25. Our European ancestors were cannibals.
Cannibalism was in fact a fairly common practice in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was all for medical purposes. This practice seems to have begun because Egyptian mummies were believed to have magical curative properties — so they were grounded up and put in several remedies.
Human bone, blood, and fat were all used in medical concoctions as the idea evolved. The remedy for a headache was actually a tea made out of a crushed skull. Although medical cannibalism has decreased in recent years, modern medicine often uses one human body to heal another in the form of blood donations, organ transplants, and skin grafts.
26. Dogs actually understand some English.
Some owners of disobedient dogs may have a problem accepting this, but dogs can learn to understand a vocabulary of about 165 words. It is already known that dogs respond best to short words, as well as hard-consonant words like “t” or “r,” which could explain why they can hear “treat” from three rooms away.
If you want to try to expand the vocabulary of your dog, be consistent — for example, always call a meal “dinner” instead of breakfast, lunch, or supper. And don’t believe the myth: Old dogs can learn new tricks (in the form of words) just as well as young dogs.
