A person's mental and physical growth usually correspond. Both types of growth stop at various ages, depending on the individual. For iostance, one person may be 1.6 metres tall at the age of sixteen, and never grow taller. But his brother may con­tinue growing until he has ...

Of all the things that distinguish man from the rest of the animal king­dom, the most important is his brain. Many of the lower animals have no brain at all, or a tiny one, or one that is poorly developed. For instance, an earthworm has a brain about the size of a pinhead,...

In ancient times, people didn't understand diseases and what caused them. So they often behaved very cruelly to victims of certain diseases. People who had epilepsy in the Middle Ages were thought of as lunatics,or bewitched! Yet did you know that many great people and many...

Seasickness is related to the whole question of equilibrium and dizziness. Our organs of balance contain certain stiff hairs which are surrounded by liquid. When we move in any direction, the liquid moves the hairs. These hairs send a message to the brain, which gives...

Here's a sure way to win a bet! Challenge anybody you know to walk blindfolded straight down the sidewalk without going off the edge. He is sure to lose because he'll soon start walking in a circle!

People who have been lost in a f...

Did you ever have the feeling that you.knew something was going to happen just before it did? Or you could tell exactly what card was going to be turned up or what number called?

There are many cases of people who seem to have this ability-not on rare occa...

Every now and then, you read in the papers about a person who has "forgotten" who he is. He remembers nobody and nothing from his past, not even his name. We say this person is suffering from amnesia.

We all get emotionally upset from time to time. We feel ...

There are many things that people sometimes claim they "see" that really aren't there. They may have visions of "ghosts" or strange crea­tures. Sometimes little children claim they "saw" things that no one else did. Sometimes these are fantasies or day­ dreams; someti...

As human beings, we are subject not only to physical pain, but also to emotional pain. A situation may cause us great emotional distress. Sometimes we deal with this quite simply. For example, we may cry, or blush, or break out in a sweat.

But s...

You may get a "shock" when you see your mark on a test, or you may say you're "shocked" if you see an accident. But medically speaking, this isn't shock. The word "shock" means a condition in which the essential activities of the body are affected. Usually, they are slowed up....