Bright Side

The human brain is probably the most mysterious organ in our body. Scientists keep learning new facts about its work, but it still hides lots of secrets. There are a few simple ways to boost your intellect and improve your brain power, and they will surely surprise you!

- During a full night’s sleep, brain cells remove toxic compounds dangerous to our brain.

- A decrease in memory, in the ability to learn, in self-control — these are the consequences that chronic stress is fraught with. 

- British scientists found out that love and hate originate in similar brain areas. 

- Our brain is almost 80% water.

- Scientists proved that pregnancy reduces the amount of gray matter in the brain areas responsible for social cognition and understanding other people. 

- The abundance of fructose in the diet slows down the brain and reduces its ability to learn, remember information, and concentrate. 

- According to brain activity, romantic relationships and maternal feelings are very similar, but there are differences.

- A study showed that painting and contemplating works of art improve the interaction between brain areas while slowing its aging.

- Oxford scientists proved that the process of reading trains the cognitive abilities of the brain. It also activates areas that aren’t used at other times.

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You learn, and you learn, and you learn, and still, nothing happens. Why can't you succeed and go further? You just haven't tried the 5-hour rule! It's used by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, and even Elon Musk. So if you wanna reach their level, here's what you should do!

- Read at least one hour a day. Read during breaks, before bed, or get into audiobooks. This will really push you towards the result you seek.

- The next step is reflection. Take time to reflect on what you read. How can you absorb and use it in life or work?

- Finally, experiment! If you’ve read new information, test it and see whether it works for you.

- The Eisenhower matrix was created by General Dwight Eisenhower and is mentioned in multiple productivity books, including the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

- Researchers from Florida State discovered an interesting pattern – top performers from any field who focus on one thing for 90 minutes are much more productive than others who grind out hour after hour behind the desk.

- The X method is something you know very well already – you put up a calendar above your desk, set a goal for yourself, and put a big X for every day you stuck to it.

- To increase your productivity, you have to make your own schedule and figure out your 2-3 peak hours. For example, I can't focus well in the afternoon and evening – I’d rather just relax.

- Peak hours are best combined with your energy levels! Your energy may depend on the day of the week and affect your productivity.

- Mental distractions are thoughts that pop into your head that aren't connected to your goal. If you notice this type of distraction coming, just stop and ask yourself: what is my focus right now? This will snap you out of it.

- If your task can be done in just 2 minutes, do it!

- This productivity rule (also known as the Pareto Principle) is astounding but true – roughly only 20 percent of what you do gives you 80 percent of the final results.

- Whenever you want to organize a meeting, ask yourself one simple question: can you order just 2 pizzas to feed everyone there? If it's more than 2, then your meeting team is way too big to be productive.

- Learn to say “no” to all the many attractive “shiny” things that call to you “Saying look at me, look at me”, begging for your attention, but only distract you and are ultimately a waste of your time.

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Have you ever dreamt of traveling through time? Would you go to the future or the past? Rudolf Fentz didn't choose the time; he found himself in Times Square, hardly recognizing anything: people in unusual clothes, strange noisy machines he'd never seen before, lights everywhere. What happened?

It was in the summer of 1951. At about 11:15, passers-by in Times Square noticed a young man in his twenties. He was dressed in the fashion of the late 19th century. He looked lost and clueless and obviously had no idea how he’d gotten to the crossroad. Where did he come from? Nobody saw it; he just appeared in that spot as if out of thin air...

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A major difference between rich people and those who have money problems can be found in the way they think, act, and see the world. Check out these 7 differences between the rich and poor and use them as your own financial tips to become rich.

-Those who have a lot of money don’t always flaunt their wealth. It may sound surprising, but there's no real need to buy a pair of $1,000 jeans if you can find a high-quality product that’s 10 times cheaper.

-Things rich people don’t save on are: coffee machine, induction stove, LED light bulbs, energy-saving glass, thermostatic shower faucet.

-Rich people don't keep their income in savings accounts; they have funds in their budget that they can invest, and they do this regularly.

-Rich people don't overspend. If they use a credit card, they do everything to avoid paying finance charges.

-Rich people see opportunities for growth and success in everything they do.

-The rich are willing to overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. They realize that you can’t win without taking risks.

-Rich people choose to face their fears to become more successful and powerful individuals.

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You are way more intelligent than you realize! Here's a list of signs that actually indicate a super bright mind. They are all scientifically proved, so if you feel like a few of them are true for you, you have every reason to call yourself a genius!

- Justin Kruger and David Dunning worked with a group of Cornell University undergrads and published the results of their research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1999. They asked students to predict their scores after being tested in Humor, Logical reasoning, and English Grammar. Those who were 100% sure they did outstandingly well ended up with worse results than those who were more critical of themselves.

- Psychologist Oliver Burkeman has done some serious research on the lifestyle of the brightest minds in the world. He concluded that smart people tend to save up their mental abilities for more important things. Unless those smart people are fashion designers or Lady Gaga, of course.

- Empathy is a sign of exceptional mental intelligence. If you are emotionally intelligent, you love meeting new people and learning new things. According to psychologist and author of Focus: The Hidden Drivers of Excellence Daniel Goleman, people who care a lot about others and can feel them well, generally, succeed in life.

- The ability to control instincts is what we know distinguishes humans from animals. Genius people went even further: they manage to overcome and control any impulses they have. If you can plan and achieve goals without being distracted by emotions you are more intelligent than you might imagine.

- Professor emeritus of the University of Louisville Joanne Rowe has concluded light-eyed humans, and even animals are way better at activities requiring self-pacing than the dark-eyed creatures. The fact that you are better at self-paced activities means that you like paying attention to every detail.

- M.D. Franz H. Messerli, who is most likely a chocolate lover himself, published the results of his study in The New England Journal of Medicine. He tried to link genius (Noble prize winner kind of genius) per ten million people with the amount of chocolate consumed in certain countries. And he found it.

- Genius people don’t stick to the past. And, they don’t blame everyone and everything around for their sadness. Psychologist Daniel Goleman explains a real genius does not only address problems but also recognizes emotions when he feels them, and not ignores them.

- Psychologists Daniel Swigley and Gary Lupyan conducted a whole study on it. Good self-talk, according to them, helps us sort the important thoughts from useless stuff going through our minds.

- A study conducted at the Northwestern University has stated that a genius hates any kind of background noise because it prevents him from concentrating on important issues.

- Next time someone criticizes your handwriting, simply nod, say “I am sorry you don’t get it” and triumph on the inside. Messy writing is one of the signs of a genius!

Did you recognize any of these signs in yourself, or maybe you are now positive your best friend is a genius? Feel free to share it in the comments section.

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Set your calendars, folks! This year will be FULL of the most amazing space events you can see right here on Earth! Meteor showers will light up the sky. You'll see Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn right up there above your head! And watch out! Saturn will make its closest approach to Earth in 2021!

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You're told your whole life "you have to drink 8 glasses of water a day!" But is this really true? And do camels really store water? Are bats blind? Do carrots improve your eyesight? And is chocolate actually bad for you? Well, it's high time we got to some myth-busting! There are so many common myths out there that aren't true at all! But here, I have a fun general knowledge test for you! Do you know which myths are true or false? See how smart you are!

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There are lots of common beliefs about intelligent people: they don’t give in to laziness, have a perfect memory, and don’t use obscenities. However, research shows that a high IQ is often associated with quite unexpected habits and peculiarities. Did you know that laziness is actually a sign of high intelligence?

- A perfect memory has always been a sign of cleverness, but the latest research shows it’s forgetfulness that actually points at a high level of intellect.

- More and more studies prove that people who swear often have a much wider vocabulary, which is a sign of a high IQ.

- Talented people are believed not to trust anyone. However, scientists proved that intelligent individuals are more trusting.

- Recent polls at Southampton University have shown a curious fact: people with a high IQ prefer poultry meat, fish, and vegetables over red meat.

- More often than not, people with a high IQ are capable of thinking up alternative solutions but not using them in life.

- One experiment showed that people with a high IQ are likely to get buried in thought and be less active, while ordinary individuals are bored more often and try to fill up their schedule.

- Some studies at Carroll University in Waukesha show that people who prefer cats are calmer, more sensitive, and have a higher IQ, while dog lovers are more active, open to others, and are used to obeying the rules.

- Intelligent people tend to stay up late, which results, more often than not, in them sleeping little. They have to wake up early in the morning to go to work or school.

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It's a dream come true! You now have endless money! No matter how much you spend, no matter what you buy for yourself - several sports cars, mansions, palaces, skyscrapers, private jets, even a whole private island just to yourself! You check your account, and it's all still there. A number followed by too many zeros to count, you're the richest person in the world. So, how would life look for you if your money never ended?

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Exceptionally intelligent people always stand out. It turns out that even the smallest things like your height, weight, or eye color can say a lot about your level of intelligence.

Smart people don't need others to have a good time. Psychologists in the UK found out that people who learned to read early on are more intelligent. Norwegian researchers at the University of Oslo have proven that older children are almost always a bit smarter than their younger siblings. Another sign of intelligence and future success can be seen from a very young age: 3-year-olds that are taller than their peers have much higher scores on cognitive tests. People who had some formal music training for at least 9 months boast higher IQ levels than those who were in the drama club or didn't do any extracurriculars at all. Intelligent people prefer activities that demand patience and constant mental stimulation to active sports. People with long ring fingers tend to be good at math and spatial thinking but lack verbal skills. Those with a longer index finger are usually better in humanitarian fields like languages and literature. Tons of research have been done on the correlation between eye color and intelligence. People with light-colored eyes are smarter than those with brown or dark-colored eyes.

-People with a high IQ feel comfortable in their own company.

-The earlier you learned the alphabet, the more books you read throughout childhood, and the broader your horizons became.

-The IQ of older children is higher by an average of 3 points than that of their younger siblings.

-A study at Princeton University showed that taller children usually have higher IQ levels.

-It may be the high intelligence itself that makes children choose music instead of something else.

-Slimmer people are statistically more intelligent.

-If you love sport, you might have less interest in learning new things.

-Blue-eyed people usually do better in situations when you need to stop and analyze everything that's going on, instead of reacting to it.

-If a squeaky floor, chips being crunched on, or even someone’s loud breathing can easily distract you, you're probably more intelligent than you think.

-People with long ring fingers tend to be good at math and spatial thinking.

-Smart people tend to be pessimistic and imagine all kinds of bad stuff that might happen to them.

-Believe it or not, cussing is actually one of the signs of an above-average brain.

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