12 Astonishing Facts Worth Celebrating

There are some facts of life that we all take for granted. Let's take a moment to celebrate them.

1. Babies can recognize their mom's voice from the womb.

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Around the seventh and eighth month, a baby's heart rate slows down slightly whenever its mother speaks, revealing that mom's voice has a calming effect.

2. Your cells are continually renewing, dying, and being replaced all the time.

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Individual cells have a finite life span; they die off and are immediately replaced with new cells. So, you're basically a new person at any given moment!

3. Astronomers presume that the heart of the Milky Way would taste like raspberries.

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Astronomers discovered a substance called ethyl formate, the chemical responsible for the flavor of raspberries, at the center of our galaxy.

4. Your brain generates enough electricity to power a lightbulb.

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While a single neuron generates only a tiny amount of electricity, all your neurons together can generate enough electricity to power a small light bulb.

5. There are about 275 million stars born per day.

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There are about 100 billion stars being born and dying each year, which corresponds to about 275 million per day in the entire universe!

6. Many animals are monogamous.

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Swans, wolves, penguins, and many other animals mate for life!

7. Dogs can differentiate between twins.

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Specially trained German Shepherds can pick up on scent variations between both identical and non-identical twins.

8. It's possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep without dreams.

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Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur (but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep.

9. Exercise makes you smarter.

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For a period of time after you've exercised, your body produces a chemical that makes your brain more receptive to learning. So if you're stuck on something, go for a run, then take another crack at it!

10. If you spend enough time with someone, their emotions will actually rub off on you.

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This is known as "emotional contagion" and is caused by a network of cells in the brain that make up the Mirror Neuron System. Hang out with happy people, and you'll be happier!

11. Your tastebuds are renewed every 10 days, so you might learn to like new foods someday!

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The tongue is covered with about 9000 tastebuds that help us to detect sweet, salty, bitter or sour flavors, they renew themselves every 10 days to two weeks.

12. When two lovers gaze into each other's eyes, their heart rates sync up.

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When you're in a romantic relationship, your heart beats as fast as your partner's.

Be still our hearts.

Celebrate your loved one by nominating them for the Year of Surprises, and Marriott Rewards might just throw them a surprise party they'll never forget!