6 interesting answers to the hard questions

Why in Asia do not like the number 4

Did you know that hotels in Asia after the third floor there is a fifth right? The number 4 is missing in the names of products of Asian companies, there is the fourth in a series of aircraft... This is one of most unfounded superstition, and it is connected with the fact that the word "four" and the word "death" is very similar in sound. This applies to the Japanese language, some dialects of Chinese, and Korean.

Four causes Asians so strong association with death, it has become a kind of inevitable prophecy. According to US statistics, the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans living in the US, the fourth of the month significantly increased the number of deaths due to heart attacks.

How to choose a wife

The great German scientist of the XVII century Johannes Kepler once conducted an experiment: choosing a wife, he considered the 11 contenders. Moreover, the first three were immediately screened using different criteria, and not very significant. One was a bad smell from the mouth, the other was too rich and young, he also rejected the third after a brief hesitation. Kepler was already wanted to stop at the fourth, but then it appeared - a modest, hardworking, caring.

It would seem, he found the perfect wife, but then scientists have mastered the confusion and indecisionHe continued to search for more and met with six (!) Contenders. In the end, he still made a choice and married five female candidates.

This story - a vivid example of the theory of optimal stopping. Of the five options is the optimal one, and it's the need to choose.

In other words, Kepler did not have to spend 11 visits. It was enough for the first five to make the right choice. This mathematical theory has applications in many fields of science, technology, economics, and so on.

How to sell an expensive house

At the Department of Psychology at Cornell University conducted a study that proved that the big round numbers cause us discomfort. Devious marketers often use this trick, Forcing us to make major purchases at a higher price, provided non-round number.

Scientists have suggested several dozen participants in the experiment to see photos of homes with these prices for them. On some pictures prices were presented in the form of large round numbers, on the other - in the form of numbers a little more, but not round. Next, the scientists conducted a survey of what the price is higher. Most of the respondents confidently said that, for example, 330 thousand dollars for a house - it is more than 331,452.

Can I die from insomnia

In the second half of the last century Italian doctor Ignazio Roiter watched the death of two patients, relatives of his wife. Both died of insomnia. Reuter studied the archives and came to the conclusion that, in very rare cases in humans can occur mutation, as a result of which it is completely deprived of sleep. This disease called fatal familial insomnia. It was later reported about another 30 cases, all - death.

The disease affects part of the brain that is responsible for communication with the senses - the thalamus.

Most often fatal insomnia began in people aged 30 to 60 years, but there were exceptions: there are several cases of teenagers disease. It all started with panic attacks and various phobias, then appeared hallucinations, rapid weight loss, coma, and in the end - an agonizing death.

Animal experiments have also shown that sleep deprivation for them fatal. Two weeks without sleep in experimental rats it was enough for them to lose the ability to move and regulate body temperature. came the death of the third week.

As sleep Dolphins

At the beginning of the XXI century in the United States it has been allocated $ 100 million to develop a method that would allow the military to go without sleep for a long time. One of the options "artificial insomnia" takes as a basis for a model of sleep mammals such as dolphins.

Science knows that dolphins live in water, and then moved to the land and after a while, for unknown reasons, are back again in the seas and oceans. That's why they float to the surface of the water every few minutes to make a breath of air. In such circumstances, restful sleep is impossible, but the animals were able to adapt: ​​hemisphere of their brain awake alternately. In this case, dolphin behaves as usual, sleeping the brain produces only half closed eyes with her hand.

Dolphins can stay awake for two weeks without experiencing any apparent discomfort, and this is exactly what so eager to war.

Why do men snore more than women

As a rule, men around women sleep better than alone. Perhaps the reason that they just enjoy the emotional intimacy, and snoring wife they do not have to listen.

In the nature of black humor: snoring woman - a rare phenomenon, and women sleep is much more sensitive than men. In general, every night played out a dramatic comedy: the fair half of humanity suffer from insomnia, and their husbands - no.

buy a "brain in a dream"Buy "Beauty is in the square"