The inability to identify familiar people by their faces is called prosopagnosia. The term ‘prosopagnosia’ is derived from two Greek words prosopon meaning ‘face’ and agnosia meaning ‘not knowing’. This condition occurs when the brain is unable to assign a set of facial features to an identity. The person might, however, be able to identify objects. It is …
Colour-blindness, also known as colour vision deficiency, is the inability of the human eye to see or differentiate between colours. This optical condition, which is mostly genetic, occurs due to a fault in the development of cone cells present in the eye. Cone cells and rod cells, present in the retinal section, ensure colour vision and night …
Every minute 750 ml of blood gets pumped through your brain, which is merely 15–20 per cent of blood flow from the heart. An adult brain requires about 20 per cent of the body’s oxygen. To meet this requirement and other metabolic needs of the neurons, approximately 20 per cent of the blood flow is directed …
Nail growth differs from person to person due to factors such as age, gender, health, weather, and hygiene. Fingernails grow much faster than toenails. A fingernail takes four to six months to grow from cuticle to tip, whereas toenails may take up to 12 to 18 months. There is a discrepancy of growth rate even …
Neurological disorders occur when the brain, spinal cord or other nerves of our body fail to function properly. Hyperthymesia is one of them. Also known as piking, hyperthymesia is a neurological disorder which leads to Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) in a person. This means the person can recall the vast majority of personal experiences and events …
The science and study of laughter is called Gelotology. The term originates from the Greek word gelos, which means ‘laughter’. Gelotology studies how laughing can affect human body and mind. Gelotology was founded by William Finley Fry, Jr (1924–2014), a former Associate Professor at Stanford University. He went on to found the International Society of Humor Studies …
