10 Things That Only 10% Of Us Can Do.
Number 10.
Ground cinnamon may be a tasty baking addition, but it's impossible to eat on its own for
most people.
Attempting to do so will likely burn the inside of your throat and send you into a violent
coughing fit.
Cinnamon is actually the raw form of tree bark that has been ground into dust.
It's insoluble in water, so it's not surprising that humans have such an intensely negative
reaction to it.
Number 9.
Can you split or roll your tongue, perform a reverse T, flip your tongue 180 degrees
or make shapes like a spaceship or clover leaf?
These strange manipulations of our most malleable organ are a pretty neat party trick.
These all require muscle control and tongue dexterity.
Some claim that they're genetic traits, though this is heavily debated.
Some case studies show children who can manipulate their tongues born from parents who couldn't.
Whatever the mysterious origin of these tricks is, they're quite impressive.
Only the hardcore should attempt them, though, as they come with pretty serious risk of tongue
cramping.
Number 8.
Are you in the minority of people who can wiggle their ears?
Some can do it, but only in conjunction with raising their eyebrows, which is a good way
to make everyone think you're constipated.
According to a 2006 ear-wiggling study, the mechanism behind ear movements is surprisingly
sophisticated.
Unlike most other facial muscles, ear muscles have their own accessory nucleus in the brainstem.
This is basically the control area for muscle function.
Compared to bats and cats, this nucleus is tiny in humans, which is why most of us find
controlling our ears such a challenge.
Number 7.
Ever tried touching your nose or chin with your tongue?
Many have and it's a lot harder than you'd think.
It's thought that only ten percent of the population can perform this act, which is
known as Gorlin sign in the medical world.
In some instances it can indicate connective tissue disorder, but if you can do it put
it on all your resumes and dating profiles.
You are one highly sought-after human being.
Gene Simmons of KISS had no trouble with this trick, which led to rumours he'd had a cow's
tongue grafted onto his own.
In truth, Mother Nature had just endowed him with a super long tongue and he did what anyone
would do: leveraged it to become an international rock star.
Number 6.
People who can fit their entire fist into their mouths are a rare anomaly.
For most, it's a near impossible feat.
The majority of the population can only get half or barely a quarter of their fist into
their mouths.
Successfully fitting your entire fist in your mouth usually requires both a large mouth
and small hands.
Although this trick has a slightly sexual connotation, babies are the ones who attempt
it the most, usually when teething or discovering their body parts for the first time.
If you aren't confident you can pull this off, it's best not to try.
Getting your fist stuck in your mouth is kind of frowned upon by the staff at your local
emergency room.
Number 5.
You know that crazy sensation you feel when you're about to sneeze?
It's like a particle cannon charging in your nose, preparing to obliterate everything in
its path.
Have you ever noticed that the overwhelming majority of humans sneeze with their eyes
closed?
Try it yourself.
It's nearly impossible to launch a spread-fire of mucus with your eyes open.
One popular schoolyard theory is this is to prevent your eyes from popping out, which
actually happened in one astonishing 1882 case.
This phenomenon is called eyeball subluxing.
Most experts believe our eyes clamp shut during a sneeze because of an involuntary reflex
sent from the "sneeze centre" of our brains.
This may be the body's way of preventing germs from entering the eye.
Number 4.
We all have ticklish spots that friends and loved ones love to zero in on.
Being tickled makes us laugh, squirm and sometimes pee a little.
Being tickled is one of the most vulnerable states we can find ourselves in, but, unfortunately,
you're out of luck if you want to have a good clean solo tickle session.
On paper it might sound easy to do, but in practice it's near impossible to genuinely
tickle yourself to the point of laughter because you will always brace for the touch.
This is because of an area at the back of the brain called the cerebellum.
The cerebellum plays a role in monitoring movements and studies have shown that it can
predict sensations caused by your own movements but not someone else's.
Number 3.
Your tongue and your elbow are tragic lovers who desperately want to be together, but can't
because their disapproving parents, your mouth and arm, won't let them.
It's just about impossible for most people to lick their elbows.
Try it now.
Make sure you're alone, though, or you may be committed.
Apparently there are techniques that can be learnt to get around this, but most require
you to have been blessed with a particularly short upper arm or an abnormally long tongue.
Guinness World Records staff receive five claims a day from people who think they're
special because they can lick their elbows.
For most people, though, elbows and saliva are destined never to meet.
Number 2.
Gleeking is a hot new trend.
All the kids are doing it.
It's better than twerking and planking; even better than the moonwalk.
Gleeking is the term for when you project saliva from the submandibular gland after
compressing it with your tongue.
This means you stimulate the saliva glands under your tongue to spit a concentrated jet
of saliva.
Sometimes this happens by accident when you yawn, or when you're being operated on at
the dentist.
But doing it deliberately, and at will, is a skill very few possess.
It requires dedication and tongue dexterity.
Number 1.
You may have frequently moved your big toe and have found it quite an easy job, but the
little toe at the other end of your foot is an entirely different matter.
Even if you can move it after some good practice, you will find that the toe next to the little
toe also has to move.
If you can wiggle your little toe independently from all the other toes, the foot readers
have a stunning opinion about your character.
People who master wiggling their little toes are impulsive flirts, charming and adventurous.
In addition, if you are among those who cannot achieve this act, you value predictability,
loyalty, and routine.