Back in 1964, Dr. Erwin O. Strassmann of Houston kicked up a controversy by suggesting there was a correlation in women between bust size and I.Q. And he managed to get his opinion published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Kingsport Times-News - Aug 30, 1964
Curious to see exactly what he said, I tracked down his article. Turns out he was an enthusiastic follower of the now-discredited theory of "constitutional psychology." This was an effort to establish a link between body type and personality traits. Critics have dismissed it as an extended exercise in dressing up cultural stereotypes (such as, if you're overweight, you're lazy) in scientific language. For devotees of weird science, the entire field is a goldmine of strangeness.
Here's the relevant section of Strassmann's 1964 article:
Strassmann, E.O. (1964). "Physique, Temperament, and Intelligence in Infertile Women." International Journal of Fertility. 9:297-314.
I wish I could find a picture on the internet of the packaging for this product. Or learn who the legendary Father Pierre was. Alas, even the mighty Web does not have the answer to everything.
But I did find out the ingredients.
As to the recipe's effectiveness, I cannot attest.
Apparently, this current-day Russian product also known as "Monastery Herbs" has a different composition.
"Ingredients: rose hips, currant leaves, birch leaves, roots and rhizomes Elecampane, grass oregano herb St. John's wort, willow (willow-herb)."
Australian artist Stelarc is growing an ear on his arm. It's been a project of his years in the making. He first got the idea back in 1996, and it took a while to find doctors willing to do the work. But the ear is pretty well formed now. His final goal is to insert a microphone into his arm ear, and then connect the microphone to the internet, so that people around the world can hear through his arm ear.
He says, "People's reactions range from bemusement to bewilderment to curiosity, but you don't really expect people to understand the art component of all of this."
The Bowie Baysox (double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) recently took time to appreciate an under-appreciated bodily feature. Looks like some of the people in attendance may have been relatives of Sasquatch. More pictures at espn.go.com.
The giant man of nerves was part of the "Conquest of Pain" exhibit held at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in 1955. If I had seen this thing as a kid, it definitely would have given me nightmares.
Our own WUvian, Tyrusguy, had polycystic kidney disease, in which the kidneys form cysts all over them. Over time the kidneys become very large, Ty's were 20 pounds, and stop functioning. Eventually the kidneys must be removed and the patient must go on dialysis until they receive a new kidney. I say he had the disease because he no longer does since the 'evil twins' were removed on lucky Friday the 13th. Ty came through with flying colors and is recuperating at home. A picture of his kidneys is in extended, not safe for stomachs- you have been duly warned.
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.