You won't catch a cold standing in the rain

London, April 24 : Do men ogle the opposite sex more than women? can we catch a cold by standing out in the rain? Is it possible bacteria in poo could be on your toothbrush? Well these are some of the issues that we are blissfully ignorant about - and now a new book has revealed all the wonderful yet wacky facts about them to enlighten us.

According to Why Is Yawning Contagious? by Francesca Gould, research shows that women ogle more than men. But women have a wider range of peripheral vision, which implies they can look at a larger area than men without making it look obvious.

The book also quashes the commonly believed notion that carrots boost eyesight. It says that the idea originated with a rumour in World War Two. he RAF spread a rumour that pilots had top night vision from eating carrots, but this was a lie to hide the fact that they had airborne radar.

Contrary to the old wives' tale, sitting in a draught does not cause a cold, nor does cold weather, wet hair or standing in the rain, the book says. It explains that the reason we catch more colds in winter is not because of the weather but because we tend to stay indoors, which means we spend more time in close proximity to other people, who transmit cold viruses.

The book also claims that it is very much possible that your poo bacteria could be on your toothbrush. When a person makes poo and then activates the flush, a powerful aerosol spray of droplets may travel up to 20ft, carrying the poo bacteria with it, the book says.

Finally, the book explains the wonderful, intricate practice of contagious yawning. It says that seeing, reading, hearing or thinking about a yawn can make you "do one" and some experts think it evolved as a signal to others to remain alert.

ANI