10 Real Human Superpowers

Emergency Strength

Instances of hysterical strength—the ability to lift, push, or haul weights far greater than one’s normal capability in times of emergency—are well-documented but controversial in the medical community. The first documented report was in 1982, when the jack under Tony Cavallo’s ’64 Impala slipped and his 50-year-old mother Angela lifted and supported the 3500-pound car long enough for the neighbors to drag him out from under. More recently, 22-year-old Lauren Kornacki lifted a BMW off of her father when, again, the jack slipped and pinned him beneath the car. Scientists believe these incidents are possible because the muscles of the human body are “over-engineered” and when flooded with extra adrenaline (from the shock reaction) and nutrients (from temporarily shutting down secondary functions such as digestion) can handle a lot more strain than normal, although incidents of muscle damage are fairly common after a hysterical strength episode. Doctors are unable to test these theories, however, due to the ethical complications involved in suddenly dropping a car on a member of somebody’s family.