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The human body is constantly working to maintain a healthy internal temperature, roughly 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. When you get hot, regulating body temperature is a relatively simple fix: You sweat, the sweat evaporates, and your body cools down. But the opposite problem, holding onto heat when it’s cold out, isn’t as straightforward.

Humans lose body heat in several ways. The majority is lost through radiation as heat naturally escapes into the surrounding air. Conduction and convection — when skin comes in contact with a cold surface or when wind moves warmth away from the body — can speed the process up as well. 

Even evaporation plays a role: Sweat or damp clothing can cause heat loss surprisingly quickly. When all this adds up, your body temperature can start to fall, and when it does, a series of wondrous physical responses kick into gear to keep you warm. Here are a few surprising ways cold can affect your body.

Involuntary Muscle Contractions

We all know the feeling: You’re cold, your teeth start chattering, and your whole body seems to shake in mini convulsions. But shivering isn’t just a side effect of being cold — it’s actually the body going on high alert. 

Shivering is a controlled energy-burning response. Small muscle contractions, an action that burns chemical energy, occur quickly and automatically. While some of that energy is channeled into movement, most of it is released as heat, warming the body from the inside out in an attempt to keep that core temperature where it should be.

The body’s brown fat kicks into gear when you get cold, too. Also known as brown adipose tissue, this special fat stores and burns small amounts of energy to help maintain body temperature, a process that ramps up when body temperature drops.

Though present in the largest amounts in babies — up to 5% of their body weight can be brown fat — adults also retain small amounts throughout the body, including in the neck, chest cavity, and along the spine. Brown fat activation and shivering are part of the body’s thermogenic response — basically an internal thermostat that kicks in when the temp drops.

Weakened Immune System

Though frigid temperatures themselves aren’t a cause of illness, being cold can make you more susceptible to getting sick. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, cold weather forces the body to work harder to maintain core temperature, which can cause your immune defenses to temporarily weaken. And a weakened immune system, of course, means viruses and bacteria have an easier time taking hold, resulting in a bit of a snowball effect — pun intended.

Cold, dry air can also strip moisture from the mucous membranes lining the nose, mouth, and throat, weakening your first line of defense against germs. At the same time, the tiny, hair-like structures known as cilia in the upper respiratory tract don’t move as efficiently in the cold, allowing viruses to inhabit the nose and throat for longer. 

Another surprising culprit? Spending more time indoors. Respiratory droplets from talking, coughing, or sneezing are smaller and lighter without humidity, which is often sapped out of indoor spaces during furnace season. This means those pesky droplets overstay their welcome, lingering in the air longer and allowing viruses to travel farther and find more unsuspecting victims.

Blood Moving to Your Core

One of the first parts of your body to get cold in chilly weather is your hands — and that’s no coincidence. As the body cools down, blood vessels near the skin’s surface constrict, pulling blood away from extremities such as the fingers, toes, ears, or nose. A lack of blood flow can even make your lips turn blue when you’re cold.

This is the body’s way of redirecting blood flow to the core and the vital organs in your core. But that protective response also forces the heart to pump against more resistance, raising blood pressure and heart rate. If you’re vulnerable to heart problems, it’s advised not to shovel or perform strenuous activities in cold weather.

A Purposefully Runny Nose

Having a runny nose when it’s cold outside isn’t exactly a surprise, but the reason it happens might be. Known as cold-induced rhinorrhea, a sudden surge of nasal fluid when body temperature drops is actually a sign of your body working to protect your lungs. 

The cold, dry air you breathe in needs to be warmed and humidified before it reaches the lungs, so the nose’s blood vessels and glands ramp up blood flow and fluid production to help make that happen. The nasal glands also produce excess mucus to keep the inside of the noise moist and reduce irritation. 

When you exhale, the warm, moist air from your lungs meets the cold air outside. As the condensation of that breath hits the cold tip of your nose, more moisture forms, causing additional cold-weather drippage.  

Sneaky Hypothermia

It’s common knowledge that cold can induce hypothermia, but it doesn’t only happen when temperatures plunge. Hypothermia can also strike in the spring and fall, when temps are relatively mild. A combination of factors can contribute to the body cooling down too quickly even when it’s not freezing out, including: wind, damp clothing, and rain, which can all draw heat away from the body faster than it can be regenerated.

Hypothermia begins when the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can wreak quite a bit of havoc. Mild symptoms include shivering and chattering teeth, poor coordination, and sleepiness. 

As the body’s temperature falls and hypothermia progresses, more severe — and surprising — symptoms set in, including hallucinations, slurred speech, and, oddly enough, a decrease in shivering. Without treatment, hypothermia can slow vital organ function to a life-threatening point.

To stay as warm and safe as possible, whether it’s cold or just wet and windy outside, it’s best to dress in layers that balance insulation and ventilation and to keep your head, hands, and feet covered. On the days you happen to forget your gloves at home, take comfort in the fact that, luckily, your body has a few surprising ways to help pick up the slack.

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We often think about our physical peak — the years when we can run fastest, stay up late without consequence, or bounce back from a pulled muscle overnight. But the brain’s peak isn’t quite so easy to pin down. 

Mental performance involves many abilities, including how quickly we process information, how well we remember facts, how creatively we solve problems, and how deeply we draw on experience and judgment. The question of when the brain is at its best depends on which ability we’re talking about — and how we define “best.”

For decades, scientists assumed that mental capacity increased through adolescence, hit a high point in the 20s, and then declined steadily. But more recent research has overturned that long-held view. Our brains develop, plateau, and adapt in complex ways over their lifespans, with different skills rising and falling on their own schedules. Processing speed, memory, vocabulary, reasoning, and emotional intelligence all follow distinct arcs — and can peak at different times in our lives

The brain is far more dynamic than we once believed. It remodels itself constantly, responding to how we live, what we learn, and how we connect. Some kinds of quick thinking may slow with time, but deeper forms of intelligence — such as judgment, emotional regulation, and creativity — continue to grow as the decades stretch on.

The Long Climb to Maturity

When we talk about mental agility — how quickly we can reason, adapt, or learn new information — we’re referring to fluid intelligence. This ability underpins problem-solving, pattern recognition, and the capacity to think on our feet. Research suggests that fluid intelligence peaks relatively early, often in the late teens to early 20s for processing speed, while some aspects of fluid reasoning and short-term memory may continue to improve into the late 20s or early 30s. 

That early advantage has biological roots. During adolescence and young adulthood, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning and increased myelination, refining connections and optimizing speed. 

Importantly, the prefrontal cortex — responsible for planning, impulse control, and decision‑making — continues to mature into the mid‑20s and early 30s. As a result, adults entering their 30s are often better equipped to manage complex tasks, set long‑term goals, and regulate emotions than they were just a decade earlier. In other words, younger brains may process information faster, but older brains often make better choices.

So if “peak” brain function means raw speed, that typically occurs in our youth. But if it means the integration of knowledge, empathy, and problem-solving — the ability to balance logic with perspective — the real peak likely comes later, in our 50s, 60s, or beyond.

The Rise of Knowledge and Judgment

If fluid intelligence gives us speed, crystallized intelligence provides depth. This form of intelligence reflects our accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, and experience-based understanding — and it tends to increase for decades.

Studies have shown that adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s continue to expand their vocabularies and refine their decision-making skills. In fact, when researchers combined reasoning, verbal ability, emotional understanding, and moral insight into a composite measure of cognition, they found that the average mental “peak” occurred between ages 55 and 60.

Experience strengthens connections between brain regions, allowing older adults to integrate information more effectively. Tasks that rely on judgment and perspective — managing a team, interpreting social cues, or solving nuanced problems — often favor those with years of lived experience. Research has also found that older adults are less likely to make impulsive decisions or fall prey to cognitive biases such as overconfidence thanks to a lifetime of trial and reflection.

Different Peaks for Different Skills

A 2015 study based on data from about 48,000 participants found that different mental abilities peak at different ages, rather than all at once. Processing speed tends to reach its height in the late teens or early 20s, while short-term and working memory often top out in the late 20s to early 30s. Vocabulary and other knowledge-based skills, however, continue to improve well into middle age, with some measures peaking in the late 60s or even early 70s.

This variation reflects the brain’s adaptability. Younger adults excel at rapidly learning new skills, while older adults draw on broader context and emotional insight. For example, a 25-year-old may be able to master a new app more quickly, but a 60-year-old may approach a difficult decision with deeper understanding and better judgment.

Brain imaging studies have shown that as people age, the two hemispheres of the brain tend to work together more frequently — a phenomenon captured by the HAROLD model (hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults). Younger adults usually rely more on one hemisphere for specific tasks (for example, left for language and right for spatial reasoning), while older adults often use both sides. Researchers believe that this shift helps compensate for slower processing speed and declining neural efficiency, allowing older adults to maintain cognitive performance.

Emotionally, the brain often gains ground as it matures. Research shows that the amygdala — which helps process fear and negative emotions — tends to respond less strongly to negative stimuli in older adults, while the prefrontal cortex engages more strategically to regulate emotions. The result is often a calmer, more balanced emotional state. 

Many adults in midlife report experiencing fewer negative emotional swings and the ability to focus more on meaningful goals, which can support clearer thinking and more thoughtful decision-making.

Keeping the Brain at Its Best

While some cognitive changes are inevitable with age, lifestyle plays a major role in maintaining brain health. Physical activity is one of the strongest predictors of long‑term cognitive function: Regular aerobic exercise, even brisk walking, boosts blood flow to the brain, stimulates the growth of new neurons, and supports the hippocampus, a key region for memory.

Nutrition and mental engagement also matter. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and healthy fats are linked to slower cognitive decline, with omega‑3 fatty acids in particular supporting neuron health and reducing inflammation. Learning new skills, tackling puzzles, exploring hobbies, or practicing music and languages stimulates neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form and strengthen connections — and is linked with reduced risk of cognitive decline.

Social and emotional factors further protect cognition. Maintaining strong relationships and a high level of community involvement counteracts loneliness, which is associated with faster cognitive decline and higher dementia risk. Adequate sleep allows the brain to clear waste proteins that can impair cognition, while managing stress through meditation, yoga, or quiet reflection helps preserve neurons and supports long‑term mental resilience.

At the end of the day, rather than asking when the brain peaks, it may be more accurate to ask which kind of intelligence we’re measuring and how we’re nurturing it. After all, the brain’s greatest strength may not be its speed but rather its remarkable ability to evolve throughout our lifetimes.

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Most of us are familiar with that tingling sensation caused by tiny bumps rising across the skin in a phenomenon we call “goosebumps,” inspired by the texture of a plucked goose. You may also call those bumps gooseflesh, goose pimples, or chill bumps, and they usually appear as a built-in physical response to temperature change when the air turns cold or a sudden draft brushes the skin.

But cold isn’t the only thing that can make your skin prickle. Goosebumps can rise when you’re overwhelmed by emotion, regardless of the temperature. So why do we get goosebumps? The answer reveals a fascinating connection between our physical and emotional selves.

What Causes Goosebumps?

When you get goosebumps, what’s happening on a biological level is something called piloerection. Tiny muscles called arrector pili contract at the base of each hair follicle, making the hair stand up and the skin appear bumpy. In mammals with fur, raising the hair traps air and adds insulation. We humans, who lack a natural thick fur coat, still experience the effect even though it no longer provides much functional benefit.

When goosebumps occur in response to something other than cold — such as sudden fear, surprise, or awe — they reflect activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the same system that triggers the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus can signal this system when strong emotions arise, prompting the arrector pili muscles to contract even without a change in temperature.

Evolutionary psychologists suggest this reaction may be left over from a time when raising body hair helped our ancestors appear larger to predators or stay warmer in cold environments. Recent research also shows that the nerves involved connect to hair follicle stem cells, suggesting the reflex may still play subtle roles in hair growth and skin repair.

And goosebumps don’t just appear in moments of fear or awe, either. Some people get them during moments of intense concentration, pride, sudden nostalgia, or even sexual or spiritual experiences. 

Music Can Cause Your Brain To “Shiver”

One of the most studied triggers of goosebumps beyond cold is music and other forms of fine arts. This phenomenon is known as frisson, a French word meaning “shiver.” Also called aesthetic chills or psychogenic shivers, frisson occurs when sound or emotion, rather than temperature, produces a sudden wave of shivering or goosebumps. During those moments, the brain engages a network connecting emotion, reward, and anticipation.

Brain imaging studies show that frisson involves areas linked to pleasure, motivation, and expectation. Dopamine — the neurotransmitter associated with reward and euphoria — is released during intensely pleasurable moments. In some studies, this surge occurs just before the emotional “peak” in a song, suggesting anticipation itself contributes to the thrill.

Emotion and Memory Are a Powerful Combo

 The auditory cortex — the brain region responsible for processing sound — is functionally connected with emotional and memory-related regions, such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. That helps explain why frisson often feels both physical and nostalgic — it connects what we hear with memories and emotions we’ve experienced. 

Research suggests that certain musical features are especially apt to trigger that response, including sudden changes in loudness, unexpected harmonies or key shifts, the entrance of a solo voice or instrument, or the gradual build-and-release of emotional tension as a song reaches its climax.

Demonstrating the range of music that can cause frisson, neuroscientists have curated a 715-song playlist of music reported to trigger the reaction. It includes classical works by Beethoven and Mozart alongside contemporary songs including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” and Sia’s “Chandelier.” 

The experience isn’t limited to recorded music, either. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a reading of Mary Oliver’s poetry, and iconic scenes from Star Wars have all been reported to inspire that wave of chills, as have emotionally charged live performances in symphony halls and packed arenas.

Not Everyone Feels Frisson 

 Studies estimate that between 50% and 66% of people experience chills or goosebumps from music. People who show stronger connections between the auditory cortex and the emotional centers of the brain tend to be more open to experience — a personality trait linked to imagination, curiosity, and emotional sensitivity.

People who don’t get chills aren’t less empathetic or less capable of being moved; their brains may simply process auditory and emotional input differently. Some researchers even speculate that frisson relates to predictive coding — the brain’s ability to anticipate what comes next — and the pleasure that comes when those expectations are subverted in a satisfying way.

How Frisson Is Related to ASMR

Some scientists have compared frisson to a related phenomenon known as autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. Both involve tingling sensations that spread across the scalp or down the spine, and both can cause goosebumps in some people. However, they arise from different triggers and emotions. 

ASMR is usually brought on by soft, subtle sounds such as whispering or tapping, and tends to feel calming and relaxing. Frisson, on the other hand, is sparked by emotionally powerful stimuli — think a musical crescendo or a moving scene — and feels thrilling or awe-inspiring. Some people experience both sensations, while others feel only one or neither.

Ultimately, goosebumps are a small but fascinating glimpse into how emotion and biology intertwine. They remind us that we’re wired to feel as deeply as we think about the world around us, and those fleeting shivers are one of the simplest and most mysterious ways the human brain responds to anticipation and wonder.

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Inventions such as the lightbulb and telephone are so commonplace today it’s hard to imagine what life was like without them, and there are some recent innovations that future generations may think about the same way. Look no further than TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2025,” which gives a glimpse into the future with entries such as a household robot that can do laundry and autonomous big rigs. 

The list also includes plenty of more compact and affordable concepts that would make excellent gifts this holiday season. Here’s a look at eight of the most giftable inventions of 2025.

Lotus Ring

The Lotus ring is an ingenious product intended to make life easier for people with accessibility concerns. Designed by former Apple engineer Dhaval Patel, it allows users to toggle power switches on and off from up to 30 feet away. You don’t even need to stand up; all you have to do is point in the direction of the switch and press a button.

Lotus rings slide onto your pointer finger just like any typical ring, and they don’t require Wi-Fi or any complicated technical setup. The only additional step is to place specially designed magnetized covers onto any standard wall switch — the ones that control overhead lighting, power up fans, etc. Once those covers are in place, point your finger toward the switch and press the small button on the ring, which emits an infrared signal to flip the switch. 

Imagine lying in bed and darkening the room without getting up or turning the lights off for movie night while sitting on the couch. If you know someone who would love that idea, order here to try out a Lotus ring for 45 days with a money-back guarantee.

Shark CryoGlow Face Mask

Skincare can require a lot of trial and error to figure out which products work best for you. But SharkNinja’s new CryoGlow LED face mask is among the most innovative skincare products worth considering, thanks to a new cooling feature that reduces puffiness. 

Developed under the guidance of dermatologists, these masks use high-energy LEDs and infrared lighting to stimulate collagen production and kill bacteria. While that feature is common in other face masks, it’s the cooling plates that distinguishes this mask from others on the market. These cold metallic plates gently rest against your face to reduce redness and puffiness. 

You can select from a variety of treatments such as a 6-minute red light treatment meant to firm sagging skin, an 8-minute blue light program that targets acne, or a 15-minute treatment that cools and soothes the areas under your eyes. Purchase a CryoGlow face mask here to treat your loved ones to the gift of high-tech skincare.

Crowd Compass

While our cellphones have location features that can be shared with others, it can be difficult to find people in large crowds when the cell service gets throttled. That’s precisely what happened to inventor Chris Dimoff when attending a musical festival, inspiring him to invent the first battery-powered, water-resistant, GPS device that uses radio waves to connect with your crew.

Know as the Crowd Compass, this handheld device doesn’t require any network to use, and pairs with an unlimited number of devices. Its built-in screen allows users to see exactly where others are in relation to them, and allows for direct messaging over radio networks. The device is water-resistant, battery-powered, and holds a charge for up to 24 hours.

Not only is the Crowd Compass ideal for attending major events or busy places with friends and family, but it’s also useful for first responders such as EMTs who need to maintain communication with or without cell service in emergency situations. Get the Crowd Compass here and never worry about being separated from your friends or family again.

Camp Snap

Cellphones can be a major distraction, which is why parents often limit their children’s usage and many schools have banned the devices altogether. But in taking away a kid’s phone, you’re also hindering their ability to capture photographic memories. Enter the Camp Snap, a clever solution that looks like an old-school disposable camera.

But what makes Camp Snap so ingenious is that it’s actually a digital camera without any screen, so you can give it to your children without worrying about their screen time. It’s the first product of its kind capable of holding hundreds of photos (up to 500 images can be taken with each charge) that can be easily downloaded to any device afterward.

It’s perfect for sending with your kid to school or summer camp (hence the name), so they can capture memories while staying off their phone. You can order one here, and explore Camp Snap’s other options such as a screen-free digital video camera.

VASA Waterwheel Pet Fountain

A common problem with pet fountains is they’re hard to clean and are often full of stagnant water that becomes a breeding ground for germs. VASA Pet set out to solve this problem with a drinking fountain featuring an innovative waterwheel instead of a pump to keep water moving, which helps prevent bacteria from forming.

The rotating wheel is  dishwasher safe and designed to be easy to clean. And this fountain doesn’t have any complex parts or motors, so you can break it down and reassemble it in seconds. 

The company claims the machine’s wheel sanitizes the water so it’s 99.999% germ free, which makes the fountain especially suitable for senior animals, diabetic pets, or any other furry friends who may be more at risk by drinking contaminated water. Grab a VASA waterwheel fountain here as a gift for the pet lover in your life — their fur babies will undoubtedly thank you.

Manta Sound Sleep Mask

Manta Sleep has always been at the forefront of designing products to help you achieve the shuteye you deserve, but its new eyemask might be its best invention yet. Much like other high-quality sleep masks, the product is designed to fully black out light and is also side-sleeper friendly so you won’t feel any discomfort. But what makes this product extra special are the two Bluetooth speakers built into the ears, which lull the user to sleep with music, white noise, podcasts, or whatever they choose to listen to.

According to Manta co-founder and head of design Ben Schwarz, you won’t feel any discomfort when wearing the mask, as “it’s a very thin speaker component embedded in a foam sandwich.” So block out the bright lights and obscure any loud noises that may be keeping you awake at night, and purchase a Manta Sound Sleep Mask for a friend or loved one here.

Aura Aspen Digital Photo Frame

How do you pick just one memory to print out and frame at home? With so many photos in your phone’s camera roll, it seems impossible to choose. But thanks to Aura Frames’ new edition of the Aspen digital frame, you can have them all in the same resolution as seen on your cell phone and minus any glare. The unique frame features a slim design (just 1.1-inch wide), an anti-glare matte screen, and the ability to display in either portrait or landscape mode.

Aura Frames, which was founded by former Twitter chief scientist Abdur Chowdhury, unveiled its first digital picture frames back in 2012. This new model is designed to have the exact same aspect ratio as smartphone cameras, making it the perfect way to display any of your photos in their original form.

This 12-inch frame comes with a high-definition, anti-glare display and takes just a minute to set up and pair with your device. The frame cycles through any photos you choose to add and can even play up to 30 seconds of video with sound as well as live photos from any Apple iOS device. 

Additional features include adding captions for context, scanning old printed photos of loved ones from pre-smartphone times, and adjusting the brightness so the photos come through as vividly as you’d like. For the photo-lovers in your life, grab an Aspen digital frame from Aura here.

Aurzen Ultra Portable Projector

Portability is a must-have in the modern world. Thanks to Aurzen, we now have a patented Z-shaped projector that folds down to half the size of a cellphone with a unique design that enables it to broadcast both horizontal and vertical video. Despite its small size, it still blasts images in 720p resolution, meaning the picture comes through in crystal-clear HD quality.

When you think of projectors, you probably think of those bulky machines used in school classrooms with a mess of tangled wires. But Aurzen’s ZIP Tri-Fold Portable Mini Projector is just an inch high when folded, making it smaller than the average wallet. There are also no wires or any complicated setup, meaning the projector is ready to use in seconds.

Set it upright to broadcast movies horizontally or turn the device onto its side to watch any vertical social media-style videos. You don’t even need Wi-Fi, allowing you to set it up even if you’re on a camping trip in the middle of the woods. Aurzen claims it to be the smallest foldable mini projector ever and the world’s first with a tri-fold design, and it can be yours by clicking here.