Table of Contents
Prologue xiii
If I lose a contact lens in my eye, can it get Into my brain? xiii
What is normal? xx
What is health? xxi
1 Appearing: The Superficial Parts
How can I tell if I'm beautiful? 5
Why do I have dimples? 8
If I didn't have dimples, could I give them to myself? 9
Why don't tattoos wear off? 15
How can I remove my tattoo? 16
Can I get a more defined jaw by chewing gum? 17
But what about my chin? 20
Why are some eyes blue? 23
What causes red eyes in photos? 23
What is a deviated septum? 23
Why don't body hair and eyelashes keep growing, but head hair does? 26
Could I get rid of my eyelashes? 28
What makes hair curl? 29
When I shave or cut my hair, does it grow back faster? 32
Am I tall enough? 32
What are sunburns? 39
Why don't most females have Adam's apples? 45
Aren't we attracted by pheromones? 49
2 Perceiving: The Feeling Parts
What is itch? 59
Why does scratching feel good? 63
Can I "boost" my Immune system? 69
How do vaccines work? 75
Does caffeine make me live longer? 75
Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? 82
Why do ears ring? 85
Can I stop wearing my glasses if I eat enough carrots? 89
How much sleep do I actually need? 91
Why do I drool when I nap and not when I sleep? 92
Should I seriously not be reading my phone in bed? 92
Will melatonin put me to sleep? 95
Can I train myself to need less sleep? 98
Is it really that bad if I look at the sun once in a while? 102
Am I having a seizure? 104
How is laughter medicine? 116
3 Eating: The Sustaining Parts
Why do stomachs rumble? 129
Why do I crave terrible food late at night? 131
Colonoscopy: This is the best we can do? 133
Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? 134
Why does everyone have bad breath? 140
Carbs or fat, which is worse? 144
What is gluten? 149
Eggs versus oatmeal 164
Do probiotics work? 170
How much worse is high-fructose corn syrup than "real" sugar? 172
What If my tongue ring came out and I accidentally swallowed It? 175
I need dairy or else my bones will break? 176
Are we made to eat meat? 182
What happens to weight when it's "lost"? 188
4 Drinking: The Hydrating Parts
Do I need eight glasses of water a day? 196
How to embrace sweating 198
So I need a "sports drink"? 202
Why do so many people die of dehydration? 207
What about Smartwater? 212
Juice is healthy? 214
Why is there Vitaminwater? 217
Is drinking seltzer the same as drinking regular water? 220
If I break down and drink a soda: Brush my teeth after, or before? 225
How does teeth whitening work? 226
How does fluoride work? 227
Why are people lactose Intolerant? 228
Does alcohol really kill brain cells? 230
What Is "natural" wine? 231
Why not just play it safe and avoid preservatives? 234
5 Relating: The Sex Parts
Why do males have nipples? 239
Why are nipples sexualized? 247
Why do penises look like penises? 249
When is ejaculation premature? 251
Why don't males have multiple orgasms? 251
How do you responsibly inform a clingy ex-lover that you have been diagnosed with gonorrhea (by phone)? 254
How big is the average clitoris? 254
Does the G-spot exist? 257
Why isn't there a "female Viagra"? 259
Can I use hand sanitizer as deodorant? 263
How dangerous are tight pants? 263
What can I do to help my children understand their bodies and sex in a positive way? 269
How does ectopic pregnancy cause shoulder pain? 270
Are doctors trained in gender transitioning? 271
Can I get syphills from oral sex? 274
How do cells from my genitals create another human's brain? 278
6 Enduring: The Dying Parts
How does my heart know to beat? 284
What is sudden cardiac death? 289
Why do heartbeats mess up? 291
Why are more and more people dying of heart disease? 296
If atrial fibrillation is so common, do I have it? 305
Why isn't there a cure for the common cold? 305
How do I convince my friends that their kid doesn't need antibiotics every times she gets the sniffles? 306
Penicillin is made of mold? 309
If my mucus is green, it means I need antibiotics? 309
What causes cancer? 309
If I lost my nose, could science rebuild one for me? 315
Is aging inevitable? 317
Why does skin become translucent with age? 323
Is life long enough? 324
How to sit 327
Can I really die from popping a pimple on my nose? 330
What is rigor mortis? 331
What happens to my body when I die? 331
What happens to the data version of me when I die? 343
Epilogue 349
Acknowledgments 353
Notes 355
Selected Bibliography 371