Super Powers That Real People Actually Have.
By Edtrader Powers such as flight and mega-strength are the legends of Superman, the Hulk, etc. However, there are people with real superpowers who use them for more day-to-day things. Instead of fighting aliens and radiation monsters.
# 7. Super-Sight
The Smithsonian details he remarkable talents of Etienne Bottineau. Who was a beacon keeper on the island of Mauritius in 1782. His claim to fame was that of being able to see ships approaching before any other human eyes could.
Port Louis, of Mauritius, was a French Indian colony that was quite important and valuable. One that the British were keen on getting during the American Revolutionary War. When Governor Viscomte François de Souillac was warned about a fleet of warships on course for the port.
Souillac was gathering a large portion of his military to defend it. Before they could all be wrongly deployed, he was told that the ships had changed course. Later to be notified that they were merchant ships headed to Fort William in India. And that the ships were seen changing course by a simple beacon keeper dock worker named Étienne Bottineau. And not the (at the time) advanced telescope system of the French.
Bottineau had been known for winning wagers on the docks. Predicting the arrival of ships. But this was the first time that someone in a high position took notice. He claimed he could see up to 700 miles out to see. Which of course was looked down upon as not being possible.
Colonel Trebond, who was a chief officer in the island's military, was his first major supporter. Signing a legal affidavit that Bottineau indeed could see ships from that distance. As did the Naval Commissionary-General of Port Louis, M. Melis. Swearing that Bottineau had correctly predicted the arrival of 109 vessels. Only being wrong twice as the ships changed course after he made his prediction.
Governor De Souillac himself even signed a document confirming his talents on April 18, 1784. Bottineau offered up how he did this. The sea's atmosphere would change as ships approached. And over time, working the port, he could just see it from that far away. As he got older, he became more and more efficient.
The Smithsonian details he remarkable talents of Etienne Bottineau. Who was a beacon keeper on the island of Mauritius in 1782. His claim to fame was that of being able to see ships approaching before any other human eyes could.
Port Louis, of Mauritius, was a French Indian colony that was quite important and valuable. One that the British were keen on getting during the American Revolutionary War. When Governor Viscomte François de Souillac was warned about a fleet of warships on course for the port.
Souillac was gathering a large portion of his military to defend it. Before they could all be wrongly deployed, he was told that the ships had changed course. Later to be notified that they were merchant ships headed to Fort William in India. And that the ships were seen changing course by a simple beacon keeper dock worker named Étienne Bottineau. And not the (at the time) advanced telescope system of the French.
Bottineau had been known for winning wagers on the docks. Predicting the arrival of ships. But this was the first time that someone in a high position took notice. He claimed he could see up to 700 miles out to see. Which of course was looked down upon as not being possible.
Colonel Trebond, who was a chief officer in the island's military, was his first major supporter. Signing a legal affidavit that Bottineau indeed could see ships from that distance. As did the Naval Commissionary-General of Port Louis, M. Melis. Swearing that Bottineau had correctly predicted the arrival of 109 vessels. Only being wrong twice as the ships changed course after he made his prediction.
Governor De Souillac himself even signed a document confirming his talents on April 18, 1784. Bottineau offered up how he did this. The sea's atmosphere would change as ships approached. And over time, working the port, he could just see it from that far away. As he got older, he became more and more efficient.
#6. Compactable.
Daniel Browning Smith makes his money as a movie stuntman. As he can 'break' his limbs on command. Born with the ability to be extremely flexible in his skin and joints, That has earned him some honors as the fastest person on earth who can climb in and out of a tennis racket three times!
Once in awhile, what he does gives him pain. But nothing too major. When asked, he says he's really happy with his life. Having joined a circus at 17 and has gotten to travel the world since.
His biggest TV exposure came as he performed at multiple NBA halftime shows. Where he amazingly fit himself inside this small box! IMDP lists his credits, such as Men In Black II, Minority Report, CSI, Monk, etc. Men's Fitness says that if you can so much as bend parts of your body at a 90-degree angle, you are doing well. Daniel, however, can turn his torso up to 180 degrees.
Daniel Browning Smith makes his money as a movie stuntman. As he can 'break' his limbs on command. Born with the ability to be extremely flexible in his skin and joints, That has earned him some honors as the fastest person on earth who can climb in and out of a tennis racket three times!
Once in awhile, what he does gives him pain. But nothing too major. When asked, he says he's really happy with his life. Having joined a circus at 17 and has gotten to travel the world since.
His biggest TV exposure came as he performed at multiple NBA halftime shows. Where he amazingly fit himself inside this small box! IMDP lists his credits, such as Men In Black II, Minority Report, CSI, Monk, etc. Men's Fitness says that if you can so much as bend parts of your body at a 90-degree angle, you are doing well. Daniel, however, can turn his torso up to 180 degrees.
#5. Remote Viewing.
Ingo Swann is one of a few people who have demonstrated a certain sensory power called Remote Viewing. Which is the perception of an object blocked from view or far away. Princeton University recently published online a study done by the Stanford Institute.
Doctors Puthoff and Targ recruited an unnamed participant. The participant describes an area (with a tape recorder as evidence) as to the surroundings they saw. They also drew them as well. Two female subjects were instructed to drive for twenty minutes in whatever direction they chose. Stop and take photos then go to another location. They went to eight locations in all and came back with the photos.
Eight discrete people were then to judge the photographs against the drawings. Scale 1 to 8 with 1 being exactly as described and 8 as not even close. 4 out of the 8 were spot on number 1s.
As far as what's going on in the brains of Remote Viewers is best answered by Michael A. Persinger, Ph.D. who did a scan of Ingo's brain. His brain was monitored as he drew what he saw from the photos stored in envelopes in another room.
It stood out how many unusual HZs of spiked activity there were in his occipital area of the brain. And how it correlated with the remarkable accuracy he showed. Which these spikes only happened while he was actively drawing what was in the photos.
Ingo Swann is one of a few people who have demonstrated a certain sensory power called Remote Viewing. Which is the perception of an object blocked from view or far away. Princeton University recently published online a study done by the Stanford Institute.
Doctors Puthoff and Targ recruited an unnamed participant. The participant describes an area (with a tape recorder as evidence) as to the surroundings they saw. They also drew them as well. Two female subjects were instructed to drive for twenty minutes in whatever direction they chose. Stop and take photos then go to another location. They went to eight locations in all and came back with the photos.
Eight discrete people were then to judge the photographs against the drawings. Scale 1 to 8 with 1 being exactly as described and 8 as not even close. 4 out of the 8 were spot on number 1s.
As far as what's going on in the brains of Remote Viewers is best answered by Michael A. Persinger, Ph.D. who did a scan of Ingo's brain. His brain was monitored as he drew what he saw from the photos stored in envelopes in another room.
It stood out how many unusual HZs of spiked activity there were in his occipital area of the brain. And how it correlated with the remarkable accuracy he showed. Which these spikes only happened while he was actively drawing what was in the photos.
#4. Super Communication.
Francois Sommer's first language was that of his home country, Germany. While a kid, he learned Swedish, Sanskrit, and Persian. He went on to live in Russia, where he picked up Russian naturally. But he also learned the languages of all the major European countries.
Living the rest of his life in America. As he worked as a researcher at the Cleveland Public Library. Before his death, he learned to be fluent in ninety-four languages. Making him the most bi-lingual person ever. Any language he was around, he was able to quickly adapt to. Even those dead languages he just read about.
To give you an idea of how special that is, only 20% of Americans speak two or more languages. Only 40% of the world speaks two. And the second person behind Sommer's is Harold Williams with fifty-eight languages.
David M. Perlmutter (professor of linguistics at the University of California at San Diego) says there are no Olympic medals for language. Nor does Sommer have any Nobel Prizes. But if there were one, Sommer would be the winner. And that he is a pretty amazing example of what a human being can achieve.
#3. Super speed.
The speed at which we walk or run comes from how your body moves its muscles. Some folks have athletic speed, while others take five minutes to get from a parking space to the front door. However, there is a scientific reason why some people have superspeed.
Your muscles bend, tense up, or loosen, allowing you to walk or run. ACTN3 is a gene that affects how a protein (alpha-actinin) grows in muscles. Which then affects how the muscles are used. There have been two copies of that gene in some people. Which allows them to have increased speed and strength in muscle flexibility and tension.
Studies were done on some of the fastest people in the world, and they shared increased ACTN3.
This all came about as Usain Bolt and his Jamaican team were researching. As people from their area of the world have the highest population of people with the extra gene. Bolt can get up to 27.8 MPH, showing just how fast this makes a person. Bringing home Olympic medals for their respected countries.
Bengt Saltin (Copenhagen Muscle Research Institute) states that you can work as hard as you want, but it will only make up 25% of your ability. The rest comes down to the roll of the genes dice.
This is especially good for the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Which are responsible for fast muscle movements or bursts of energy. Such as exploding from the start line in a sprint. Or when someone jumps out of the way from danger (a speeding car, for example). But ACTN3 is just as effective for slow-twitch fibers used for basic walking or bending up or down.
This gene was only discovered in 2008, so there is much more to explore. Researchers from the likes of The Oxford Journal express that this gene decreases with age. So finding how to increase or twin this gene will help people with slow speeds of all kinds.
Francois Sommer's first language was that of his home country, Germany. While a kid, he learned Swedish, Sanskrit, and Persian. He went on to live in Russia, where he picked up Russian naturally. But he also learned the languages of all the major European countries.
Living the rest of his life in America. As he worked as a researcher at the Cleveland Public Library. Before his death, he learned to be fluent in ninety-four languages. Making him the most bi-lingual person ever. Any language he was around, he was able to quickly adapt to. Even those dead languages he just read about.
To give you an idea of how special that is, only 20% of Americans speak two or more languages. Only 40% of the world speaks two. And the second person behind Sommer's is Harold Williams with fifty-eight languages.
David M. Perlmutter (professor of linguistics at the University of California at San Diego) says there are no Olympic medals for language. Nor does Sommer have any Nobel Prizes. But if there were one, Sommer would be the winner. And that he is a pretty amazing example of what a human being can achieve.
#3. Super speed.
The speed at which we walk or run comes from how your body moves its muscles. Some folks have athletic speed, while others take five minutes to get from a parking space to the front door. However, there is a scientific reason why some people have superspeed.
Your muscles bend, tense up, or loosen, allowing you to walk or run. ACTN3 is a gene that affects how a protein (alpha-actinin) grows in muscles. Which then affects how the muscles are used. There have been two copies of that gene in some people. Which allows them to have increased speed and strength in muscle flexibility and tension.
Studies were done on some of the fastest people in the world, and they shared increased ACTN3.
This all came about as Usain Bolt and his Jamaican team were researching. As people from their area of the world have the highest population of people with the extra gene. Bolt can get up to 27.8 MPH, showing just how fast this makes a person. Bringing home Olympic medals for their respected countries.
Bengt Saltin (Copenhagen Muscle Research Institute) states that you can work as hard as you want, but it will only make up 25% of your ability. The rest comes down to the roll of the genes dice.
This is especially good for the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Which are responsible for fast muscle movements or bursts of energy. Such as exploding from the start line in a sprint. Or when someone jumps out of the way from danger (a speeding car, for example). But ACTN3 is just as effective for slow-twitch fibers used for basic walking or bending up or down.
This gene was only discovered in 2008, so there is much more to explore. Researchers from the likes of The Oxford Journal express that this gene decreases with age. So finding how to increase or twin this gene will help people with slow speeds of all kinds.
#2. No doze.
CNN reports that there have been a handful of people who can thrive with far less sleep than normal people. After a hard day of work, sometimes eight hours of sleep still leaves you drained. Or for the less fortunate, it doesn't matter how much you sleep.
Scientists are studying those who have a sleep mutation that lets them get four hours of sleep. Then it's off to the races at full speed. Known as short sleepers, they have shown a mutation of the gene hDEC2, which regulates sleep cycles and lets them recharge their batteries faster.
One of the case studies comes from Amy Avery. She sleeps between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. every day. Then she can do whatever she wants all day without the aid of coffee or caffeine. Professor Ying-Hui Fu (University of California at San Francisco) said those she's seen with the condition hold down two jobs, have hours of hobbies, and still have hours to waste.
Dr. Christopher Jones (University of Utah) notes that those studied with this showed an increased 'up' mood and a healthy metabolism. Instead of health and mental problems, sleep-deprived people have
Dr. Daniel Buyssse (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) sums it up by saying that five out of a hundred people who only knock back four hours at night have this natural condition. Others need sleep but just don't. The goal is to study this condition and, in a healthy way, manipulate sleep.
One of the more successful low-sleepers is Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. Or Kelly Ripa, the famous TV host. She knocks out only about five hours at night. Balancing two production companies, her shows, and a full family.
Giving everyone a few more hours every day. But for those with sleep problems, it is the answer to their problems. They've tried to manually alter the hDEC2 gene in mice. And so far, it's been successful.
You might think all successful people can simply get four hours and be off and running. Maybe that's the secret to success... wrong. STS Capital Director Gregory Mckee says that without eight hours of sleep, he can't function.
CNN reports that there have been a handful of people who can thrive with far less sleep than normal people. After a hard day of work, sometimes eight hours of sleep still leaves you drained. Or for the less fortunate, it doesn't matter how much you sleep.
Scientists are studying those who have a sleep mutation that lets them get four hours of sleep. Then it's off to the races at full speed. Known as short sleepers, they have shown a mutation of the gene hDEC2, which regulates sleep cycles and lets them recharge their batteries faster.
One of the case studies comes from Amy Avery. She sleeps between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. every day. Then she can do whatever she wants all day without the aid of coffee or caffeine. Professor Ying-Hui Fu (University of California at San Francisco) said those she's seen with the condition hold down two jobs, have hours of hobbies, and still have hours to waste.
Dr. Christopher Jones (University of Utah) notes that those studied with this showed an increased 'up' mood and a healthy metabolism. Instead of health and mental problems, sleep-deprived people have
Dr. Daniel Buyssse (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) sums it up by saying that five out of a hundred people who only knock back four hours at night have this natural condition. Others need sleep but just don't. The goal is to study this condition and, in a healthy way, manipulate sleep.
One of the more successful low-sleepers is Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. Or Kelly Ripa, the famous TV host. She knocks out only about five hours at night. Balancing two production companies, her shows, and a full family.
Giving everyone a few more hours every day. But for those with sleep problems, it is the answer to their problems. They've tried to manually alter the hDEC2 gene in mice. And so far, it's been successful.
You might think all successful people can simply get four hours and be off and running. Maybe that's the secret to success... wrong. STS Capital Director Gregory Mckee says that without eight hours of sleep, he can't function.
#1. Strong bones.
After a car accident, a fellow named John showed no signs of injury. But his doctors did an x-ray and found something quite interesting. Not only was he OK, but his bones are darn near unbreakable. Referred to Yale University, it was discovered that he was related to someone who had the same issue. But they didn't know they were related. Both had what doctors said was the future answer to osteoporosis.
John's bones were shown to be eight times stronger than those of other people. One of his family members was unable to get a hip replacement because the doctors couldn't get the necessary screws into his existing bones.
Osteoporosis patients have brittle and weak bones. Caused by a gene mutation that causes a decrease in LRP5. But these two had the opposite effect, in that a mutation increased bone strength. Dr. Richard Lifton (Yale's Bone Center) said these are the closest living examples of the character in the 2000 movie Unbreakable. Comparing, they could get hit by a train and they wouldn't fracture a bone.
Now scientists are studying the gene makeup of John's clan as a way to reverse osteoporosis. How about if their mutation does the opposite and increases LRP5? After mapping their genes, they found a single gene disorder. Which it unblocks any WNT signaling to their bones. Now the study turns to creating a drug that mimics and controls this gene disorder.
After a car accident, a fellow named John showed no signs of injury. But his doctors did an x-ray and found something quite interesting. Not only was he OK, but his bones are darn near unbreakable. Referred to Yale University, it was discovered that he was related to someone who had the same issue. But they didn't know they were related. Both had what doctors said was the future answer to osteoporosis.
John's bones were shown to be eight times stronger than those of other people. One of his family members was unable to get a hip replacement because the doctors couldn't get the necessary screws into his existing bones.
Osteoporosis patients have brittle and weak bones. Caused by a gene mutation that causes a decrease in LRP5. But these two had the opposite effect, in that a mutation increased bone strength. Dr. Richard Lifton (Yale's Bone Center) said these are the closest living examples of the character in the 2000 movie Unbreakable. Comparing, they could get hit by a train and they wouldn't fracture a bone.
Now scientists are studying the gene makeup of John's clan as a way to reverse osteoporosis. How about if their mutation does the opposite and increases LRP5? After mapping their genes, they found a single gene disorder. Which it unblocks any WNT signaling to their bones. Now the study turns to creating a drug that mimics and controls this gene disorder.