Weird Facts About Humans That You Probably Didn’t Know!

Humans, like all living creatures, are nothing short of amazing. The way the body works, or doesn't work, has always astounded me. I always wanted to be a vet, but I didn't get high enough marks to qualify. Here are three facts I came across that I bet you didn't know.

Let me know if you went wow!

#1 One in Five Hundred People Has a Third Nipple

It is estimated that around one in 500 humans, or 0.2%, have more than two nipples. “Supernumerary nipples” refer to extra nipples. Many studies have looked into how common they are. Suffice to say, the incidence is quite varied. In Hungary, for example, the rate of supernumerary nipples is low: 0.22%. In German children, the estimated rate is 5.6%.

Most studies show that this condition is more common in men than in women. However, it appears less often in Japanese men, with an incidence of 1%. In females, the rate is 5%.

Supernumerary nipples can also occur in monkeys. They are thought to develop from milk lines that form during embryonic development. They usually present on the chest or upper thighs, following these lines. In most cases, they are harmless and even go unnoticed, appearing as a mole or a simple spot. They can be easily removed through surgery.

As with anything, exceptions do occur. While in most cases it is normally only one extra nipple, there have been cases of men with as many as seven.

Historical case reports offer more extreme tales. In 1827, a French woman was reported to have a complete third breast on her left thigh. After she gave birth, it began to produce milk. The report states she nursed five children in her life using all three of her breasts.

In 1980, a 74-year-old man had an ectopic supernumerary nipple. It looked like a “well-formed mass resembling a female breast” on his back thigh.

The “fatty tumour,” as he called it, never really bothered him. He refused an offer to have it removed.

Ancient Greek thought that men with extra nipples were more virile than those with only two.

Several celebrities have a third nipple. Mark Wahlberg, Carrie Underwood, Zac Efron, and Lily Allen all have or had a third nipple. So, I guess you will all be off to check yourselves in the mirror now.

#2 Your Sneezes Can Reach 100mph

I have been battling a viral infection for the last week: sore throat, sneezing, and coughing. Oh, the sneezing!

There are two types of sneezers: the very subtle, you can hardly hear them sneeze, and the “Oh my God, the earth shook” sneeze. I definitely fit into the latter category. When I sneeze, you definitely know about it.

I was browsing a website to learn more about my condition when I came across an article on sneezing.

Did you know that you can sneeze at 100 mph? That is 160 km/h!

What’s more, the tiny droplets can be expelled over thirty feet, almost 10 meters.

A sneeze is triggered by irritation in the nasal membrane. It is often caused by allergens, viruses, or even bright sunlight in some people. Apart from the sunlight, the function of a sneeze is to rid the body of a foreign particle in the airways.

It’s a coordinated response that engages several muscle groups: your chest, vocal cords (especially during big sneezes), throat, and abs. Your body also has an involuntary reflex: you close your eyes when you sneeze.

Maybe you do that, so you can’t see where your sneeze is going!

You will keep sneezing until you get rid of the irritant. As I said, I am a big sneezer, sort of! With this virus that I had, I was sneezing and coughing so deeply and so much that I cracked a rib in my chest.

It was where I had broken several ribs many years ago, and they have never healed properly.

If you have a cracked rib and you are going to sneeze, hold your chest. Believe me, it helps when you try to break the sneeze-speed record.

#3 The Human Body Can Generate Over 100 Watts of Energy During Exercise

Enough to power a lightbulb

Power is a measure of how quickly we’re using or producing energy; the big element on top of an electric stove may output 1,000 watts of power on the medium setting. It would consume 1,000 watt-hours of energy in an hour, or, as we usually call it, a kilowatt-hour (kWh).

The average human, at rest, produces around 100 watts of power.  An adult of good fitness is more likely to average between 50 and 150 watts of mechanical power output for an hour of vigorous exercise. 

Bicycle racers are some of the fittest athletes in the world. Professional riders in the Tour de France, for example, might produce 300 watts, or more for several hours, peaking at higher levels.  Riders in the peloton can produce 800 watts of power for 15 seconds, and 600 for one minute. The strongest cyclists can produce 1,200 watts of power for 15 seconds.

A recreational rider weighing 70 kg (just over 154 lbs.) might be able to maintain a power output of 164 watts for 20 minutes.  However, before we hook up the lights to our treadmill or bike at home, 75-80% of the energy generated is lost to heat.  We are not really efficient machines after all.

In Sweden, the heat generated by human bodies at Stockholm Central Station is converted into electricity, which is used to heat water for the office building next door.

It may be feasible one day to generate power from human batteries.  We have all done this at some stage if you have ridden a pushbike.  That tiny little dynamo that you push on the front wheel at night provides the energy for the light.  That energy comes from you pushing the pedals.

 The body is truly amazing,

Till next time,

Calvin