MEMORY CHAMPIONSHIP _ The 27th USA Memory Championship is back this week, with brainy competitors from across the country gearing up to prove they’ve got the sharpest minds in America. On Saturday (July 18) challengers will face off online in a high-pressure virtual qualifier, racing through five classic memory events using a digital platform built for mental athletes. Any U.S. resident 13 or older can register, log on from a laptop, and test themselves against the nation’s best. (LINK) From there, the top performers will earn a coveted spot in the in‑person finals on August 29, where they’ll battle it out under bright lights in dramatic, game‑show‑style events like “Words to Remember” and “Three Strikes You’re Out.”
WHAT’S A WEIRD PHOBIA YOU HAVE? What the internet said:
• I hate balloons popping.
• Having my belly button touched.
• Sidewalk grates.
• People in giant mascot suits.
• Silverware accidentally tapping my teeth while I’m eating.
• Opening a can of biscuits.
• Driving on bridges.
• Horses. Those big eyes freak me out.
AVOID A HEART ATTACK: DON’T WAKE UP _ Want to avoid a heart attack? Just stay asleep. That’s basically the conclusion of a Harvard Heart Letter. According to LiveScience.com, anger really can trigger a heart attack. And so can getting sick, being too hot, being too cold, air pollution, lack of sleep, grief, overeating, natural disasters, exercise and sex. In fact, simply waking up is the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to avoid a heart attack. Heart attacks, strokes and cardiac arrests seem to come out of the blue, but actually most occur upon waking up in the morning.
