Tag Archives: News

Bizarre daily habits of famous geniuses in history

Genius minds are known for their eccentricity, but there are also many who went a step further with their craziness. Below are the 13 most bizarre habits by famous scientists, composers and writers. Various myths are associated with a large number of famous people from history, which no one is sure if they are really true.

In his book “Daily Rituals”, writer Mason Coury listed some musicians, artists and scientists whose bizarre routines made them as famous as their achievements.

1- The American composer George Gershwin was a workaholic, and he created his works while sitting at the piano in his pajamas and bathrobe. His brother Ira claims that Georges was never relaxed and always had something to do.

2- One of the greatest geniuses ever, Albert Einstein, lived in seclusion. He always had long hair because he did not like to visit the barber, and he considered socks unnecessary, so he never wore them.

3- Poet Edith Sitwell used to start the day by lying in a coffin because it supposedly inspired her to write her somewhat morbid lyrics. She loved to sleep and declared that every woman should spend one day a week in bed.

4- A well-established daily routine helped Charles Dickens write 15 great novels. His desk was always elaborately arranged: there was always a small vase of fresh flowers on it, a large knife for opening a letter, a gilded leaf brooch with a rabbit sitting on it, and two bronze figurines of frogs brandishing swords in a duel.

5- One of the most popular writers of crime novels, Agatha Christie, didn’t have a pen at all, she just created her works wherever she went.

The marble coffee table in the bedroom was a good place to write, as well as the kitchen table between meals.

said Christy.

6- The author of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, Truman Capote, wrote in bed with coffee and cigarettes. But only three cigarettes could be in the ashtrays at a time, and the rest was put away in his pocket. He compulsively added various numbers in his head and did not dial the phone number or the hotel room if he considered those numbers unlucky.

7- The writer Jane Austen did not like anyone but her immediate family to see her while she was writing. She liked the door to her room to creak so she could hear if someone came in, and she wrote on small pieces of paper so she could quickly hide them from prying eyes.

8- The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, slept only three hours a day and claimed that sometimes he had so many ideas in his head that absolutely nothing could be shaken from his thoughts.

9- The poet WH Auden refused to work in the evenings.

10- Only world Hitlers work at night, no honest artist – he said. He also gets his mental energy from amphetamines.

11- The “father of American literature” Mark Twain had a big problem with insomnia, and when he managed to fall asleep it was usually on the bathroom floor.

12- F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of “The Great Gatsby”, loved alcoholic beverages. The problem is that he lived during the prohibition era, so his favorite drink was gin because it worked fast and it was hard to detect that he was drunk. That love for alcohol took him to his grave too early, already at the age of 45.

13- The writer Victor Hugo ate two raw eggs every morning and bathed in ice water. He also visited the barber every day.

News and Science

Leave a comment

Sitting accelerates the aging process

Older women with too little physical activity and at least 10 hours of sitting per day have cells that are on average 8 years older than cells of their peers who do not lead such a sedentary life. All this was discovered by scientists at the University of San Diego. The study they made was conducted on 1,500 women aged 64 to 95, and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

We already knew that too much time spent sitting increases the risk of various diseases and slows down the metabolism, but this new research has shown that inactivity and sitting also accelerate the aging process itself, which is an incredibly valuable discovery. Telomeres are the secret of aging. Telomeres, as structures at the ends of chromosomes, naturally shorten and fray as cells age. The discovery that telomere length is related to lifespan has already been awarded the Nobel Prize, so this research is a logical continuation based on that useful knowledge. According to this study, the chronological age of a person does not have to be related to his biological age, and that is why cells age faster, because they have shorter and shorter telomeres.

Faster shortening of telomeres is associated with cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer and diabetes, and bad lifestyle habits such as obesity and smoking also contribute to their shortening. So, it has been shown that women who sit for 10 or more hours a day, and do not engage in physical activity of moderate to strong intensity for 40 minutes a day, accelerate their aging process by their own inaction. In this way, an average eight-year acceleration of the biological aging of cells is ensured, unlike that of their peers who lead a more physically active life. The University of San Diego has announced a new set of studies that will also study telomere length and the relationship to exercise and sitting in men and younger populations. Until then, while you wait for more evidence against sitting – just in case, move more, you won’t get any rest.

The impact of mental health on aging

A reliable source is a statistical model that measures a person’s biological age instead of chronological age. To achieve this, an aging clock has been devised that uses blood, genetic and DNA testing to measure a person’s biological rate of aging. Smoking is the main physical factor in this case. Mental health concerns include depression, sleep problems, loneliness and feelings of unhappiness.

The modern lifestyle, which brings with it inner psychological restlessness and anxiety, leads to less social contact and withdrawal. This is exactly the scenario that played out at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the consequences of the pandemic on human social life are present even today. The option to access social networks is often cited as an excuse, which is actually a double-edged sword. Sitting in front of a computer or phone screen every day only deepens a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to further alienation of a person from the environment.

Based on the conducted research, it was concluded that loneliness significantly affects the aging process. In addition, factors of the external environment that influence our mood determine our behavior and openness to others. It is desirable to control factors such as quality sleep, physical activity, a healthier way of eating, but also the living environment such as furniture orientation, hygiene and daylighting. Self-control of access to social networks or at least limitation of time spent at the computer is required.

Can pets prevent premature aging?

When human contact is not available, it can be useful to enjoy the presence of a furry friend. Doctors say owning a dog can help reduce the risk of premature death, especially among people who live alone, who are the group most at risk of debilitating loneliness. Previous research has also found that pet owners may have better social and communication skills and engage more in community activities.

Animals can be great conversation starters, and taking care of a pet, by taking it for a walk or to the vet, can discourage sedentarism as well as provide an opportunity to meet new people. If a larger animal, such as a dog or cat, seems too much of a commitment or too expensive, why not consider a small, mostly carefree and much cheaper alternative, such as fish, snails or insects?

Namely, older adults who in one experiment were offered crickets to care for as pets became less depressed and had improved cognitive functioning within 8 weeks of starting the experiment. Or, you can volunteer at an animal shelter or offer to babysit the pets of friends and acquaintances when they’re on vacation, so you can enjoy the same benefits and improve your social relationships.

News and Science

Leave a comment