10 Mysterious Phenomena That Science Can't Explain — Aliens, Yawning and Spooky Rocks
Science can explain a lot of things — why women need more sleep; why waist trainers are bullshit; why you should be sleeping naked; why certain foods can make you better in bed. But it can't explain everything. There are a number of commonplace phenomena that continue to stump scientists, including but not limited to the 10 we've assembled below. Read on to have your mind boggled.
Read more: These 10,000 Year-Old Sunken Ancient Ruins in Japan Remain a Huge Mystery
Yawns
It may be a means of pulling invigorating oxygen into the bloodstream; it may be a mechanism for cooling the brain. Science isn't exactly sure why we and other animals yawn, or why it's contagious.
Rocks that move as if by magic
"In several locations around the world, rocks have been shown to scoot along the desert floor, sometimes turning or reversing direction with no good reason why," according to Cracked.
Sleep
Science knows that humans need sleep; it knows how sleep works; it knows how much sleep is best by age group; it does not know, however, why we sleep when some other beings don't, according to IFL Science.
The placebo effect
According to PlayBuzz, science has demonstrated that the brain can precipitate the effects it expects from a pill — even a sugar pill. No one knows why this is.
Gravity
Similarly to sleep, we know that gravity is — we don't know how it works. "While scientists do understand a great deal about how gravity acts, they aren't really sure why it exists," according to IFL Science. "Why are atoms mostly empty space? Why is the force that holds atoms together different from gravity? Is gravity actually a particle? These are answers that we really just can't answer with our current understand of physics."
Why so many people are right-handed
According to PlayBuzz, 70% to 95% of people are right-handed, while 5% to 30% are left-handed and a lucky few can use both hands with equal dexterity. Science cannot, however, account for the disparity.
Deja vu
Sometimes, we feel as though we've been here, seen this before. That sensation, called deja vu — French for "already seen" — is one for which science has no explanation, according to Live Science.
The length of giraffes' necks
As Cracked reported, "giraffes don't use their necks for feeding," and evolution doesn't explain why they'd evolve such long necks. It's a scientific mystery of sorts.
The genetic complexity of tomatoes
Tomatoes house upward of 30,000 genes, versus the 20,000 to 30,000 that make up a human body. According to Topinfo Post, this discrepancy persists as an "enigma" in the eyes of botanists.
