Talk about life’s mysteries. No one has ever explained what human consciousness is. Not even Philosophers, neuroscientists, and psychologists, though they agree that it’s something intangible that hovers above our conscious decisions and experiences.

As to what it’s “made of”, that remains elusive. Trying to decipher consciousness may even be something our own brains won’t ever be able to comprehend.

It’s just something beyond human understanding it would seem.

Having a dominant hand has never been fully understood. Some are ambidextrous but for the most part, most people are right-handed, with a few being a lefty.

Past theories stated that learning to favor one had an environmental cause. But today, hand dominance is seemingly determined genetically thanks to complex genetic networks and brain asymmetries.

And yet researchers still have no specific reason for hand dominance.

Dreams have always baffled scientists, philosophers, and thinkers. Centuries later and we still don’t have a definite answer for them. The theory we accept is that dreams are a psychological mechanism we get for tensions, sensations, and unconscious elements of our days.

Nowadays, scientists say that dreams may not be that meaningful, and a part of some other physiological process.

Researchers suggest that the brain sorts through memories and lives out fantasies. Others say that our brains cool down like TV sets, but really, that just seems strange.

Scientists are torn between both explanations so we wait for more studies.

The fact that we can “benefit” from inactive drugs and treatments by believing they work baffles researchers. Sugar pills and non-active medicines that improve the symptoms of a patient offers no explanation hence the term “placebo”.

Researchers have carried out studies in deciphering the areas of the brain involved in the placebo effect, and yet there’s still no clear answer.

Yawning doesn’t really have any noticeable effect when you do it. The prevailing theory was that it injects oxygen into the blood when levels were low, but this has been dismissed.

Researchers are now saying that it could be a way to control the brain’s temperature.

What scientists cannot explain is why yawning is contagious.

It is involuntary so it could be a psychological response meant to be communicative instead of a physiological one. Scientists proposed that yawning is a herding symbol, helping us link up with the others.

Us humans can explode in laughter without physical touching. To think laughter is involuntary and really difficult to fake. Researchers say it may be an evolutionary purpose ingrained in us.

It’s widely believed that laughing helps achieve social superiority and acts as a communicative tool and signal. It could even be for relieving tension.

And yet, scientists, philosophers, and psychologists cannot give a definite reason on the roles of humor and laughter.

There’s a phrase called “hypnic jerk”. Not everyone knows it but there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced that. It’s the involuntary twitch that happens before you fall asleep. Then follows that falling sensation.

And yet there is no explanation for it. They say it’s a leftover quirk of our ancient ancestors who lived in trees.

Apparently, they would twitch to stay awake and avoid falling from their nighttime perches. Hypnic jerks were also seen as involuntary battles between our wakeful brain and our restful one.

Surges of energy from the day spark through our nervous systems, so the twitch brings us back into cognizance. At least that’s what others say.

Blushing occurs when someone is embarrassed, shamed, or angered. Or it could be the result of romantic feelings. It seems to be connected to the fight-or-flight response system. That’s the complex network of hormonal, circulatory, and neural processes that enables humans to respond to intense, threatening stimuli.

But as to why blushing is part of that has scientists and psychologists scratching their heads.

Blushing is triggered by a variety of different psychological cues so there is no one explanation for it. It could be a way of showing submissiveness or act as a communicative signal to others. But those are just theories.

Scientists know that sleep is essential, and so do we. Humans can die if they don’t sleep enough. But as for a concrete explanation?

William C. Dement, founder of Stanford University’s Sleep Research Center, says, “As far as I know, the only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy.”

We do save energy, restore our bodies, and clear the brain of chemical buildups. But those aren’t definitive answers. There has to be a better explanation since we need sleep to live.

The concept of pain is not fully understood since it’s a personal, subjective experience. Researchers understand that certain stimuli hurt, and that medication treats them. The feeling is transmitted via nerve cells that send signals to the brain.

Pain serves as a warning that you are about to injure yourself. But it remains subjective, leaving researchers to not have any real explanation as to why the brain interprets pain that way.

Why we humans need to undergo puberty is an age old mystery. The many transformations our bodies had to go through caused embarrassing moments and yet no one knew why.

Only humans experience the awkward, pimply, hormonal rollercoaster of physical maturation. Animals just transition into adulthood. There has to be some kind of explanation as to why humans undergo puberty. Scientists are yet to find answers.

It’s odd that we humans have hair in certain regions when primates, our closest living relatives, have hair covering their bodies except the certain regions. What’s strange is that removing hair doesn’t affect or change anything either.

Suggested theories are that it provides protection, makes for a cozy blanket, and even acts to stop friction. But the most prominent idea is that it collects pheromones. So maybe hair in certain regions helps attract a potential partner.

Fun fact. Kissing isn’t even a general “thing”. Many cultures don’t kiss, leading scientists and anthropologists to believe that kissing is a western cultural phenomenon. The odd part is that our bodies enjoy it, and yet there’s no real explanation for the sensation.

Kissing means the probability of sharing 80 million saliva bacteria. It’s a disgusting thought and yet humans do it since it’s arousing and even relaxing.

An explanation is that it helps sort potential mates. We get to smell pheromones and genes in a person to see if they are suitable. It varies per culture but lip contact remains as one of life’s big mysteries.

Watch the video for even more bizarre things about our bodies. I personally can’t stop thinking about number 5!