If Listening To Loud Chewing Drives You Nuts, You May Be A Genius

Now you don't have to take a Mensa test to determine if your intelligence is way above-average; you just have to sit in a room full of loud gum-chewers and lip-smackers.Researchers at Northwestern University have published a study in the  journal, Neuropsychologia that draws a connection between high-sensitivity to certain types of sounds and genius.

Approximately 20 percent of the population has this diagnosable disorder, which renders certain noises (like loud chewing), completely unbearable. If you fall within this one-fifth of the population, you're more likely to be a creative genius, the researchers concluded. The subjects who scored within this sound sensitivity spectrum were also more likely to score well on tests that measured creative aptitude.

So the next time you're sitting across from a chicken noodle soup-slurper or a soda-glugger, pay attention to your own reaction. If you find yourself balling your hands into fists, then channel that energy into writing the next great American novel.