The human body

Bathtubs of snot? The "gross but true" guide to human anatomy

Image: Tima Miroshnichenko

From the tiny, unseen creatures residing on your eyelashes to the incredible volume of mucus your nose produces annually, the inner workings of our anatomy are packed with crazy facts that sound like science fiction. Prepare to have your mind blown as we discover 10 of the most astounding, hard-to-believe truths about our very own body. Get ready to never again look at your saliva, bones, or even your earwax in the same way!

Image: César Couto

Did you know that about 50% of people have tiny creatures living on their eyelashes? These eyelash mites are about a third of a millimetre long. They can sometimes cause allergic reactions, but most people never find out they’ve got them. We bet you're calling your ophthalmologist for a consult right now!

Image: Franco Antonio Giovanella

Earwax is produced by your body to protect the lining of your ear canal by trapping dirt and repelling water. But what will probably baffle you is that by the time it reaches the outer ear, the wax has been inside your ear for about a month. No wonder it tastes so disgusting!

Image: Andrea Piacquadio

You usually only notice snot when you’re making too much of it, that is, when you are sick. But can you guess how much mucus an average person produces in a year? The answer will shock you: about 100 gallons, enough to fill two bathtubs! While the sticky goo is rather unpleasant, you wouldn’t want to go without it. Mucus creates a layer of protection between you and the outside world, so thank God it’s there.

Image: FUHMariaM

And what about your saliva? How many bathtubs do you think you can fill with your year's supply? Saliva helps break down and swallow food, fights bacteria, and neutralizes acid, among many benefits. So, if it is that good for you, it’s no surprise your mouth produces tons of it. In fact, it makes between 250 and 730 quarts a year, equivalent to filling a small swimming pool over a lifetime.

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That pink squidgy blob inside your head is stuffed with facts, memories, and dreams. Your brain is constantly crackling with tiny pulses of electricity, performing ten quadrillion calculations per second. They’re brilliantly complicated machines that scientists are only just beginning to understand. One thing is for sure: an average person has 1460 dreams in a year, about four dreams every night, or to put it another way, around the same as the number of miles from Denver to Nashville.

Image: camilo jimenez

Clever as your brain is, it wouldn’t be able to do much without the network of nerves that link it to the rest of your body. Nerves bring information from your senses to your brain and deliver orders from your brain to the other organs. As you can imagine, if we were to measure that amazing network, we would end up with a lot. In fact, every person has a whopping 44 miles of nerves running through their skin. Can you imagine?

Image: Ximena Mora

The outer layer of your skin is called the epidermis and consists of dead cells that provide protection from dirt and germs. What you probably didn’t know is that your body is constantly losing and replacing these cells. Also, your dead skin cells sometimes absorb water and swell. This is the reason the ends of your fingers go wrinkly in the bath. But don’t worry, the entire surface of your skin is replaced every month.

Want to play some more? How much do you think the average adult’s skin weighs? Just under 7 pounds, or as we like to say, the same as three pineapples!

Image: Ashton Bingham

Human hair feels soft, but it’s one of the strongest fibres on the planet. The number of hairs on your head ranges from around 9,000 to 140,000, depending on what sort of hair you have.

Everyone loses about 50 to 100 hairs every day, but this process can speed up in men as they get older. Hair generally grows about half an inch a month, or 6 inches a year. Yet, if you don’t cut it regularly, it will most likely stop growing when it’s about 5 feet long.

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This fact is not for skeptics: the average adult’s skeleton weighs the same as one car tyre. In fact, our skeleton only makes up about 15 per cent of our overall body weight. So, next time someone tells you that big bones is the reason for them being overweight, be suspicious.

Another fun fact? Your collarbone is the last of your bones to stop growing when you become an adult. Called the clavicle, it doesn’t stop growing until you’re about twenty-five.

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Human muscles, on the other hand, make up about 40% of your body weight, and there are more than 600 of them. Yet, you use just 200 when you take a step, and almost all of them when you throw a ball.

The biggest muscle in your body is the _gluteus maximus_—a.k.a your bum. The smallest is in your ear, the stapedius, just about forty thousandths of an inch. The jaw muscle is the strongest by force, and the eye muscles are the busiest—10,000 movements an hour when reading! Our favorite muscle, though? The heart, of course!

Godly etymology

What do volcanoes and sportswear have in common? Mythology!

Image: Ivan Bertona

From the food on your breakfast table to the shoes on your feet, traces of ancient mythology are hidden in plain sight. But we bet you didn’t know that! And we get it—after all, only a few people think about the origins of words daily. But don’t worry—that’s why we’re here. These mythological figures, who once inspired awe and devotion, now lend their names to the phenomena, products, and concepts we mention every day. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of mythologically inspired names and uncover 10 surprising origins.

Image: MK Hamilton

The word hypnosis takes its name from Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep. Hypnos, often depicted as a gentle, winged figure, had the power to lull both mortals and gods into a deep slumber.

Today, hypnosis refers to a trance-like state that feels like a dream but leaves you fully awake. This practice is often used for relaxation, therapy, and even entertainment.

The connection is fitting, to be honest—both Hypnos and hypnosis evoke a sense of calm and surrender. While Hypnos ruled over dreams, modern hypnosis helps people tap into their subconscious minds. It’s pretty amazing how the ancient god of closed eyes still influences our understanding of the mind today.

Image: Monika Simeonova

Nemesis, the Greek goddess of retribution and balance, has left her mark on the English language as a term for an unbeatable rival or a source of downfall.

In mythology, Nemesis punished hubris, which was considered a serious offense, and ensured that no one escaped the consequences of their actions.

The modern concept of a nemesis describes something or someone we cannot conquer and reflects this sense of unavoidable justice. It is frequently used to refer to a person we can’t defeat, but it can also apply to goals we struggle to achieve. Is that meant to make us feel bad? Not exactly—a nemesis is there to keep us humble!

Image: Francesca Scrinzi

Greek mythology features many creatures, including the Oreads, the mountain nymphs. Echo was an Oread who lived on Mount Cithaeron. This nymph was, of course, part of Zeus’s love life—and when Hera, his wife, found out, she cursed Echo to only repeat the words others said.

Fun twist: the next person Echo met—and fell in love with—was Narcissus. And we all know how that went!

In any case, the phenomenon of repeating sounds now carries her name. An echo is a repetition of sound caused by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, a mountain, or any surface that obstructs the path of the sound. Interesting, huh?

Image: Natsuko D'Aprile

Did you know that the breakfast you—or your kids—have every single day can be traced back to ancient mythology? Your morning bowl of cereal is named after Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain.

As a deity who ensured a good harvest, Ceres was cherished by farmers and worshipped in lavish festivals. The name is perfect for the grains that are a breakfast staple worldwide. From cornflakes to oatmeal, cereal embodies the abundance that Ceres symbolized.

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Greek mythology was no fun business—love triangles, family disputes, and wars were pretty common. And when it comes to wars among the gods, the War of the Titans is one of the most remarkable. Why? Because the Titans went up against the gods for ten years.

The term atlas for a book of maps traces back to one of those Titans: Atlas, who was condemned to hold up the heavens after losing this divine rebellion. His incredible strength and eternal burden made him a symbol of endurance and support. In the 16th century, map collections were named after him because they reflected the idea of "carrying the world." Even if it’s a burden for him, it’s an accurate connotation!

Image: Jordan Whitt

Hypnos was the god of sleep, but once you were within his realm, Morpheus took over as the god of dreams. Father and son ruled together when it came to closed eyes.

Morphine, a powerful pain-relieving drug, draws its name from Morpheus, who was known for shaping and controlling dreams and often appeared in human form to deliver messages.

The drug’s name reflects its ability to induce a dream-like state and ease suffering. While it’s a medical wonder in many situations, its connection to dreams reminds us of its potent effects. Like Morpheus entering dreams, morphine brings relief—but it commands respect for its power.

Image: Ása Steinarsdóttir

Every Roman god has a Greek counterpart, but in the case of volcanoes, the name comes from the Romans themselves. The term "volcano" comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and smithing, who crafted weapons for gods and heroes in his fiery forge.

Vulcan worked with molten lava, just as volcanoes erupt with fiery power from the earth’s core. Ancient Romans believed volcanic eruptions were Vulcan’s way of showing his might. Even though we now understand the science behind them, the mythology still adds a sense of drama to these geological events. Don’t you just love it?

Image: Peter Herrmann

As we said, mythology was no lighthearted affair—and there was even an entity dedicated to disorder: enter Chaos.

In Greek mythology, Chaos was the primordial void from which everything began—a vast, formless expanse that existed before order emerged.

Today, still bearing the same name, chaos refers to mess, disorder, and unpredictability, just like the state of the universe before creation. It’s fascinating how a term for beginnings now represents turmoil and confusion, but maybe that’s the essence of the universe itself: from the cosmos to a messy kitchen, chaos has a timeless presence

Image: Joseph Barrientos

That’s right—the gods are also a source of inspiration for some of the biggest brands in the world. Take Nike, for example.

Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, has become a household name thanks to the global sportswear brand. A symbol of triumph and achievement in every arena, she inspired warriors in battle and athletes in competition. Remember the divine war we mentioned? Nike was the first to show her support for Zeus.

As for the company’s iconic Swoosh, the logo reflects her winged speed and grace. Every pair of Nike sneakers carries the spirit of determination and success. Who knew a goddess could have such impressive branding skills?

Image: Alicia Christin Gerald

To finish things off, let’s talk about one of the most celebrated figures in Greek mythology and her connection to one of the most respected professions in the modern world.

The word "psychology" finds its roots in Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul. In mythology, she was depicted as a beautiful woman with wings resembling those of a butterfly.

Since her name means "soul," Psyche inspired the field of psychology, which is all about studying the human essence, mind, and behavior. With the addition of a suffix that denotes a field of study, the word psychology connects ancient interest in understanding what makes us human to the modern scientific discipline. It’s ironic, but also beautiful, that the field studying the mind and soul is named after a goddess.