Weird Universe Archive
May 2019
May 16, 2019
Decapitation Experiment
Weird science: How long does a severed head remain conscious? In 1905, Dr Gabriel Beaurieux used the opportunity of the execution of the criminal Henri Languille by guillotine to attempt to find out. From a contemporary newspaper account of the scene:When the head had rolled away from the scaffold and was lying in a pail, Dr. Beaurieux, head physician at the city hospital, caught it with both hands, raised it up in the air, and exclaimed in commanding voice:
"Languille! Languille!"
Terrible stillness for a moment. And, look! The dead head actually obeys! The eyelids open, and two eyes, abundant with life, glare questioning at Dr. Beaurieux—and then the lids close.
But the doctor has no mercy—he is experimenting. And once more he commands:
"Languille!"
Again the eyelids open, and two soulless eyes attempt to see, to find a point in the space. A conscious struggle really is proceeding, until the lids again close. But for the third time Dr. Beaurieux raises the head up in the air:
"Languille!"
This time in vain. The experiment had lasted thirty seconds, and now the question is:
Has the reflecting movement released other functions of the brain? Did Languille know that they called him, and that he had better awaken and answer? Gruesome it were, if he really had answered, for instance repeated his "Goodbye, you beautiful life!"
"Languille! Languille!"
Terrible stillness for a moment. And, look! The dead head actually obeys! The eyelids open, and two eyes, abundant with life, glare questioning at Dr. Beaurieux—and then the lids close.
But the doctor has no mercy—he is experimenting. And once more he commands:
"Languille!"
Again the eyelids open, and two soulless eyes attempt to see, to find a point in the space. A conscious struggle really is proceeding, until the lids again close. But for the third time Dr. Beaurieux raises the head up in the air:
"Languille!"
This time in vain. The experiment had lasted thirty seconds, and now the question is:
Has the reflecting movement released other functions of the brain? Did Languille know that they called him, and that he had better awaken and answer? Gruesome it were, if he really had answered, for instance repeated his "Goodbye, you beautiful life!"
The execution of Henri Languille - source: wikipedia
The Racine Journal Times - Aug 23, 1905
Posted By: Alex - Thu May 16, 2019 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Science, Experiments, 1900s
Follies of the Madmen #425
Would any "respectable" company today use, oh, Dita von Teese as their product spokeswoman?
Oh, wait a minute--they would!
Posted By: Paul - Thu May 16, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Domestic, Sex Symbols, 1950s, Twenty-first Century
May 15, 2019
The Yips Phenomenon in Golf
The Yips are defined as "a disorder in which golfers complain of an involuntary movement — a twitch, a jerk, a flinch — at the time they putt or even when they chip. This interferes with their ability to perform that activity.” It was the subject of a multidisciplinary study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, who concluded:For <10 handicap male golfers and <12 handicap female golfers, the prevalence of the yips is between 32.5% and 47.7%, a high proportion of serious golfers. This high prevalence suggests that medical practitioners need to understand the aetiology of the yips phenomenon so that interventions can be identified and tested for effectiveness in alleviating symptoms. Although previous investigators concluded that the yips is a neuromuscular impediment aggravated but not caused by anxiety, we believe the yips represents a continuum on which 'choking' (anxiety-related) and dystonia symptoms anchor the extremes.
The Yips should not be confused with the Yip Yips, which are something completely different:
Posted By: Alex - Wed May 15, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Medicine, Sports, Golf
The War Between the Snipe and the Clam
The rare technique of cut-paper animation, by Hu Jinqing, who just recently died.
The creator's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 15, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Fish, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Stop-motion Animation, 1960s
May 14, 2019
Croissant Sneakers
Odd collaboration: Sneaker brand Koio has partnered with pastry chef Dominique Ansel to produce croissant-themed sneakers. According to Fast Company:This may be the first-ever sneaker collaboration with a baker. And it is certainly the only sneaker inspired by a croissant on the market... The sneaker’s upper is made of calf leather that has the texture of eggshells, flour-white suede, patent leather the color of yellow butter, and detailing on the toe and heel that looks like sugar. To top everything off, the laces come adorned with a rose-gold croissant accent.
They can be yours for only $348. Oh, and each pair also comes with a package of Dominique Ansel pancake mix.
Posted By: Alex - Tue May 14, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Fashion, Shoes, Food
Culver City Fiesta La Ballona Queen
Fiesta Queen finalists -- These ten girls are finalists in the Culver City Fiesta La Ballona queen contest to select five girls to reign over the community celebration Aug. 3-5. They will appear at Veterans Memorial Auditorium Friday night. July 14, when judges will pick the five finalists. From left they are Sally Adler of Westchester; Merry Allison of West Los Angeles; Marie Bailey of Culver City; Sandra Bettin of Santa Monica; Sally Jane Hutchison of Culver City; Mickey Jines of Venice; Doris Turner of Westchester; Barbara McMillan of Westchester; Connie Sue Moore of Culver City; Darlene Bevington of Culver City".
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 14, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1960s
May 13, 2019
Saved goldfish from drowning
“Not many people know that a fish can drown if it swallows too much water,” said Peter Hume, an inspector for the Royal Society.
Well, I certainly didn’t know that.
Waukesha Daily Freeman - Aug 13, 1968
Posted By: Alex - Mon May 13, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fish, 1960s
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 21
Khrushchev definitely would not have approved of this filthy exhibitionism!
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 13, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Statues and Monuments, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, 1920s, Russia
May 12, 2019
Sears unveils new logo
Sears recently spent what is certainly a large amount of money to redesign its logo. When it unveiled the results last week, it explained:The new icon was created to represent both home and heart, this shape also conveys motion through an infinity loop, reminiscent of one getting their arms around both home and life. The rings, like those of a tree trunk, show longevity. With home and heart at the center, the rings radiate and grow to encompass our broad assortment of products and services
However, a lot of people have commented that the new logo looks an awful lot like the logo of Airbnb.
The irony here is that when Airbnb unveiled its logo, back in 2014, it was also controversial. People complained, first, that it looked too much like testicles, and also noted its similarity to existing logos, such as these:
This isn't the first time a company has spent a lot of money to redesign a logo, only to come up with something similar to an existing one. When NBC TV unveiled a new logo in 1975, after spending almost $1 million for a redesign, the result turned out to be almost identical to the existing logo of the Nebraska Educational Television Network.
Posted By: Alex - Sun May 12, 2019 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Design and Designers
Mystery Gadget 74
The purpose of this simple gadget?
The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Sun May 12, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Technology, 1940s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
