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How a Venus flytrap counts to five without a brain A Venus flytrap ignores the first touch. Brush one of its trigger hairs and nothing happens; brush a second within about half a minute and the jaws slam shut… Biology5 min read Chilli isn't hot: capsaicin trips the heat alarm on your tongue A chilli is exactly as warm as the room. There is no heat in it at all. The burn comes from capsaicin, a molecule that pries open TRPV1, the gate in your… Food Science5 min read Why one more candle lights a dark room but vanishes in a bright one Add one candle to a dark room and everything changes. Add one to a room with a hundred and nobody notices. Your senses don't measure differences in amounts… Mind5 min read Why you can't tickle yourself (and how a robot can fix that) Every time you move, your brain keeps a copy of the command and uses it to predict what you're about to feel. Sensations that match the prediction get turned… Mind6 min read