There are seven humans who have 'real life superpowers' scientists can't explain
While 'superpowers' might be the stuff of fantasy, there are seven people whose remarkable abilities have left scientists baffled.
They might not be the stuff of Superman, but they are far beyond what any regular person would be able to do.
These seven people have strange and remarkable capabilities in a variety of different ways.
It's not clear exactly how they got their abilities, whether through genetics, practice, force of will, or a combination of all three.
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But there's no denying that they're simply remarkable.
Prahlad Jani
Prahlad Jani was also known as Mataji and Chunriwala Majaji and was a breatharian monk from India who lived between 1929 and 2020.
Prahlad claimed to be able to live without food or water, saying that the Hindu goddess Amba sustained him.
Two tests carried out on the monk, one in 2003 for 10 days and another in 2010 for 15 days, found that he did not consume any food or water or go to the bathroom during the test periods.
Nonetheless, some doctors expressed scepticism about the tests, pointing out there is a big difference between not eating for days and not eating for years.
Wim Hof
Wim Hof was also known as 'The Iceman', and not in a Walter White way, but in that he can withstand freezing temperatures for a very long time.
In 2000 Hof, 64, set a Guinness World Record for the longest swim under ice, as well as one for the longest time to have full body contact with ice.
This was for an extraordinary 44 minutes, while many of us run screaming at even a cold shower.
Not only can he withstand the cold, but Hof can also avoid getting sick after being exposed to the cold for such long periods.
In 2011 Dr Peter Pickkers wrote that 'through his meditation technique' Hof's inflammatory cells have 'been suppressed more than 1/3 to a half compared to normal subjects'.
Needless to say, don't attempt Hof's feats yourself.
Natasha Demkina
Natasha Demkina has a rather different ability to withstanding hunger or cold.
Instead, the 37-year-old claims to be able to see inside people's bodies.
This means that she can allegedly find any problems with organs or tissues in someone.
The unusual claim led to Natasha being given the moniker the 'girl with X-ray eyes'.
There were of course tests to see if she could actually do what she claimed, and in January 2004 she identified the source of a sore ankle on UK daytime TV show This Morning.
In 2005 she found four out of seven medical diagnoses when CSI researchers investigated her.
But the four out of seven score led some scientists to think that she didn't actually have abilities, as that's low enough to be from blind luck.
There were also some issues then she misidentified some issues with This Morning's Chris Steele including kidney stones, pancreas, and stomach.
David Browning Smith
David Smith is 44 years old and has been called 'the most flexible man on the planet' and 'Rubberboy'.
His contortion abilities have earned him no fewer than seven Guinness World Records for his remarkable feats.
In the case of David, his 'superpower' has been explained by doctors, who diagnosed him with a genetic condition hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
This can result in increased joint mobility as the condition affects connective tissue.
However, while in David's case it provided hypermobility, it can also cause severe chronic joint pain, thin stretchy skin, and problems with internal organs.
Stephen Wiltshire
Architectural artist from Britain Stephen Wiltshire has an incredibly accurate photographic memory.
This means that he can recreate an entire building or even cityscape near perfectly after being able to see it just once.
Ben Underwood
As a young boy Underwood was diagnosed with a form of cancer called retinoblastoma cancer, meaning that he had to have his eyes removed.
When he was seven years old he claimed that by clicking his tongue he could 'see' the world like a dolphin.
It is theoretically possible for humans to learn echolocation, but Underwood was considered to be particularly good at it.
Tragically however, Underwood died aged just 16 when his cancer came back.
Ngoc Thai
Vietnamese farmer Ngoc Thai claims that he hasn't slept at all since 1973.
The 81-year-old reported that he just felt a bit 'grumpy' after going for decades without getting any sleep whatsoever, Giao Duc Thoi Dai reports.
Some people have a condition where they are incapable of sleeping, and die as a result, but Thai claims to have survived for years.
That said, the case has not been thoroughly studied, so who knows how he manages to stay awake without even so much as a power nap.
Topics: Science, World News
Kit Roberts