We've got our wires crossed: The bizarre stories of people whose brains have rewired themselves

When the brain is injured, the systems learn to link up differently - sometimes with surprising results.

Here, we talk to people whose brains have been 'scrambled' as a result of illness or birth.

But far from being a hindrance, some of them believe it is actually beneficial.

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It's Confirmed: This New Drug Really, Seriously Cures Cancer

Cancer patients have been left free of the disease after being treated with a new drug which harnesses the power of their own immune cells.

Four of 38 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have seen the disease complete regressions following treatment, while five others saw reductions of 50 per cent in their tumours.

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Sophocles and the Marine Corps

By Ransom Riggs

It’s an unlikely pairing to say the least, but translator/director Bryan Doerries is convinced that the ideal audience for many ancient Greek plays is a military one; that despite the 2,500 year gap between when they were written and the present, they’re more relevant than ever. Bryan is a friend and writing partner of mine, and yesterday he invited me down to San Diego to a staged reading he’s translated and directed of several scenes from Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes. But the venue wasn’t some blackbox theater and the audience wasn’t comprised of typical theatergoers; it was the Marine Corps’ annual Combat Operational Stress conference, in which about 800 top brass gather to talk about how to handle Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the military. Four-star generals sitting down to hear actors from New York read ancient Greek plays? Yep — and they loved it.

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Famously Ugly People in History

Plato once said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” If the internet has proven one thing it is that there is someone out there for everyone. This is a list of 10 people from different parts of history that were also famous for being ugly by their society’s standards. You’ll find philosophers, sideshow freaks, politicians, and even a queen.

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Sometimes a funny face is all you need to start your day.

Although, some would argue, the awesome characters shown on this page are the very reason why portrait photography exists; and why taking pictures of "normal" people is so utterly dull and boring in comparison.

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$920 USD for a bunch of premium grapes in Japan

A bunch of premium grapes were auctioned for 100,000 yen (~US$920) in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, on Monday (August 11). The bunch weighed around 700g and had 35 grapes, which converts to about $26 per grape.

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Google: Japan Gift Fruit to read about this fad.

The Health Benefits of Masturbation

Perhaps the joke’s on us. While people love to make wisecracks about it, few will actually admit to doing “it.”

Yet, according to Martha Cornog, of "The Big Book of Masturbation", self-pleasuring is surely the second most common human sex act. And, despite its torrid history, that’s proving to be a good thing. Turns out this once taboo behavior has plenty of health benefits and can do wonders for your sex life.

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52 Workout Songs To Help You Get Bigger, Stronger, and Faster

It was with this in mind that the 52 best workout songs were selected in an epic exploration of the foot-tapping, guitar-screaming and beat-boxing tracks that have found a welcome home in gyms across America. Most of them famous, some very obscure, but all great songs for running, lifting, spinning and any other workout you can think of.

As for selection criteria one key element stood out from all the rest: tempo. Why? According to experts it is the most important factor in enhancing workout performance because it provides timing and coordination for your movements. Music in the 120-140 beats-per-minute (bpm) range is best for most aerobic exercise because it most closely matches the average person’s heart rate.

Now, Art of Manliness presents the 52 best workout songs for your listening pleasure:

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10 Things 300 Didn’t Tell You

It was, um, a lot of years ago today (480 B.C., to be exact) that King Leonidas and the Spartans were defeated by Xerxes’ army at Thermopylae. Well, that’s according to some accounts. Some historians say that we can’t be sure exactly what day in late summer the Battle of Thermopylae happened, but for our purposes today (namely, a timely Quick 10) we’ll stick with the ones who have agreed on August 11.
10 Things 300 Didn’t Tell You:

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