I bet you didnt know that

sbsquarepants

Ever have an itch that scratching only seemed to make worse? It's known fairly predictably as the itch scratch cycle and it happens to us all at various points, however in rare cases it can be fatal!

A Boston woman once developed an itch so unrelenting that she scratched right through her skull and touched her brain. The itch persisted even after she had destroyed all the nerve endings in the effected area by scratching, strongly suggesting it was a "phantom" itch similar to phantom limb sensations. She spent 2 years in a mental hospital restrained for her own safety, even though doctors knew she was perfectly sane. She eventually semi recovered, the itch has lessened but still persists and flares up from time to time. Another patient in the same hospital died when he scratched a hole into his carotid artery!

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/30/the-itch

Big Nasty

That link was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever read.

sbsquarepants

I scratched quite bit myself I have to say!

begbysback

Itchy bum, surprise to come

Greybottle

A Geiger Counter is used to measuring radiation. We've all seen them crackling away on TV. It was invented by Hans Geiger and improved by Walther Müller, both German scientists.

"Geiger" in German means Violinist, so Germans call it a Zählrohr, or "Counting Tube" because otherwise they would be calling it a "Violinist Counter".


When I lived in Munich there was a US car tuner near us called Geiger, who specialised in tuning Corvettes. So you could by a "Corvette von Geiger", or a "Corvette by a violinist".

LirW

Back home I studied Physics for a year (not smart enough for it I was) but we had one lecturer who was obsessed with radiation to the point where he used to carry around a small piece of radioactive uranium.
Anyway even though you see Zaehlrohr around everyone would call it Geigerzaehler and everyone with a bit of common knowledge knows what it is. It was invented by Hans Geiger and has nothing to do with violinists whatsoever. Geiger is a quite common last name, because a lot of old family names come from the profession they used to earn their money with. Like for example Schaefer (shepherd), Bauer (farmer) and plenty more including some spelling variations of it.

It's not uncommon in German to have scientific objects named after the inventor.

Esel

Frank Zappa had two radium pellets inserted into his sinuses by a doctor when aged about 8 or 9. He died of prostate cancer at 52.

donegaLroad

Esel wrote: »

Frank Zappa had two radium pellets inserted into his sinuses by a doctor when aged about 8 or 9. He died of prostate cancer at 52.

Thats very strange because they use radium pellets as a treatment for prostate cancer.

Realt Dearg Sec

Maybe they should have been inserted further south

Realt Dearg Sec

Maybe they should have been inserted further south

AndyBoBandy

The first & only (not 100% on the only now though) statue of Frank Zappa is in Vilnius, Lithuania, erected there by a group of his fans.

The area is now a tourist destination due to the bust of him placed there.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

The first & only (not 100% on the only now though) statue of Frank Zappa is in Vilnius, Lithuania, erected there by a group of his fans.

The area is now a tourist destination due to the bust of him placed there.

In 2008 Vilnius presented a replica of the statue to Baltimore. It's outside the Pratt Library

donegaLroad

In the Czech Republic in 1990, Frank Zappa was appointed as Special Ambassador to the West on Trade, Culture and Tourism.

Previously his music had been banned there under communism.

bonzodog2

Anders Shy Aircraft wrote: »

In 2008 Vilnius presented a replica of the statue to Baltimore. It's outside the Pratt Library

Anders Shy Aircraft, you are truly the the fount of all knowledge. Mucho respecto.

david75

Frank Zappa’s ancestors were from ballyshannon. .

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

david75 wrote: »

Frank Zappa’s ancestors were from ballyshannon. .

It must be some way back because his mother was of Italian and French ancestry and his father was from Sicily, with Greek and Arab ancestry.

Quazzie

Anders Shy Aircraft wrote: »

It must be some way back because his mother was of Italian and French ancestry and his father was from Sicily, with Greek and Arab ancestry.

I think it was an attempt at a joke, but given the nature for the thread I would gladly see anyone who tries such nonsense to be banned from the thread

Ipso

Anders Shy Aircraft wrote: »

It must be some way back because his mother was of Italian and French ancestry and his father was from Sicily, with Greek and Arab ancestry.

And where do Italians, French, Sicilian and Greeks get their ancestry from?
That's right; Ballyshannon.

New Home

Nope. Noah.

Capt'n Midnight

Christians believe that everyone is descended from a time when there was only one incestuous family.

And they believe it happened twice.

Ipso

Don't all Abrahamic religions believe it?
With Adam wasn't it self rib incest?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Ipso wrote: »

Don't all Abrahamic religions believe it?
With Adam wasn't it self rib incest?

That was Eve, wasn't it?

And, presuming Adam and Eve had kids, how was the human race propagated unless incest was involved?

Anyways, societies used what information they had to explain the world around them. I doubt they would believe that we are closely related to monkeys never mind descended from them.

New Home

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

That was Eve, wasn't it?

And, presuming Adam and Eve had kids, how was the human race propagated unless incest was involved?

Like Sheldon Cooper? By mitosis?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlYqh5OfJFk

Cookie_Monster

Speaking of crazy beliefs...

The Gloriavale "community" on the west coast of New Zealands south Island believe every child is literally a gift from god and as such are encouraged to make them non stop. They've the highest birth rate of anywhere in a western nation seemingly. 13 kids isn't unusual especially with no contraception and somewhat arranged marriages from a very young age.

Only the elders are allowed use the internet, men and women have very rigid gender roles and they have epic names like Watchful Steadfast, Hopeful Christian, Willing Disciple, Charity Love, Dove Love, Pearl Valor Steadfast Joy and Faith Ben Israel to list a few

not sure if you'll get it outside of NZ but
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/gloriavale-a-world-apart

sbsquarepants

Ipso wrote: »

Don't all Abrahamic religions believe it?
With Adam wasn't it self rib incest?

That was Marc Almond:eek:

bnt

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

That was Eve, wasn't it?

And, presuming Adam and Eve had kids, how was the human race propagated unless incest was involved?

Never mind the story that Adam and Eve only had sons, no daughters ... :eek:

lmimmfn

bnt wrote: »

Never mind the story that Adam and Eve only had sons, no daughters ... :eek:

Maybe they had extra ribs too.

Quazzie

bnt wrote: »

Never mind the story that Adam and Eve only had sons, no daughters ... :eek:

Adam and Eve had many more kids than is commonly known. The exact number is unknown, the minimum is 7. 5 son and 2 daughters. Adam lived to be 930 years old so it's reasonable to expect the number to be much higher.

You shouldn't represent your ignorance of a subject as fact.

sbsquarepants

it's not often you hear someone use the word fact to discuss a 930 year old man and his incestuous kids!

Kat1170

sbsquarepants wrote: »

it's not often you hear someone use the word fact to discuss a 930 year old man and his incestuous kids!