Some things may seem “obvious” or “natural,” but upon closer examination, they are based on fascinating scientific evidence. The following 11 facts will prove it to you.
1. Cats Never “Obey” Humans
Cats really don’t pay attention to what humans “say” to them
Your pet dog can recognize your voice, but ultimately, it doesn’t really care about you. A recent study conducted at the University of Tokyo revealed that while a cat can recognize its owner’s commands (through “orders”), it actually doesn’t care as much as we think. So, why does it “ignore” you? The answer lies in evolution. Unlike dogs, which have been domesticated and nurtured by humans, cats “domesticate” themselves, so they have no reason to heed their owner’s commands.
2. Students Who Do Homework Score Higher
The more diligent students are with homework, the higher their scores
Economist Nick Rupp divided his class into two groups: one group was required to do homework, while the other was not. The results were quite (or not at all) astonishing. Students who diligently completed their assigned essays had higher component and average scores. He concluded that “Homework has a significant impact on students’ academic performance.”
3. Men Always Notice Women’s Breasts
Men prefer women with ideal body shapes
In an article titled “My Eyes are Up Here”, Sarah Gervais and her colleagues used Eye Tracking Technology to confirm what they had long suspected – that men tend to glance at women’s breasts. In fact, men spend more time observing the female body than the face. Their eyes “wander” longer if the woman opposite them has a curvy figure. However, it’s not just men; women’s eyes do the same thing, though they usually look for comparison with themselves.
4. Wearing High Heels Causes Foot Pain
Wearing high heels is not good for health
When wearing high heels, your posture changes, like tilting your hips, even though using them may make you feel taller and walk more gracefully. Some evolutionary psychologists argue that wearing high heels is part of an innate drive to attract the opposite sex. While this claim is not clearly explained, other scientists assert that high heels are not as beneficial as we think. A study conducted at the Institute for Aging Research found that 60% of older women experienced foot pain after wearing high heels or dancing shoes for many years.
5. Pigs Enjoy Mud Baths
Pigs bathe in mud simply because they like it
Pigs do not have many sweat glands, so controlling their body temperature is always an issue for them. For a long time, scientists believed that pigs like to wallow in mud to cool down. While this is true, a study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science discovered an evolutionary twist: pigs do not roll in mud because they have only a few sweat glands, but rather they have few sweat glands because they “like” to wallow in mud (In other words, pigs never developed sweat glands because their ancestors always rolled in dung). Now, some scientists believe that bathing in mud simply makes these animals happy.
6. Men Walk Slower When Accompanied by Women They Like
Men walk slower when next to women
Scientists at Seattle Pacific University confirmed that when couples walk together, husbands tend to slow down. They reduce their speed by about 7% while the wives do not speed up or slow down at all. However, when men walk with their friends—whether male or female—their walking speed hardly decreases.
7. Cereal Tastes Better with Milk
Adding milk makes cereal crunchier
When adding water to crushed corn, scientists at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile discovered that the interaction between molecules in a “matrix” of corn fragments can weaken, causing “some components to dissolve and reduce mechanical coherence.” In simple terms, water makes the cereal soggy. Milk, however, is different. The presence of fats helps cereal not absorb too much liquid, so they remain crunchy.
8. Eating More Leads to Weight Gain
Consuming more calories affects weight
Since the 1970s, the average American has gained about 19 pounds. A study conducted at the European Congress on Obesity in 2009 found that “the weight gain of the American population can be explained by overeating calories,” asserted researcher Boyd Swinburn. Laziness is less related to this phenomenon.
9. “Overloaded” Meetings
Meetings waste time and reduce motivation
A study conducted in 2005 by Group Dynamics showed that meetings are “time-wasters.” By analyzing the notes of 37 employees working at universities, researchers concluded that meetings make employees stressed and irritable, even hindering the most motivated employees from completing their tasks.
10. Reading Books is Good for the Brain
Reading books fosters brain development
Reading stimulates the brain to work harder to process information, analyze, solve problems, and generate emotions. Therefore, if you are a book lover, congratulations! If you haven’t developed a reading habit yet, start today!
11. The Internet Decreases Work Productivity
The Internet affects work productivity
The Internet is a wonderful tool with the power to achieve the unimaginable. However, according to Pew Research, 53% of people aged 18 to 29 go online once a day just to kill time. Among older adults, the rate is even worse. Nearly two-thirds of them spend all day browsing the web with no clear purpose.
