Why Do We Yawn?

            Why exactly do people yawn?  No one actually knows, although there are many theories.  All we really know about yawning is that everyone does it, whether you’re one or one hundred years old.  There are too many theories to go through at this moment, so I’ll cover my favorites.

            One theory suggests that we yawn because we aren’t getting enough oxygen.  According to this theory people don’t breathe as much when they’re bored or tired.  Yawning supposedly increases the amount of oxygen you get.  The issue here is that increasing the amount of oxygen has never actually been shown to decrease yawning.

            The next theory is that yawning stretches the lungs.  It’s supposed to make you feel more awake by increasing heart rate.  Stretching is also connected to this because it stretches the joints, which also increases your heart rate.

            No one is really sure about our reason for yawning, but we do know that they’re contagious in some way.  When you see someone yawn, you can’t help but do the same.  Even mentioning yawns can make you yawn.  I hope this article hasn’t caused you too many. 

Unusual Supernatural Creatures

             You’ve probably heard of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, mummies, and zombies.  On the other hand, you probably haven’t heard of the more unusual supernatural creatures around.  You’d be surprised at how much you don’t know.

            One of the most unusual creatures I’ve heard about is the Akaname from Japanese folklore.  Its name literally means filth-licker.  While there isn’t much on the Akaname, it is traditionally a creature that sneaks into your bathroom and licks the filth off the floor and bathtub.

            Let me introduce the Chichevache from Medieval Times.  This carnivorous creature resembles a thin, starving cow with the face of a human.  The Chichevache eats women who are obedient and faithful to their husband.  According to legend it was always starving because of the lack of good women.

            The last creature I’ll share with you is from Japanese folklore.  The Konaki-jiji takes the form of a baby and cries until someone picks it up.  Then, it increases its weight until the person who is carrying it is crushed to death.  In some versions the Konaki-jiji can also take the form of an old man. 

            The world of the supernatural is indeed a lot more varied then you’d think.  I’ve only informed on three of the less well-known creatures, but there are a lot more.  I’m sure you could find out more if you wanted to. 

The Ten Deadliest Animals

   The world is crawling with deadly animals, and some of them are ones you’d never expect.  You may have wondered which animals are the most dangerous.  I’ll tell you the ten deadliest animals in the world.

        

10.  Poison Dart Frog:  The poison dart Frog sits at number ten because of the toxin that is secreted from their body.  The toxin is poisonous enough to kill ten humans.  They are brightly colored to let predators know they are dangerous.

9.   Cape Buffalo:  The cape buffalo is up two point eight meters long, one point seven meters high, and can weigh one point five tons.  They have razor sharp horns that they will use if provoked.  Even the kings of the jungle, the lions, avoid these buffalos.

8.   Polar Bear:  Polar bears are the most carnivorous bears.  They eat reindeer, walruses, whales, elephant seals, and other polar bears.  This arctic animal can slice a human head right off with one powerful swipe.

7.  Elephant:  These creatures are certainly not as friendly as you may think.  The giant African Elephant weighs around sixteen tons.  They kill over five hundred people a year by stomping and impaling.

6.  Saltwater Crocodile:  The saltwater crocodile is at number six.  He is the largest living lizard typically between four point eight and seven meters long. The saltwater crocodile will kill things up to the size of a water buffalo.  A crocodile can move as fast as a dolphin in water.

5.  African Lion:  The African lion is the largest big cat besides the tiger, and then only slightly.  This big cat kills around seventy humans a year in Tanzania.  They weigh up to half a ton.

4.  Great White Shark:  This huge shark is one of the most feared animals in the ocean.  They can get up to six meters, and weigh six tons.  Great white sharks actually don’t usually kill humans.  More people die from dog attacks then shark attacks.

3.  Box Jellyfish:  This jellyfish is around the size of a salad bowl, and is known to have up to sixty tentacles.  Every fifteen-foot tentacle has enough venom to kill fifty people.  They have killed about five thousand five hundred sixty-seven since 1884.

2.  Asian Cobra:  The Asian cobra actually doesn’t have the deadliest venom, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve its spot as number two. This cobra is about a meter long. He causes the death of fifty thousand a year, by snakebite.

 1.  Mosquito:  You may be shocked that a tiny bug is the deadliest animal around.  But, the mosquito transfers malaria, and is therefore responsible for the death of two million people.  Mosquitos also transfer other diseases to people.  There are deaths in even countries that barely have mosquitos, although not many.  The mosquito deserves the place number one.  No other animal that deserves it more.

Spontaneous Combustion

          Have you ever heard of spontaneous combustion?  It’s basically when something or someone suddenly bursts into flames.  I’m going to focus on SHC (spontaneous human combustion). 

         The torso and head being extremely burnt characterizes spontaneous human combustion, while the feet and hands may have no burns at all.  In many of the cases the victim’s houses are completely unharmed, and sometimes even their clothes come out unscathed.  So, can people suddenly burst into flames? Scientists say no.

         Scientists have a theory of what SHC really is.  They call it the wick effect.  In the human body there is fat, which happens to be flammable.  When a cigarette, or something along those lines, lights a person, the body fat slowly melts, seeping into the clothes.  Then the fire can keep burning slowly with the fat as the fuel.  That could be why the victims’ items are left intact.

         Honestly, the idea of spontaneous combustion is highly unlikely.  Scientists have plenty of other reasons for the burnt remains. It could have been criminal. Many of the victims were fell asleep with some smoking device.  Some were also thought to be under the influence of alcohol.  Although spontaneous combustion hasn’t been disproven there isn’t that much to prove it either.    

Hypnotism Uncovered

            I’m sure you’ve heard of hypnotism.  You may have seen a show before where a hypnotist makes his volunteers do things they’d never do normally, such as act like a chicken.  Many people wonder how hypnotism works, and why people act like they do when hypnotized.

            Hypnotism is being in a trance like state where you have heightened imagination, are relaxed, and will obey most suggestions.  Although many people think of hypnotism involving a sort of sleep it’s actually very different.  When you are hypnotized you are alert.  It’s closer to daydreaming than sleeping.

            Most people believe that hypnotism is a way that accesses the subconscious mind directly.  Usually, you are only aware of your conscious mind’s thoughts, but all it really does is process the subconscious mind’s thoughts and ideas.  In hypnotism your conscious mind takes a backseat to your subconscious.

            That explains why people are so uninhibited when hypnotized.  The subconscious is the part of the brain that’s in charge of impulses and imagination.  The conscious mind is a filter that acts as the brakes to keep all your thoughts from running wild.  That’s why the hypnotized people will do bizarre things because it seems as if the subconscious is sending the message.  When the hypnotist gives you suggestions you react instantly just like you do to your own thoughts.

            Hypnotism is still a mystery for scientists.  We can’t be completely sure that it does work like that, but it’s the theory that makes the most sense. Hypnotism is an amazing thing, and it could definitely benefit humankind. 

The Blood Countess

            You may have heard of Elizabeth of Bathory, otherwise known as the Blood Countess. She was born into an important family of Hungarian nobility. She’s one of the most notorious female serial killers in history.  She and four accomplices killed and tortured hundreds of girls. The four accomplices were convicted of torturing and killing eighty girls. Elizabeth on the other hand was never tried. She was instead locked in a castle for her remaining four years of life.

            The Blood Countess once slapped her maid for a minor offense. Blood spurted out of the maid’s nose and onto the Countess. She thought her skin looked younger in the places that had been touched by blood. This started a long line of maids who had their wrists slit. Elizabeth bathed in their blood.

            Elizabeth of Bathory certainly had strange views on cosmetics. Whether she was evil or mentally unbalanced doesn’t really matter. The Blood Countess’ brutal blood baths are truly the most extreme way to stay looking young I’ve ever heard of.

The Mary Celeste

            Have you heard of the Mary Celeste, the ship that’s crew disappeared? It’s considered the greatest maritime mystery of all time. In my opinion, it’s for a good reason.

            The Mary Celeste was discovered on December 4, 1872 without the crew and passengers. It appeared to be abandoned. The weather was fine, and the crew was able seamen, so no one could figure out why the crew had gone missing. The ship had been at sea for one month, and still had six months worth of food on the ship. All the cargo and personal possessions of the crew were untouched. The crew was never heard from again.

            People have been trying to figure out this mystery for centuries, and there are no clear answers. There have been theories including alcoholic fumes, underwater earthquakes, waterspouts, sea monsters, and aliens.  They are possible, but not likely.

            Although this is considered one of the most interesting mysteries of the sea, the world probably wouldn’t have known or cared if not for Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, a man struggling to establish himself as a writer. The story has grown and been changed. So, who really knows what happened to the Mary Celeste?  I’d have to say no one.