It's called the palmaris longus tendon, and about 14% of the population doesn't have it.
02:07Here's how you can test it out.
02:09Gently flex your wrist and touch your pinky with your thumb.
02:13If you can see a little tendon protruding on the inside of your wrist, you've got it.
02:17If you don't, that's fine.
02:19For the most part, this muscle doesn't increase the performance of our arm.
02:24Here's another little experiment you can safely try at home.
02:28Check which one of your nostrils is your favorite.
02:31Even though you probably didn't even know you had one.
02:35Stand in front of a mirror, breathe out through your nose, and watch how the fog forms.
02:41Sure, there will be two marks on the mirror, but for most people, one's gonna be bigger.
02:46That's because we usually breathe more from one nostril at a time.
02:51Some doctors say that about 75% of our breath comes from one single nostril.
02:57It also switches sides during the day, in a process called the nasal cycle.
03:02So why not both nostrils at once?
03:05Well, it's generally believed to be all about moisture, preventing one side from getting too dry.
03:11The only time you might be able to notice the difference is when you're trying to fall asleep.
03:16Lie on your right side, and you'll see that gravity makes one part of your nose work harder.
03:24Speaking of sleep, whenever you're trying to get some rest at a new place, only a part of your brain
03:29will actually get some quality sleep.
03:32That's because our brains are wired to remain a bit more alert when we're in an unfamiliar place.
03:38This discovery explains why we often wake up feeling groggy after a night in a new apartment.
03:44This is a feature we share with birds and sea creatures who can half-sleep, keeping an eye out.
03:50Back in the day, sleep researchers noticed this and named it the first-night effect.
03:55Whenever someone participated in a sleep study, they noticed the quality of their rest was so bad, they had to
04:02trash the data.
04:03But after the first night, it seemed to level up.
04:06We do this because back in ancient times, the chances of getting attacked by predators during the night were way
04:12higher.
04:13So, it made sense to keep that part of the brain on guard for any dangers.
04:18Unfortunately, there's no switch to flip this off.
04:21So, after a night in a new place, just know you'll need way more coffee.
04:25It's possible that each time you're getting ready for a workout, your heart is already acting up,
04:31even though you aren't technically moving your muscles yet.
04:34That's because of an effect called anticipatory rise.
04:39In simple terms, it's like your brain is sending directions to your heart, telling it to get ready.
04:44These directions come in the form of chemicals, like noradrenaline and adrenaline.
04:49It's helpful because that kick in heart rate means more blood pumping out every minute, which is good for your
04:56muscles.
04:56The increased blood flow delivers oxygen and prepares your muscles to put in the required effort.
05:02The better shape your heart's in, the smoother this whole process goes.
05:07All of us have heard stories about regular people being able to lift heavy objects in stressful situations.
05:13You know, like a mom being able to lift a car to save her kid.
05:17Some are calling it hysterical strength.
05:20And it can't really be tested out in a lab because you can't just fake a sense of imminent danger.
05:26It's more about real, spontaneous moments that somehow trigger this hidden superpower.
05:32Well, even though it sounds like people are lifting a ton of weight, they're not that strong.
05:37Take the classic car lift scenario.
05:39You'd think they're lifting the whole car, but it's more like lifting a part of it.
05:44Most wheels are still on the ground.
05:47Plus, cars aren't evenly heavy everywhere.
05:50The engine's the densest part, not the area that's often being lifted.
05:55As for the hysterical strength, it's more about realizing we're stronger than we think.
06:01Our muscles usually use the least effort needed for everyday tasks.
06:05But when we need to go all out, we can recruit more muscle power.
06:09You see, our bodies are very efficient.
06:12Why use all our muscles when lifting a coffee cup?
06:16Even when we feel exhausted, chances are, we're not.
06:20Researchers say we might only use 60 to 80% of our muscle strength, and that's reserved for top athletes.
06:28Apart from efficiency, our brains also don't go full power on our muscles because of a built-in safety mechanism.
06:35If we used all our strength, we could easily hurt ourselves.
06:40The simple game of peek-a-boo isn't just a fun pastime for babies.
06:44They love it so much because it can help with their development.
06:48You see, it's not just about covering and uncovering faces.
06:52It helps them better master the skill of visual tracking.
06:56It's also useful for understanding the concept of object permanence.
07:00Just because they can't see something, it doesn't necessarily mean it's gone forever.
07:05This knowledge that objects exist even if they're out of sight will increase their problem-solving skills when they get
07:12older.
07:13Playing peek-a-boo is also a good way to exercise various positive emotions.
07:18They go from surprise to anticipation to excitement and happiness.
07:24Some say they can do just fine with just four hours of sleep every night.
07:29But scientists say most of us adults need a good six to eight hours.
07:34And the reality is that anything less than this average can lead to serious sleep deprivation.
07:40That is, of course, if you're not one of those super sleepers.
07:44These people are magical beings who thrive on less than six hours of sleep each night.
07:49They function properly on that little, but they also naturally wake up after just four or five hours.
07:56Only one to three percent of the population can claim that title.
08:00Also, know it's genetic.
08:02You can't train yourself to be one.
08:08You wake up a hundred years from now and things are weird.
08:12Your body feels different.
08:14You check the mirror and, yep, it's true.
08:17You've got a second eyelid and no body hair?
08:20Sounds like sci-fi, but nope.
08:22There's actual science behind it.
08:25Think about how often you check your phone.
08:27A lot, right?
08:28Well, this might be why you have that second eyelid now.
08:31As screens took over our lives, we evolved this extra eyelid to filter out harmful blue light and reduce eyestrain.
08:39Future you blinks and a translucent shield covers your eyes.
08:43It's like nature's way of protecting us from all that digital glare.
08:47Downside?
08:48We all look a bit more like robots.
08:51Now, Americans spend about seven hours a day on the internet.
08:55Some researchers took this info and ran with it.
08:58Meet Mindy, the 3D model of humans a hundred years from now.
09:02She's got the lowdown on what constant phone checking and endless office hours have done to us.
09:08Mindy's got an arched back, a thicker skull, a smaller brain, a 90-degree elbow, and something called a text
09:15claw.
09:16That doesn't feel right, does it?
09:19All those hours looking down at your phone strain your neck muscles and mess with your spine.
09:24But the text claws, that's next-level weird.
09:28This mutation comes from always holding your smartphone.
09:31And those elbows?
09:33Permanently bent at 90 degrees, like some kind of stiff Barbie doll.
09:37Imagine trying to navigate crowded streets, bumping into people left and right.
09:42And body hair?
09:43We might lose it all in the future, but this is actually a pretty mysterious subject.
09:48Let's rewind the tape a bit.
09:50You've probably heard that body hair was used to protect us from harsh weather.
09:55One thing scientists have discovered is that our ancestors that started shedding hair had some pretty good advantages.
10:01The ones who lost the hair on their palms or wrists could handle stone tools and machinery way better than
10:07the other ones.
10:09There's also a famous theory known as the aquatic ape theory, which explains one reason for that.
10:15Like hippos and dolphins, we turned off the genes that produce fur.
10:19This idea suggests that our human ancestors that lived on the savannas of Africa migrated to oases during drier seasons.
10:27During these seasons, they hunted in shallow waters.
10:30And well, it turns out that hair is not a very good insulator in water.
10:34So our species lost their fur and developed a layer of fat.
10:39The question remains.
10:41In the future, will we deactivate these genes altogether and become totally hairless?
10:46Guess we'll have to wait and see.
10:49Geneticists are worried about something big.
10:52Humans becoming too alike.
10:54There's a scientific risk of human alikeness or grand averaging.
10:59Open any social media app and you'll see it.
11:02Everyone dresses the same, talks the same, yada yada.
11:06But this sameness could halt human evolution.
11:09Evolution depends on genetic differences and passing them on.
11:13Over time, these differences should change the population.
11:16If the changes are big enough, a new species arises.
11:20But the three components needed for evolution, variation, natural selection, and geographic isolation, are pretty much fading away.
11:29Scientists call humans a single genetic continent, mixing and no longer breeding within cultural or ethnic groups.
11:36Given enough time, we might all start to look more alike.
11:42Here's a good one.
11:43Humans will develop to live longer, much longer than we do now.
11:46All along our evolution, we've been subject to external factors that determined our lifespan.
11:53Back in the Stone Ages and stuff, we were subject to dangerous predators or the encounter with other tribes other
11:59than ours that could harm us.
12:01As people would normally pass away at quite a young age, they had little room to develop important mutations.
12:08But when humans' mortality rates are lowered, the opposite happens.
12:13In the past two centuries, life expectancy soared to 70 years worldwide.
12:18The constant scientific development leads us to think humans might naturally evolve to live an average life of 100 years
12:26and more.
12:27Our lazy lifestyles are messing with our spines.
12:31We might end up with fewer vertebrae and shorter, bendier backs, making back pain less of a pain and perfect
12:38for our desk jobs.
12:39Future humans could be total slouchers, with standing tall becoming super rare.
12:44You know, all this talk is making me want to go for a walk.
12:49Since we're talking about lifestyle, we need to talk about food.
12:52All the processed soft foods we're eating are changing how we chew.
12:57Back in the day, when our bodies were taking form, we used to eat raw meat and plants.
13:02A study actually shows that the lower jaw reflected whether a population was primarily a hunter-gatherer or agriculturalist in
13:10nature.
13:11About 7 million years ago, our ancestors had long jaws and a face that projected forward.
13:18What do our jaws reflect about us now that our food is so soft?
13:22Some predictions say that 100-plus years from now, humans might have smaller mouths with fewer teeth and weaker jaws.
13:29This also means that our faces will be smaller without much chin.
13:33Our jaws tucked in a wee bit more.
13:38Pollution isn't just bad for the planet.
13:40It's changing us, too.
13:42Future generations might get bigger nostrils and better lungs to deal with bad air quality.
13:47Imagine humans with super-powered breathing systems thriving in polluted environments.
13:53Breathing in the future will be a whole new ballgame.
13:57These predictions might sound wild, but they're based on scientific theories.
14:02As our environment and lifestyles change, so will our bodies, in fascinating and terrifying ways.
14:09Next time you look in the mirror, remember you're seeing the human body as it is today.
14:14But who knows what it'll look like tomorrow?
14:17Embrace the mystery of our evolving selves.
14:22Humans might lose their palmaris longus muscle, that tiny tendon in your wrist that many people don't even realize they
14:30have.
14:30It's pretty much the appendix of muscles, completely unnecessary.
14:35As we evolve, we'll likely say goodbye to this little tendon, because we're not swinging from trees or doing intense
14:41grip exercises anymore.
14:43Our hands are occupied with texting, typing, and swiping.
14:47So in a few generations, we might look at our smooth, tendon-free wrists and think,
14:52Evolution really Marie Kondo'd our muscles.
14:55Love your toes much?
14:56Well, then you can bid one of them farewell.
14:59Well, our toes help us keep our balance when we're walking.
15:02Research shows that our balance is shifting inwards.
15:05If our ancestors used to rely on all their toes for balance, we ourselves don't use all of them as
15:11much.
15:12This means that we'll need our pinky toes less and less.
15:16And if this trend keeps up, it won't be long before we bid them goodbye.
15:21Okay, so there's something called directed evolution, which literally means science replacing nature.
15:27Instead of leaving it to the hands of destiny or fate, why not decide our own future?
15:33We kind of already do that when we choose a partner out of appearance or personality traits.
15:38For thousands of years, hunter-gatherers arranged marriages seeking good hunters for their daughters.
15:44But I'm talking about stuff done in laboratories.
15:47From now onwards, we have the power to control the genes of our offspring.
15:52Science can screen for genetic mutations.
15:54It can also choose an embryo with a particular eye color and things like that.
15:59Yep, DNA control is a thing of the future.
16:04If you think it doesn't get more bizarre than that, wait for this.
16:08Someone asked an AI to mock up some pictures of what humans will look like a thousand years from now.
16:14According to this AI software, our faces will be covered in a web of wiring motors.
16:19It's like a crossover between Frankenstein and the Terminator.
16:23Perhaps this is the beauty standard of the future.
16:26Yikes!
16:27Meet Graham.
16:28Graham is a distant descendant of humanity whose body has evolved to survive a car crash.
16:33He isn't a CG model.
16:35He's a life-size statue made of silicon and real human hair.
16:39Graham is a piece of modern art.
16:41He's a speculation of what human bodies look like in the years ahead.
16:46Graham was created for a road safety campaign.
16:49But this artist depicts hyper-realistic humanoids in many different forms.
16:53Even possible hybrids between humans and other species.
16:57It looks pretty weird at first.
16:59But I mean, at this rate, anything seems possible for our collective future.
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