Mad science is decadent and depraved

[sovay]

I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading Monitor on Psychology. There happens to be a reason for this. Fortunately, there is an equally obvious solution: the APA should just publish more articles about planaria:

These results led McConnell to think more seriously about the chemical nature of memory. To test this notion, he needed to find a way to transfer the putative molecules from a trained to an untrained animal. But how? They tried to graft the head of a trained worm onto the tail of a naïve worm—but the head kept falling off.

Next, they tried grinding up trained worms and injecting them into naïve recipients, but that didn't work, either. The hypodermic needles were too big—getting one inside a flatworm was like trying to impale a prune with a javelin—and if, by chance, the needle was positioned well enough to inject the planarian-puree, it either oozed out or caused the worm to explode.

At Tea on Sunday, I got asked if I was a scientist or if I had been trained as one; the answer to both was no, unless you count messing around with slime mold and radio telescopes (not in the same high school project), but I could so go for some Things Man Was Not Meant to Know right now. Unfortunately, I have an early-morning non-mad doctor's appointment, so mostly I think I am going to go to bed.

Comments

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Tis funny, but I can't help feeling slightly sorry for the poor planaria. ;-)

Sleep well.

[zdenka]

I think two in the morning was exactly the right time to read this.

*is giggling madly*

[4nt1g0n3.livejournal.com]

They actually taught us about those experiments back in Zoology, although sans the hysterical commentary.

Meanwhile, chew on this (not literally please); http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/06/Life-Sciences-Proteomics-New-Technique-Turns-Proteins-Into-Glass/

Side Note: I've been having odd and disturbing dreams for the past week+ as well :/

Good luck at not-mad doctor's tomorrow!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

That is very wonderful. More news from Lagado as you get it, please!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Priceless

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Are you familiar with Bill Hartston's book The Drunken Goldfish? It is packed with this sort of information.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

If your doctor tries to offer you a decoction made from the bones of a person with a vibrant immune system, edge slowly toward the door.

[eredien]

That is fantastic, and I looked up the article so I could read more, but felt very cheated by the ending: 'And then things got really interesting.' No! I must know more!

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Utterly cracktastic. Thanks for reminding us that things like this really do happen.

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

It seems that an essential part of the method is to let experiments fail, to be committed to the whole extent of an experiment's unfolding, even if it's obvious at or near the beginning that it's going to fail. How it fails can be almost as important as how a successful experiment succeeds. Luckily for us (and for the authors of that paper), it also provides much matter for hilarity.