- [Narrator] Despite so many
superhero movies nowadays, superpowers aren't just
a creation of Hollywood. Real people from all over the world have astounding abilities
and bizarre mutations that honestly seem like
the stuff of comic books. From the woman with eyes
as powerful as binoculars, to the people who remember everything, here are some incredible
people with real superpowers. The Ice Man. Have you ever thought climbing Mt. Everest would be so much cooler without clothes? No? Well, Wim Hof, a man who is
practically immune to the cold, clearly has, when he scaled
23,600 feet up Everest in 2007 wearing nothing but shorts and shoes. He's also completed a half-marathon barefoot in ice and snow,
swam 188 feet under ice, and has casually set more than 20 other world records for similar feats. Some of the temperatures
Wim Hof subjects himself to would be enough to kill a normal person. But Hof is able to consciously
raise his body temperature through a strict regiment of meditation, breathing exercises, and practice. As crazy as it all sounds, Hof's abilities have been
verified by scientists who found he was genuinely able to alter his physiology using his mind. He was found to be able
to not only regulate his own temperature, but to trigger the release of euphoria-causing hormones in his brain, serving as natural painkillers. With this combination,
and repeated exposure, he can avoid succumbing
to the extreme cold he puts himself through. But this astounding ability
is not unique to Hof. A 1982 study investigated
how Tibetan monks practicing g-tummo yoga are able to learn to raise their body
temperature with their minds. While the precise biological methods behind this phenomenon
are still speculated, the most likely explanation
seems to be vasodilation triggered by different types of breathing. Researchers believe that
the monks' breathing, alternating between forceful and gentle, dilates their blood vessels in order to allow more blood
flow throughout their body, raising their temperatures. So, next time you're
feeling a little chilly, take a few deep breaths, and you'll be feeling like
a superhero in no time. Smelling Sickness. It may not be the most
glamorous of superpowers, but Joy Milne possesses the unique ability to smell Parkinson's disease. She discovered her ability
to detect the condition, which gradually degrades the
sufferers' motor functions, when her husband was diagnosed with it. She'd noticed, in the years
before his official diagnosis, he'd developed a musky smell,
but couldn't understand why. Joy only linked the smell to Parkinson's after meeting others with the disease and noticing the same odor, which no one else could smell. She consulted with scientists, who tested her claimed ability by creating an experiment. The researchers had six
people with Parkinson's and six without wear t-shirts for a day, and then had Joy smell the t-shirts and determine which
people had the condition. Astoundingly, 11 out of her
12 answers were correct, with her one wrong
being from her insisting someone who was disease-free
had the condition. Amazingly, the subject of
the supposedly wrong answer was diagnosed with Parkinson's
eight months later. This not only meant that Joy actually got 12 out of 12, but also suggested that she
could detect the disease earlier than current scientific methods. Researchers theorize
that her ability stems from how Parkinson's may cause a change in the skin of sufferers, producing an odor
undetectable to most people. With Joy's amazing abilities pioneering new understandings about diagnoses, don't be alarmed if, in the future, a trip to the doctor begins with them taking a big ol' sniff. Memory Magic. Kim Peek, the man who
served as inspiration for the movie "Rain Man",
was a living database. His natural gifts for comprehension and memorization of
information and patterns were legitimately superhuman. Thanks to his memorization
of maps, for example, he could provide driving directions between almost any two
cities in the world. With his perfect
memorization of calendars, he could tell anyone what day of the week they were born on from
their birth date alone. Most impressively, he was
able to read both pages of an open book at the same time, giving him the ability to
speed-read at one-page-per-second with a 98% comprehension rate. What makes the story even more incredible is that Peek's IQ only ever tested at 87. Peek was what is known as a megasavant, and like others of this kind, he traded off certain mental,
social, and mobility skills for hyper-boosted skills in other areas. It's thought that his
abilities were due to his brain having language centers, usually only found in the left
hemisphere, on both sides. This, alongside other anomalies in his brain structure, appeared to allow him to absorb and store information with
tremendous speed and efficiency. But superhuman levels of
memory don't always come with the significant
trade-offs Kim Peek suffered. Some people are born with hyperthymesia, a rare condition in which
individuals are able to recall almost every moment
they've ever experienced with high levels of detail and accuracy. While average people only tend to remember emotionally significant events in detail, people with hyperthymesia
remember everything. When asked, they can recall details like the weather or sports results on any specific date they lived through, even if it was decades ago. People with the condition have been noted to possess significantly
larger temporal lobes, the part of the brain
responsible for memory, than most people. But the specifics of their abilities remain largely a mystery, and raise one particularly big question. Do their abilities to retain and recall information like this imply that everyone has
this level of detail stored in memory, but most people simply can't access it? Only time and further study of these amazing humans will tell. Human Camera. British artist and autistic
savant Stephen Wiltshire possesses the mind-blowing ability to look at any city or
landscape a single time and draw it out perfectly from memory. Not only does he remember
the specific details of the landscapes, but he also draws them
almost perfectly to scale. Each building is of perfect
relative size to the others, including doors, windows,
and other details, requiring hours of meticulous focus. Scientists speculate that
when taking in a landscape, Stephen's brain is able to
hyper-focus on specific details and patterns and record them, leaving out other sensory information regular folks usually absorb. He then translates it onto the
page, often at a huge scale, earning him the nickname,
The Human Camera. Maybe the police should hire
him to draw suspect sketches, so we don't end up with stuff like this. Iron Stomach. Frenchman Michel Lotito had the ability to eat pretty much anything, including metal, glass, and on one occasion an entire airplane. He began eating unusual
materials around the age of 16, initially as a strange habit, and later to impress onlookers, and soon decided to channel
his abilities into a career. His career arguably peaked when he consumed an entire
Cessna 150 airplane, cut into bite-sized pieces, over the course of two years. But throughout his life,
he also ate 18 bikes, 15 supermarket carts, seven
TVs, six chandeliers, two beds, a computer, coffin, and skis,
to name but a few items. Kind of like the career equivalent of a very weird 12 Days
of Christmas remix. Mr. Eat-It-All got his odd ability from unusually thick stomach
and esophagus linings and tough intestines, which
kept him from being hurt. He also had unusually
powerful stomach acids, which, bizarrely, meant that
while metal was no problem, soft foods like bananas made him sick. On the bright side, he
certainly never had to worry about an iron deficiency. He reportedly died of
natural causes in 2007, though I can't help imagining
it was food-related. Maybe he ate a gate that
was past its sell-by-date? Or maybe his bicycle soup wasn't
kept properly refrigerated because he ate the fridge? I'll see myself out. Poison Resistance. The drinking water supply of San Antonio de los Cobres in Argentina is filled with 20 times the
safe threshold of arsenic. Yet somehow, the residents aren't dying. In fact, many aren't
even suffering from it. It turns out, centuries of living with this naturally-contaminated
groundwater has given the people of
this area a genetic mutation that makes them highly resistant to the poisonous chemical. The mutation lets them process
arsenic into a safer form at much higher rates than usual, preventing its harmful effects. The genetic trait seems to have
developed over generations, with those bearing the mutation being more likely to live
long enough to have children, passing the trait on. It's a classic case of
natural selection in action. Now we just need to figure out how to naturally select
ourselves the ability to fly. Gaining Powers. In comic book movies, sometimes
the hero has to suffer before they get their superpower. Something remarkably similar
happened in real life to Jason Padgett. While being robbed outside of a bar, Jason suffered a traumatic brain injury, which caused the way he
saw the world to change. Smooth and curved objects
like a stream of water now began to look like a
series of pixelated lines rather than one continuous stream. The same was true for sunbeams, clouds, and even his own body. With almost everything Jason looked at being visually overlaid
with geometric patterns, he became deeply interested in mathematics that described formulas for the types of shapes he was seeing. Before long, he became able to draw incredibly detailed representations of what he was seeing, by hand. His injury had left him gifted in his comprehension of mathematics, despite never having
an interest previously. Baffled, he contacted a
cognitive neuroscientist, who diagnosed him with synesthesia, a condition where areas of the brain that don't usually
communicate, begin to do so. This can result in people
hearing color or seeing sounds, or in Jason's case, overlaying
his vision and thoughts with mathematical patterns. As a result, he gained a
new understanding of math as a series of geometric patterns rather than simply numbers, an
approach which, intriguingly, was similarly utilized by Stephen Hawking. For most people, a hit on the
head means losing brain cells. For Jason Padgett, it meant
unlocking his inner genius. Shock Factor. While most people actively avoid coming into direct
contact with electricity, Slavisa Pajkic takes
the opposite approach. This man currently holds the world record for allowing 20,000 volts
to pass through his body. For perspective, electric chairs are usually around 2,000 volts, albeit at significantly higher currents than Pajkic was faced with. Regardless, 20,000 volts is no joke, even at miniscule currents,
so how did he survive? Scientists speculate that people with abilities like Pajkic's are able to withstand high voltages thanks to unusual thickness and moisture levels in their skin. In Pajkic's case, he's
hairless and was born without sweat or salivary glands. His subsequent lack of
moisture appears to contribute to a much higher level
of resistance in his skin than most people's, meaning his skin naturally
conducts electricity at a lower current. This helps in preventing cell damage, and means he's less
likely to sustain damage to vital organs like the heart. Essentially, his skin
is like a rubber glove for his entire body. With his abilities, he can channel a safely-reduced current across his body, allowing him to spark
alcohol-soaked rags aflame, and even heat up forks to cook hotdogs. This crazy lifestyle began for Pajkic when he accidentally
touched a live wire at work and, to his co-workers'
surprise, felt no pain. From that point on, he spent his life testing
the limits of what he can do. Of course, it's likely
that some of Pajkic's acts are exaggerated with elements
of creative showmanship. This is something he has in common with other
electricity-channeling performers like China's Zhang Deke, who channels current through his fingers, completing a circuit to
light bulbs on his head. But despite some exaggerations
in the name of entertainment, various tests have confirmed
that, at the very least, Slavisa Pajkic's skin has some seriously abnormal
electrical resistance. Shocking stuff. The Real Daredevil. At the age of 3, Ben
Underwood lost his eyes due to retinal cancer. Despite this, he survived the
illness, and as he grew older, he adapted to his blindness
in an unbelievable way. Ben became one of the few
humans capable of echolocation, which is the technique bats
use to see in the dark. Echolocation works by
the user making a noise, in Ben's case, clicking his tongue, and then using the
reflections of the sound waves to form a mental picture
of the surrounding area. Ben's reached such proficiency
in seeing using his ears that he was able to safely ride a bike, play football and basketball,
and even skateboard. Tragically, Ben passed away
in 2009 at the age of 16, when the cancer that
took his vision returned, but his incredible story
continues to inspire to this day. Super Vision. Veronica Seider of Germany
suits the title of eagle-eyed better than anyone else on Earth. In 1972, it was reported
that her visual acuity, which is like the eyeball equivalent of the number of pixels on a screen, was 20 times that of the average person. Thanks to the unique,
ultra-efficient arrangement of the rods and cones
packed into her retina, she was found to be capable
of identifying individuals from over a mile away. As if that wasn't enough,
she proved her visual prowess by neatly hand-writing
out 20 verses of poetry on a piece of paper the
size of a thumbnail. That's 20 verses, not just lines. And all without a magnifying glass. Given I still have trouble
coloring neatly within the lines, I'd say Veronica's pen control
is a superpower in itself. Tetrachromacy. For most of us, the colors we see come from three different types
of cone cells in our eyes. Each of these is responsible for gathering different
wavelengths of light, allowing us to distinguish
between different colors. But thanks to a rare genetic mutation, people with a condition
called tetrachromacy possess a fourth type of cone, which detects wavelengths of
light most of us can't see. While most of us see
about 1 million colors, tetrachromats are able to
see around 100 million. With this gift, tetrachromats can perceive variations between colors that to the rest of us
would look identical. Of course, these
differences are impossible to truly understand
for a non-tetrachromat, but people with the condition have noted that the differences are similar to artistic comparisons like these. Some tetrachromats, like Concetta Antico, have even created comparative
artwork of their own in an attempt to share a
comprehensible representation of their visual gift. Statistically, tetrachromacy
only tends to occur in women, as it's caused by a mutation
in the X chromosome, of which women have two,
while men only have one. Men really lost out on this one, because while tetrachromats
are overwhelmingly women, 95% of colorblind people are men. No fair, I want those extra colors. Spider Man IRL. If you've ever wanted to
see a real-life Spider-Man, look no further. I present to you Jyothi Raj, a former construction worker turned acrobatic performer
and free-climber. Using his exceptional skills
of balance and strength, with a dusting of climbing chalk on the hands for extra grip, Raj regularly hangs at impossible angles at India's Chitradurga Fort. Always completely harness-free. He's even scaled the Indian state of Karnataka's highest
waterfall, the Jog Falls, which stands over 830 feet tall, without any safety equipment
on a number of occasions. Raj discovered his abilities to climb while working on bamboo scaffolding as a construction worker. Now, after years of tireless practice, his skills are so renowned, he's been sent on several rescue and retrieval missions at the Jog Falls. It's not an easy job, but when
you're the human Spider-Man, sometimes you have to live
up to your heroic name. Breathing's Overrated. In April 2008, David Blaine, the world-famous illusionist
and endurance artist, set a world record for
holding his breath underwater for 17 minutes and 4 seconds. If you're like me, and can
barely hold your breath long enough to drink a glass of water, you might wonder how
such a feat is possible. Well, prior to submerging, Blaine breathed pure
oxygen for several minutes, before filling his lungs
to their maximum capacity, then gulping down some
extra by swallowing hard. Then, in true David Blaine fashion, he was submerged inside a
water-filled glass sphere to hold his breath as long as he could. While huffing pure oxygen
might seem like cheating, it's the standard approach
for records like this. The strong desire to breathe
we get from holding our breath comes from carbon dioxide
buildup in the blood, not oxygen deprivation. Breathing pure oxygen simply delays the initial buildup of
carbon dioxide in your blood, allowing for longer submersion times. But when the CO2 eventually builds up, it all comes down to relentless training to resist the painful contractions
and burning sensations that come with the instinct to breathe. Resisting breathing at that point falls to a genuine superpower David Blaine has: extreme willpower. With exceptional control
over his mind and body, he achieved his world record, though he didn't hold it for long. The record has since been beaten 15 times, with the latest record being
24 minutes and 11 seconds, held by Croatian Budimir Šobat. Even more hardcore, the record for someone
holding their breath without the help of pure oxygen is held by Serbian
free-diver Branko Petrovic. He managed to hold his breath
for 11 minutes, 35 seconds, using the same air you
and I are breathing. If I ever find an endless
supply of willpower, I may try something like this,
but don't hold your breath. Tough Skin. Zhao Rui is a Shaolin monk who claims he can hold a power drill against his head without removing 80 IQ
points-worth of brain matter. Zhao claims through intense
pain-managing meditation and relentless muscular training, he's capable of superhuman
feats that would be agonizing, and potentially lethal,
to most other people. He pulls cars left in neutral along with a knife pressed to his throat. He lays down on steel spears whilst stones are broken on his back. And, of course, he
withstands a running drill pressed against his head
for up to 10 seconds. While Rui claims the
drill part of his display is withstood thanks to the power of his internal spiritual
energy, I have my doubts. More likely, he uses a flattened drill-bit and controls how hard it's pressed against his head using his hand. It still leaves a mark,
and probably hurts, but it's not quite all
it's cracked up to be. Laying on spikes and
pulling cars with a knife against his neck are
likely exaggerated too. A partially blunt knife
is used for the car trick, carefully positioned to avoid cutting him. The spears, meanwhile,
involve careful positioning, with most pressure being
applied to his collar bone, which is strong enough to bear the bulk of his weight. It's still an impressive display of almost superhuman pain
resistance, strength, and skill, but it looks like Rui's real superpower may well be showmanship. Light Step. Have you ever seen a man skim
across water like a stone? Shaolin monk Shi Liliang is famous for doing just that, kinda. Liliang holds a world record for running 125 meters
on the water's surface over 200 thin plywood planks
held together with cloth. It may not be quite as impressive as running on water unassisted, but it still requires
a huge amount of skill. 125 meters is no small distance, especially considering the cloth doesn't pull the plywood
taut like a bridge; it just ensures the
plywood doesn't float away during Liliang's sprint. With little more than the
water's surface tension preventing Liliang falling in, the endeavor takes an
enormous amount of training and immaculate weight management to ensure he's lightweight enough. All for the purpose of, as far as people standing
at a distance are concerned, the spectacle of running on water. Master Of The Blade. Japanese iaido master, Isao Machii, is not someone you'd wanna mess with. Capable of incredible martial
arts and katana tricks, Machii's hand-eye coordination is unparalleled the world over. With his combination
of relentless training and natural abilities, Machii can perform mind-blowing acts like securing a Guinness World Record for the most martial arts sword cuts delivered in one minute. With a record of 87 cuts
slicing effortlessly through straw posts like butter, he makes tasks of extreme
focus and precision look like a walk in the park. He's also able to casually cut baseballs traveling at 100 miles per
hour in half like it's nothing. But arguably his most impressive feat has been cutting a miniscule, barely visible ball bearing
traveling 200 miles per hour from an airsoft gun out of midair. Even for a katana master like Machii, something like this takes
a huge number of tries and a hefty sprinkling of
good luck to get right. Because of this, his ability to detect the position of the BB is
probably less superhuman intuition and more ceaseless repetition. But the sheer control and speed of being able to unsheathe his katana immediately into position is beyond what most people could hope to achieve in a lifetime. Though I'm not saying this
makes Machii some sort of Jedi, I wouldn't be altogether surprised if he started lifting
objects with his mind. It'd certainly save him
having to get someone to throw them in the air for him to cut. Have you ever met anyone
with real-life superpowers? Let me know in the comments
below. Thanks for watching. (upbeat music)
