7 Weird Things Your Body Can Predict, According To Science

Your aching joints may be able to predict the weather. "People who have suffered longstanding joint injuries will often say the can 'feel' that it's going to rain," Dr. Thanu Jey, clinic director at Yorkville Sports Medicine Clinic, tells Bustle. "This can be explained by the structure of your joint itself." Most joints are basically an enclosed capsule with fluid and air inside. The pressure within the joint is different from the pressure outside, so your achy joints can "feel" the barometric pressure changes in the weather before it actually begins to rain or snow, he says. For some people, a change in barometric pressure can also lead to migraines.

Many people can predict danger or sense when something is off. "It activates the sympathetic nervous system's fight or flight response," Dr. Catherine Jackson, licensed psychologist and board certified neurotherapist, tells Bustle. "The stress levels are raised to get you to act, so you either run or leave (flight) or stay and tough it out (fight)." Either way, our bodies are in "high alert" until the perceived danger goes away.

If you're looking for your soulmate, your body has a way of knowing who's right for you or not. "The human body can pick up on signals which can indicate compatibility with a partner," Samantha Morrison, health and wellness expert for Glacier Wellness, tells Bustle. For instance, a 2013 Oxford University study found that kissing can help you determine if someone is for you. Without really thinking about it, your body assesses your partner through their taste and smell. You subconsciously pick up on biological cues for their genetic fitness and compatibility.

A 2019 study published in the Harvard Business Review found that the human body can predict if content will go viral. Researchers conducted a study of 22 people using their Galvanic skin response (GSR), which measures the skin's resistance to mild electrical current. This is important because GSR measures emotional arousal, which is important in determining which type of content goes viral. Researchers showed participants examples of a company's most successful marketing campaigns and their low-performing ones. They found that people had greater Galvanic skin responses to campaigns that went viral, regardless of whether a participant actually said they liked the campaign or not. So if you're looking to make something go viral, make sure it evokes feelings.

You may not be able to "see" into the future in the way that maybe a psychic would. But as a 2017 study published in the journal Nature Communications found, the human brain is constantly predicting events. For instance, if you're walking down the street and you see a kid on their bike speeding towards you, you may immediately brace yourself for impact. Your reaction is a result of your brain predicting what's about to happen. As researchers found, the brain can predict motion by filling in the blanks and playing a situation out at twice the rate of the actual event. So it happens without you realizing it.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, your body can tell you that spring is coming even before it officially begins. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, mild winters can cause an early release of pollens. Once you're exposed to pollens, your body will react even if the weather is still fairly cool.

A 2019 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found a link between a poor sense of smell and mortality. Researchers from Michigan State University analyzed data of over 2000 older adults, between the ages of 71 and 82. As part of the study, participants were asked to identify 12 common scents such as cinnamon, gasoline, and smoke. Researchers then tracked each participants over the course of 13 years. As they found, people who identified less than eight different smells were 46 percent more likely to die 10 years laetr. So researchers concluded that a poorer sense of smell could predict death. The reason behind why isn't too clear. But researchers believe dementia, Parkinson's disease and weight loss may contribute to it.

The human body can do some pretty incredible things. It may not be able to predict who you'll get married to or the exact moment you're going to die, but it can still predict some pretty interesting stuff.