The Iceman
Meet Wim Hof – aka The Iceman. Hof is able to withstand freezing cold temperatures that most of us would crumble under. He ran a half marathon, wearing no shirt and no shoes, across the Arctic Circle in 2007. The onsite physician warned Hof against continuing the feat, saying his toes may contract frostbite and need to be removed. Remarkably, Hof completed the marathon uninjured.
The real-life Aquaman
David Mullins is heralded as a real-life Aquaman, thanks to his unbelievable swimming capabilities. In 2007, the incredible New Zealander smashed his own record when he swam for a total of 244 meters underwater, completing the feat in four minutes and two seconds, all with a single breath.
Zamora
Tim Cridland, otherwise known as Zamora, is a man who has no fear of pain. He’s capable of torturous tasks, such as sticking a rod into his mouth and out below his chin, and cutting into his torso to retrieve recently swallowed items. Gross. Cridland claims he’s able to perform these worrisome wondrous by entering a Zen-like headspace which helps him to transcend all pain.
The girl with X-Ray vision
Natasha Demkina supposedly has X-ray vision. Aged ten, she found that she could scan her mother’s body, describing in detail her mom’s internal organs. She tested her ability at a children’s hospital, drawing a diagram of a doctor’s stomach, featuring a dark spot where he had an ulcer. Her abilities have been questioned, but no logical conclusion has ever come of her odd power.
The woman who feels no pain
Jo Cameron cannot feel any pain due to a rare genetic condition. She has an abundance of anandamide in her body, so she never experiences fear, anxiety, or pain. Doctors first noticed Cameron’s unusual ability, noting that she experienced no pain after major surgeries on her hand and hip.
The human calculator
Scott Flansburg holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest mental calculation, gaining the title after adding the same number to itself 36 times in 15 seconds. The part of his brain that handles arithmetic is four times the normal size, allowing him to do complex sums at lightning speeds.
The blind musician
Derek Paravcini is a musical prodigy. Being blind hasn’t stopped him from following his musical passions! The musician is actually gifted with absolute pitch, meaning he can play any piece of music after only hearing it once. He says once he hears a piece of music, it goes straight into his memory, where it forever remains.
The woman who never forgets
Imagine being able to remember every minute of every day. That’s exactly the ability that real-life superhero Rebecca Sharrock possesses. She remembers everything that’s ever happened to her, down to the finest detail, from being one year old in her mother’s arms. Her gift comes with a price, however, as it means that she is incapable of forgetting anything – even the bad stuff.
The man who ate metal
Michel Lotito had the unusual ability of being able to eat anything – even a plane. Due to a thick stomach lining and powerful digestive juices, Lotito could eat objects that would kill the average person. In his lifetime, Lotito ate bicycles, a plane, a coffin, shopping carts, televisions, and a bed – just to name a few. He died of natural causes in 2007.
The Battery Man
Slavisa Pajkic – better known as The Battery Man – is able to withstand high voltages without getting hurt. He can become an insulator, a conductor, or a heater, depending on the circumstance. He took 20,000 volts of electricity in 1983, earning him a Guinness record. He was also able to heat up a cup of water to 97 degrees Celsius in one minute and 37 seconds.
The Lion Whisperer
Kevin Richardson has been nicknamed ‘The Lion Whisperer’ due to his uncanny ability to connect with wild animals. Richardson has befriended hyenas, cheetahs, lions, and panthers, to name a few. His connection with big cats is so strong he’s capable of walking, playing, and even sleeping with the dangerous animals.
The Tooth King
Antonios Neonakis has the rather bizarre – but nevertheless impressive – record of pulling the heaviest road vehicle with his teeth. The Tooth King pulled a 20,360kg firetruck for two meters back in 2016, smashing the previous world record. Neonakis says he simply pulls the vehicles for fun. Eye-watering stuff.
The super linguist who can speak 24 languages
How many languages do you think you’d be able to learn in a lifetime? Four? Ten, if you’re really smart? Well, Vaughn Smith has the uncanny ability to speak and understand a whopping 24 languages, due to his incredible brain. Smith works as a carpet cleaner, and is still learning new languages.
The super artist
Stephen Wiltshire is blessed with a super photographic memory. He is able to draw sprawling cityscapes – down to the finest, most minute details – after only a few glances at his subject. For example, after one 45-minute helicopter ride above New York City, Wiltshire was able to sketch an eerily accurate drawing of the urban jungle.
The man with telescopic eyes
Claudio Pinto has the rare ability of being able to pop his eyes out of his socket. Pinto can extend his eyes by 7mm, which is a whopping 95% of the total eyeball. Although this unusual ability may not have any practical use, it’s an undeniably impressive party trick.
Rubber Boy
Daniel Browning Smith is the world’s most flexible man. Nicknamed Rubber Boy, the contortionist represents the ultimate skill in double-jointed flexibility, being able to twist his torso by 180 degrees. Smith can also dislocate both of his arms and legs, able to pop them back into place without breaking a sweat.
The Wire Woman
This one is hard to stomach. Noorsyaidah, a woman from Sengata, claims that she grows steel wires of up to 20 centimeters from her belly and chest. If she attempts to cut the wires, they disappear back into her body and grow elsewhere. Specialists were left stumped at the medical marvel.
The Magnet Man
Liew Thow Lin – aka The Magnet Man – had the unusual ability of sticking metal objects to his body. Liews could stick metal items of 2kg each – with 36kg in total – to his skin, even pulling a car by using his strange talent. Tests found that he did not emit a magnetic field, but his skin held a high amount of friction, causing a suction effect.
The Human Computer
Shakuntala Devi had superhuman arithmetic capabilities, able to perform complex calculations in her head at lightning speeds. Devi was awarded a Guinness World Record for multiplying two 13-digit numbers together in just 28 seconds. After her death in 2019, a self-titled film was released which detailed her impressive legacy.
The real-life Mr Fantastic
Garry Turner has the stretchiest skin on the planet, caused by a serious form of Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Turner stretched the skin on his abdomen by 6.25 inches (15.8cm), earning him a Guinness World Record for the world’s stretchiest skin. Turner says that the stretching doesn’t cause any pain, but the syndrome can cause joint aches.
Tibetan monks can change their body temperature with just their mind
Some Tibetan monks have the ability to change their body temperature through the power of thought alone. A study showed that these monks could change the temperature of their fingers and toes by a whopping 17 degrees Fahrenheit, simply by meditating! A handy skill indeed for those cold winter months.
The Werewolf Boy
Meet Jesus Chuy Aceves – aka The Werewolf Boy. Aceves was born with a rare condition known as hypertrichosis – where his hair grows over the entire body. He, as well as some members of his family with a similar condition, worked in a circus for years, before starring in an array of TV shows.
Mr Electro
Ma Xiangang has the unusual power of being impervious to electricity. He is capable of touching live wires that would kill an ordinary person without feeling a thing. Mr Electro can also turn on a lightbulb while touching a source of electricity, acting as a real-life conduit.
Rain Man
Laurence Kim Peek has a rare condition called savant syndrome, granting him unbelievable talents. When he was nine months old, doctors told Peek’s parents that he’d never be able to walk or talk. Defying expectations, Peek went on to memorize the entire Bible by the time he was just seven years old. His incredible memory even spawned a blockbuster movie – Rain Man – exploring his legacy.
The woman with super eyesight
Veronica Seider’s eyesight is unparalleled. Normal humans can see details for up to 20 feet, whereas Seider can see details that are over a mile away. Despite her incredible skill, Seider continues to work as a dentist, preferring to live anonymously. Nobody else in the world has ever been documented to possess such powerful eyesight.
Daniel Tammet – the superbrained savant
Daniel Tammet can perform mind-bending mathematical calculations in the blink of an eye, speak 11 languages, and recite pi to 22,514 places. Needless to say, Tammet has one of the brightest brains the world has ever seen. He’s gifted with the phenomena synesthesia, seeing numbers in his mind’s eye with shape and color.
The man who never sleeps
Thai Ngoc claims that he hasn’t slept a wink since 1962. Ngoc believes that he caught a fever several decades ago, leading to him never getting a glimpse of shut eye ever again. Strangely, the lack of sleep doesn’t seem to have affected his health in the slightest. Imagine what you could do with all of those extra hours!
The Modern Samurai
Isao Machii’s skills make him seem as though he’s come straight from an action movie. He holds six Guinness World Records for his incredible katana skills, with some heralding him as The Modern Samurai. Machii sliced a BB pellet in two, slicing his sword through it as it travelled at 158km/h.
The Ultramarathon Man
Dean Karnazes’ body is capable of incredible feats. The runner has jogged 350 miles without stopping, completing the accomplishment in just over 80 hours without sleeping. The unstoppable sprinter has never experienced cramp or felt his leg muscles seizing him up, making him the endurance champ of the world.
Echo Boy
Ben Underwood was completely blind by the time he was three years old, but he taught himself how to use echolocation in order to live a fulfilling life. He moved around without using a cane or a guide dog, using his extraordinary hearing to navigate the world. He’d click his tongue, using the echo to locate any objects that were around him.
Prahlad Jani – the man who could survive without food or drink
Prahlad Jani has baffled doctors and experts across the globe, claiming that he’s managed to survive without food or drink since 1940! Jani was even locked in a room without any access to food or water for ten days, and he miraculously came out unscathed.
The man with vinyl vision
Arthur Lintgen is the only person in the world to possess vinyl vision, the ability to see the intricate grooves on a record with the naked eye. When Lintgen sees a vinyl, he recognizes the music in seconds. Based on the physical construction and grooves on the record, he can pinpoint its origin – though he is only able to do so with classical pieces.
The French Spider-Man
Alain Robert is famous for his death-defying feats in urban climbing. Using no safety equipment, the French Spider-Man scales buildings that are hundreds of feet tall, including the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Canada Square Tower. Although free climbing is technically within the law, Robert has been arrested over 100 times.
The boy with night vision
Nong Youhui, a young boy from China, is thought to possess the ability to see perfectly in the dark. With eyes that light up and flash when illuminated with a flashlight, Youhui supposedly filled out several questionnaires while sitting in a pitch-black room, according to reporters.
The Mini Hulk
A rare condition gave toddler Liam Hoekstra superstrength, possessing 40 percent more muscle mass than normal. The Mini Hulk has a rare genetic condition called muscle enlargement, allowing him to move pieces of furniture even some adults would struggle with. His condition isn’t thought to have any negative side effects. Hulk smash!
The mind reading miracle
Nandana Unnikrishnan is believed to be able to read minds. Nandana was subjected to tests, where the girl and her mother were put in different rooms. Nandana’s mother was given a six-digit number, which the girl somehow repeated with ease, potentially proving the existence of telepathy. Spooky stuff.
The girl who cried crystals
Satenik Kazaryan, a woman from Armenia, claims that she cries up to 50 jagged crystals each day. Kazaryan states that the crystal tears are extremely painful, and that doctors and specialists are left baffled – having no idea as to what causes the mysterious, painful phenomena.
The seven-year-old who speaks seven languages
Being fluent in any language at seven years old is an incredible feat, let alone seven of them! Bella Devyatkina shot to fame when she appeared on a Russian TV show, showing her ability. According to the prodigy’s mother, Devyatkinda was exposed to a foreign language when she was just two years old, and she was quick to pick up the lingo.
The snake charmer
Most eight-year-olds play with toys – but not Kajol Khan! Her playmate of choice is a selection of deadly snakes. Khan walks the streets with King Cobras wrapped around her neck, even being expelled from school for carrying a King Cobra in her backpack. She’s survived three potentially fatal snake bites, continuing to see the creatures as her best friends.
The fastest boy in the world
Rudolph Ingram – better known as Blaze – is blessed with super speed. The youngster managed to run a 100m dash in a mere 13.8 seconds, even impressing Lebron James after he shared the video on social media. The sprint was a world record for his age group, and was only four seconds behind Usain Bolt’s time.