A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian. 高处落下的一分硬币可致人死亡

        A penny isn't the most aerodynamic of weapons. A combination of its shape and wind friction¹ means that, tossed even from the 1,250-foot Empire State Building, it would travel fast enough merely to sting an unlucky pedestrian.

　　从高处落下的一分硬币并非最能体现空气动力学的武器。将硬币的形状和下落时的空气摩擦力结合起来考虑，即使从1250英尺(约合375米)高的纽约帝国大厦上扔下一枚硬币，它所带来的快速冲击力仅仅是让一个不幸的过路者感到一阵刺痛而已。

        Chicken soup can cure the common cold. 喝鸡汤能治感冒

        Cure is a strong word, but science suggests Moms around the world are still right in forcing spoonfuls of chicken soup down their kids' throats. Studies have found that the broth² actually contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce congestion³.

　　相关研究已证实，鸡汤中确实含有某些抗炎成分，能有助于减少因感冒引起的喉咙充血。因此，世界范围内的妈妈们在孩子感冒不舒服时，还是应该强迫他们喝下对身体有益的鸡汤。

        Hair and fingernails continue growing after death. 人死后指甲和头发会继续生长

        Though hair and fingernails appear to keep growing after death, this is merely a morbid⁴ optical illusion at work. In death the human body dehydrates severely⁵, retracting⁶ enough skin to expose more nail and hair.

　　尽管看起来确实如此，人死后他们的手指甲和头发反而更长了，但这种恐怖的现象仅仅是种错觉而已。要知道，人死后尸体会严重脱水，皮肤发生收缩后，就会露出更多的指甲和头发。

        Yawning is "contagious⁷". 打哈欠会传染

        Empirically, this is tough to deny; perhaps you'll yawn while reading this. The real question is whether there's actually something physiological⁸ at work here, and the answer is likely yes: even chimpanzees mimic⁹ each other's yawns.

　　几乎我们每个人都遇到过“打哈欠被传染”的情况，因此从经验上来讲，我们很难否认这种说法。真正的问题在于，这其中究竟有没有什么生理学上的依据在起作用，而答案很可能是肯定的。科学家发现，就连黑猩猩之间，打哈欠也是会相互传染的。