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"Anyone up for some health-related odds and ends (and whoa, some of them are quite odd) that happened around the world this week? Check out these beauties... * Oh, great: listening to someone&amp;#x27;s sarcastic remarks may make you better able to solve creative problems. Apparently, understanding sarcasm requires us to think with more complexity; once that part of our brain is engaged, we&amp;#x27;re more apt to be creative thinkers. * Colin Firth--of Bridget Jones and The King&amp;#x27;s Speech fame (any other favorites?)--is credited as a co-author on a professional research paper about the human brain. The findings of the paper revealed that &amp;quot;Liberal and Conservative [political] attitudes were associated with thicker areas of parts of the brain.&amp;quot; * Kranium has invented an all-cardboard bike helmet that absorbs more than four times the amount of impact energy than a regular plastic helmet. * Okay, how flexible are you? You can probably touch your toes, do some yoga poses, right? Imagine being bendy enough that you could fold yourself into a small suitcase at the airport in order to steal valuables from travelers&amp;#x27; checked bags, like this guy! * This isn&amp;#x27;t &amp;quot;weird&amp;quot; so much as it is &amp;quot;whoa,&amp;quot; but... a block in East Harlem has become the first smoke-free block in New York, in an effort to do away with secondhand smoke. If residents want to light up, they have to do so 15 feet from their buildings (which basically puts them in the street!). * Would you ever try cicada ice cream? Exactly what it sounds like: ice cream made out of the boiled parts of cicadas (that are later dipped in brown sugar and chocolate). Apparently, people in Columbia, Missouri can&amp;#x27;t get enough of the stuff. * And, just because ending this post on a note about insect ice cream leaves a bad taste in my mouth (heh), have a look at the world&amp;#x27;s first amphibious ice cream truck. It&amp;#x27;ll float icy treats to you if you&amp;#x27;re in a boat or drive them up to you if you&amp;#x27;re on the street. Because you never know when--or where--you&amp;#x27;ll need a popsicle. Are you a sarcastic person? Have you ever eaten bugs? Do you now love Colin Firth for his brain? Share some of your own weird news! More on weird health news and research: * Can Guzzling Cup After Cup of Coffee Make You Hear Things That Aren&amp;#x27;t There? * Does Watching Someone Else Scratch Make You Itch? * Do You Try Supermarket Samples? Here&amp;#x27;s A Nasty Story That&amp;#x27;ll Make You Think Twice About It More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2011/06/the-weeks-weirdest-health-news-5>