Science-backed life hacks

| JANUARY 11, 2016, 12:00 AM IST

Photo Credits: hack this

How to tell whether strawberries will be delicious

The best way to tell if strawberries are ripe is to give them a sniff. If they smell like strawberries, buy them; they will taste divine. If they look gorgeous but have no smell, they will have no taste.

Remove furniture scuffs with a walnut

The natural oils in the nut act as a kind of natural furniture polish, repelling dust by static electricity. Remove the nut from its shell and rub it diagonally across the scratch or ding you want to get rid of. Then, rub the area with your finger to warm it up, and wait a few minutes to let the nut's natural oils sink in. Finally, use the cloth to polish the spot.

How to speed-read

The trick to falling asleep faster

The key to speed reading is simple: read with your eyes, not with the voice in your head. So just work on eliminating the voice. Why? Because you cannot say words nearly as fast as you can comprehend them. Go ahead, try speed reading the rest of this page now.

Having trouble counting sheep? Why not try this tip: Look for patterns in the random noise of your eyelids and try to 'follow' it. Once you start seeing complete images you're under way to dreamland. Don't worry if it doesn't work right away — Try again, just relax, think about nothing and watch the pretty pictures.

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