1. Not Blink for 30 Seconds
Sounds easy, right? Just keep your eyes open and don’t blink. But after a few seconds, it feels like a sandstorm hit your face. Your eyes start to burn, your eyelids tremble, and before you know it, you’re blinking uncontrollably. If you manage to pull this off, congratulations! You’re either a cyborg or a superhero laughing at this challenge right now.
2. Tickle Yourself
Tickling is simple, isn’t it? Just run your fingers along your ribs, and the giggles will follow. Wrong. Your brain knows it’s your hand doing the work and immediately disables the “fun” response. While others may laugh uncontrollably, you’ll be left stone-faced. Clever evolution, but a bit dull, don’t you think?
3. Breathe While Swallowing
Think you can multitask? Not when it comes to breathing and swallowing at the same time. Your epiglottis blocks your airway during swallowing to prevent choking (a feature we can all appreciate). Go ahead and give it a try—just not with a mouthful of water unless you want to clean up a mess.
4. Stop an Earworm by “Not Thinking About It”
Is “Last Christmas” still playing on repeat in your head? The more you try to push it out, the louder it gets. And just when you think you’ve conquered it, it reappears in the supermarket. Scientists call earworms “mental itches” that you can’t quite scratch. If you’re feeling adventurous, here’s a playlist of persistent songs to test your resilience:
- “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen
- “Barbie Girl” by Aqua
- “YMCA” by the Village People
- “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex
- “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
5. Do Two Completely Different Movements Simultaneously
Try drawing a circle with one hand while tracing a triangle with the other. Sounds like child’s play, but your brain will either laugh at you or force you into a zigzag mess. It hates unrelated multitasking. Want to improve? Learning a musical instrument might help.
6. Move Your Eyebrows Independently
You’ve seen those effortlessly cool people who can raise one eyebrow while keeping the other still. For most of us, though, our facial muscles work as a team—not a Hollywood stunt crew. If you can do it, congratulations, Spock! For everyone else, practice makes perfect… maybe.
How Many Did You Try?
Let’s be honest: How many of these challenges did you attempt while reading this? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. Most people have tried licking their elbows or desperately attempted to move their eyebrows independently at least once. And if you actually succeeded at any of these, we’d love to see it—the world needs your talents!
