Sure we all have things we resent our parents for, but it takes a lot to truly be a bad parent, especially to be named as one of the top ten terrible parents. While many of the cases are heart-breaking stories of abuse, some are just sickening displays of poor parental values -like the mother who bought her seven year-old a boob job. It makes you wish for a change in child abuse laws.

Link

Is giving a cow whiskey the secret to ensuring it will live a long healthy life? It might sound silly, but if Bertha, the world’s longest-living cow had a few shots every year before staring in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, then who knows, maybe it helps. Interestingly, Bertha also holds the record for most calves birthed by one cow.

Read about more long-living animals over at Mental Floss.

Link

Love pizza and beer? Well then, why not combine them with Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer? It’s brewed with basil, oregano, tomato and garlic flavors…yummy?

Link Via Laughing Squid

Before television entered our homes, entertainment wasn’t an everyday thing -in fact, it was hard to come by. And people would go to see anything that was out of the ordinary for a little respite from the daily grind. Mental_floss dug up some rather obscure events that drew crowds desperate for amusement, like the Dionne Quintuplets. The five girls born in 1934 were put on display by the Canadian government in a special facility in which they could be observed through glass. Three million people filed through to see them over a ten-year period! Read the rest at mental_floss. Link

Of course, the problem here is that skin and again can be made to rhyme, so what will happen if you don’t put the dishes in the dishwasher…certainly you won’t get the hose again. Then again, do you really want to risk finding out what Buffalo Bill will do to you if you defy him?

Link

If you’re a regular Neatorama reader, than you probably already know that Egyptian mummies were regularly burned as firewood in the past, but you might not be aware of some of the other tragedies befalling historical artifacts featured in this great Cracked article. If you couldn’t tell by the image, you might not want to read it right after eating lunch.

Link

There’s a danger in buying Christmas gifts without thinking of what they really mean. You might be surprised at some of the available gifts that send an awful message! Our own Jill Harness rounded up some of the strangest items advertised as Christmas gifts that might ruin a relationship because of the implied message behind them. And if you were to receive one of these, at least you know how much they really care. Pictured is a belly button brush -just what Mom always wanted. Link

Christmas is great, but it certainly seems weird to get a tattoo for a holiday as it only comes around once a year. But I guess not everyone agrees because there are obviously enough weird Christmas tattoos for Oddee to have collected a top 10 list of them.

Link

At first glance, the speaker above may look like an ordinary iPod dock…that is, until you actually see the iPod inside of it. The $30,000 device is more than 8 feet wide and 700 pounds. Obviously it’s more than a little ridiculous, but it’s certainly a good way to attract attention to the Behringer’s booth at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show where it will debut.

Link Via The Consumerist

If art made from Thanksgiving food isn’t quite your thing, then what about delicious turkey dinner cupcakes? The bottom is made from turkey meatloaf, which is then topped with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.

What do you think? Yum or yuck?

Link Via BuzzFeed

Pepsiman is a true hero, overcoming every urban obstacle thrown at him in order to quench the thirst of citizens in need!

This strange offering from Japan was released in 1999 for the Sony Playstation game console, and it’s faceless hero graced an advertising campaign in which Pepsiman saved people from death-by-thirst.

Do you think this game looks like goofy fun or a shameless advertising campaign?

Link

Was he losing his mind? Being messed with by a shy poltergeist? To find out, he set up a series of spy cameras around his house. The next morning, he ran back the footage on the camera and that’s when he saw it. A strange woman crawling out of a cupboard like it was the TV in The Ring. And if you think that’s terrifying, imagine what happened inside his stomach when, at the end of the video, she crawled back into the cupboard. The one that was just a couple of feet away from where he was standing, watching the video.

Presumably in an effort to maintain bowel control, the man assumed the woman was a burglar who was only temporarily hiding in the cupboard, and had since left. He called the police, who pointed out that all the locks on his doors and windows were undisturbed. There was simply no evidence whatsoever that anybody had broken in — in other words (cue dramatic strings) the woman had been in the house all along.

Read the rest of this story and six others. And don’t be spooked! Link -Thanks, Jack!

I’ve always wondered though if an insured celebrity gets fat, does that enable them to collect insurance money?

Link

Life has some great slideshows and their collection of weird culinary gadgets is no exception. Take this weird spinning spaghetti fork for example. Can someone tell me why we don’t have one of these in the Neatoshop?

Link

If you are a fan of community, you may have seen their parody of Doctor Who on an episode a few weeks back. If not, here’s a link.

So why am I bringing this up now? As it turns out, the internet is even geekier than most of us imagine and the show’s parody, called Inspector Spacetime, now has it’s own fan page on Tumblr filled with speculation about who will play the next inspector and what the fan’s favorite episodes are. Now that’s something even a sitcom writer couldn’t have predicted.

Link Via The Mary Sue

“Our guess is that it is something in the water such as iron or tannins from leaves or some red algae, that oxidises when it dries,” Webb said.

Keepers say he’s still healthy and acting as lively as ever, so it seems like he’s just trying out a new look more than anything else.

Link

These days it’s all too common to see celebrities like Paris Hilton trotting through the mall with their precious little puppies in their purse, but just imagine if they were as crazy as Salvador Dali with his pet ocelot or Lord Byron with his pet bear. For more strange celebrity pets, be sure to check out this great Flavorwire article.

Link

Tomorrow’s Pioneers

(Video Link)

If you love American television programming, but wish you could use it to teach your children the perils of the evil Western fascist dogs, then Tomorrow’s Pioneers might just be your new favorite kids show. The show features a female host and a few costumed characters, including a knock-off Mickey Mouse character, entertaining children with ideas of antisemitism, anti-Americanism and Islamic extremism. As if that weren’t enough, many of the costumed characters are martyred, most notably, the Mickey Mouse character is killed by an Israeli interrogator, providing youngsters with a deep, long-standing hatred for Palestine’s sworn enemies. Nothing like getting your propaganda into your kid’s minds before they’re too old to think for themselves.

Source

Boohbah

(Video Link)

If you thought the Teletubbies were strange, just wait until you get a load of this show that their creator released after it. According to their website, the Boohbahs are “five magical atoms of power” who live in a Boohball, which is a glowing white ball that can travel from country to country whenever a child calls it. The Boohball features a spinning recharging pod where the Boohbahs can recharge their energy through the laughter of children they play with. Since this show was made for kids between the ages of three and five, I’m going to go ahead and say this show is actually just supposed to entertain kids with bright colors and weird effects –just like the Teletubbies, since all of that background story is way beyond the scope of any kids in their demographic.

Source

Oobi

(Video Link)

Technically these are puppets, but really, it’s a show about hands wearing eyes and occasionally tufts of hair. The hands don’t ever use complete sentences, but just enough words to express what they need to make themselves understood. While I could see how that idea could be helpful for toddlers who have the same language barriers, seeing creepy hand puppets holding things in their mouth and whispering “guess” is surprisingly unsettling for most adults –myself included.

Source

Ludwig

(Video Link)

This one might be utterly bizarre like many of the other shows on this list, but at least it’s incredibly adorable. The basic story involves Ludwig, a forest-dwelling crystal that plays music and will periodically sprout arms, legs or gadgets out of his sides as needed, interacting with the other animals in the forest as a narrator (the only person who talks in the series) describes the action. After seeing some of the other shows here, I think we can all agree that there are a lot worse things your kids could be watching.

Source

LazyTown

(Video Link)

This Icelandic show features a lethargic town that is made entirely of puppets who love junk food and video games. The only exceptions are the villain, Robbie Rotten, the mayor’s niece who is new to town, Stephanie, and a fitness superhero who lives in a blimp above town, Sporticus. Stephanie and Sporticus make it their personal mission to inspire the residents to become more active and healthy, but lazy and anti-social Robbie Rotten wants to put a stop to their actions and fill the town with more junk food. Of course, the irony is that in trying to stop the heroes of the show, Robbie Rotten spends more energy than any other character on the program.

Source

Yo Gabba Gabba!

(Video Link)

You’ve probably already seen this show, or at least some of its characters, but if you’ve never paid attention to the program, you might not think a few dancing singing monsters are really all that weird for a typical kid’s show. But what makes this program particularly bizarre are some of the lessons they try to teach kids through song, for example, “Don’t Bite Your Friends,” and “All My Friends Are Insects.” Of course, with guest stars like Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, Weezer, and Elija Wood, it’s not entirely surprising that this show has enough quirky humor needed to appeal to adult viewers.

Source

Have any of you looked at shows you watched as a kid, or shows your kids watch now, and found yourself asking WTF? If so, share your favorite weird kid shows in the comments.

Slap four leeches on your knee and after 80 minutes, the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis melts away. Of the 16 patients in the trial, the 10 who received leech therapy felt instant relief after application, and the comfort lasted for four weeks. The control patients continued experiencing pain. Researchers claim the leeches’ saliva works as an anti-inflammatory.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do with a stranger is rub feet together. Apparently some people want to though or else there wouldn’t be any competitors in the World Toe Wrestling Championship.

Believe it or not though, that’s not even the highest rated in this list of weird world championships.

Link

Did you know that parrots name their babies? Or that monkeys that understand money immediately use the idea to solicit prostitution? As it turns out, animals are a lot more like humans than many of us ever imagined.

Link

While governments across the globe have been trying to figure out how to control the minds of their enemies for centuries, this practice is already possible in the animal kingdom. In fact, Cracked has a list of 5 incredibly creepy methods of animal mind control that are going on right now.

Link

We’ve already linked to Mental Floss’ list of weird college courses, but if you can’t get enough of these strange course listings, then you probably ought to head over to Cracked and read about six more of these classes including Super Smash Bros. Melee Theory and Practice.

Link

(Video Link)

I always knew you shouldn’t put light bulbs in the microwave, but I had no idea that it would look so cool if you did. If you want to see more weird things you shouldn’t put in a microwave (and the strange results), this BuzzFeed article is a good place to start.

Link

It looks like a pizza and is made from a bunch of pizza-flavored ingredients, but it certainly isn’t a pizza and almost definitely tastes nothing like a pizza. This “meta-pizza”is made from Pizza Supreme Doritos, Pizza Pringles, Flavor Blasted Xplosive Pizza Goldfish Crackers, Pepperoni Pizza flavored Combos and Pizza-flavored Tribe hummus. Yummy? I’m not so sure.

Link

You know, I can understand why Coca Cola would only let two people in the world know their secret formula, but there are some secrets that are just plain silly…like how to do the Hapsburg napkin fold. Yes, one of Austria’s greatest secrets is how to fold a napkin. Read about more weird well-gaurded secrets over at Cracked.

Link

While this picture is already enough for most people to realize this is something no one should ever do,the fact that there is actually a record for most rattlesnakes held in the mouth at one time is just plain wrong. For more bizarre records, check out this great article over at All That is Interesting.

Link

Did you know that Shrek was partially based on a pro-wrestler named Maurice Tillet? Or that Sonic’s rival, Eggman, was based on a combination of Theodore Roosevelt and an egg? Learn more weird inspirations for fictional characters over at BuzzFeed.

Link

Remember Mary Bale, a.k.a. the woman who was tracked down and harassed after someone uploaded a video of her throwing a cat into a trashcan? She’s one of the many people who were taught a lesson by the throngs of angry internet users. You can read more about her and 11 others in similar situations over at Ugo. Fair warning, not all of the people actually deserved what they got.

Link

Do you own more than one property? Do you have so many rental homes with no mortgage payments, yet you still feel unfulfilled? Tired of your illegal tenants whining that there are rats in the walls? Have you always wanted your own dinosaur? Now is your chance my friend.

In exchange for one of your properties, I will be your personal dinosaur for one year. I will be at your beck and call, 24 hours a day, wearing a dinosaur costume. The type of dinosaur is negotiable. I can babysit your children (references upon request), scare the mailman, wash dishes, entertain and impress your guests, and much more.

Link Via Consumerist Image via TypeFiend [Flickr]

This doesn’t appear to be an officially endorsed product, yet someone has created a Windows brand cheese snack. I wonder if the cheese also makes you crash after a few hours?   See all the cheesey goodness at the link

Link

I love hot dogs, but usually I go for the standard toppings. For those of you with more adventurous palates though, Serious Eats has a great selection of bizarre but delicious dog toppings from restaurants around the nation. My favorite are the turkey dogs above with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and a side of cranberry sauce. Yum!

Link

Link

I joke about renting a laundry-folding robot because seriously, who likes to fold laundry? As it turns out, I could probably find one to rent if I looked hard enough. I could also rent a tree, a goat, a wife(?!) or any of the 20 things listed in this handy infographic from The World’s Biggests. Link

(Video Link)

I’ve never seen koalas so angry before. The noises they make are utterly bizarre and strangely cute. If you can ignore the annoying narrator’s comments, it’s a fascinating video.

Historians of the future have their work cut out for them when it comes to decoding some of our current artwork and photographs, I’m sure. What will they think of the LOLcats? Probably something like what we think of these old photos over on Retronaut: Huh. WTF. See more general weirdness, including apparent side-show performers and the Wonder Spot. Link

Would you love a cat that looks like Hitler? Apparently cats looking like Hitler is such an epidemic that there is an entire website dedicated to cataloguing these Kitlers. If you have one you can post your Feline Führer and show him to the world before he tries to take it over. Link

Selleck Waterfall Sandwich:

Perhaps one of the strangest Tumblr blogs around, Selleck Waterfall Sandwich is exclusively dedicated to three things: Tom Selleck, waterfalls and sandwiches.  You’ll be amazed just how many ways these three things can come together in an image.

Citation Needed:

Have you ever seen a citation needed tag on Wikipedia and thought, “really, they need a citation for that?“ Well, that’s the whole point of Citation Needed. One of my personal favorites on the site is this gem, “The band March Hare is named after the March Hare. [citation needed]“ Unfortunately, many of the funny bits on this site are removed from Wikipedia, making Citation Needed the only archive of such comments.

Hungover Owls:

There’s a reason owls are nocturnal creatures –they’re too hung over to be awake during the day. But while hungover humans tend to look downright disgusting, Hungover Owls look absolutely adorable –in a slobbish, grumpy and tired kind of way.

Captcha Art:

Have you ever read a captcha and laughed at how humorously the words seemed to go together? Captcha Art asks you to take a screenshot of the captcha and then submit your artistic interpretation of the message.

Kid Casting:

Whenever a television show or movie needs to do a flashback that involves the main character as a child, they have to cast a child that looks like the main actor. Sometimes they do such a spot on job that you really do believe the two are related. Other times, you can’t help but giggle. Kid Casting makes it easy to compare the kids casted as the flashback versions and the adults who played the main characters. I think my favorite has to be this one of Tina Fey and Alex Baldwin’s flashback kids from 30 Rock.

Caught Dead In That:

If you think there is nothing funny about death, then you’re not going to be a fan of Caught Dead In That. While it may sound like a fashion blog, the site is decidedly more morbid, dedicated exclusively to  humorous tombstones.

Godzilla Haiku:

As the name implies, Godzilla Haiku combines two great Japanese classics –Gozilla (and other budget monster movies) and haikus.

Awkward Stock Photos:

Most people only see stock images that have actually been purchased to illustrate some kind of idea or feeling, but the people who make stock images work to ensure there is an image out there for just about any conceivable notion. As a result, there are a lot of seriously strange stock photos with no apparent use other than humoring the people who read Awkward Stock Photos. Personally, I like to make up completely logical captions for these images in my head.

Garfield Minus Garfield:

Without Garfield, these comic strips seem to depict a sad, lonely man who has taken to talking to himself rather than trying to meet people in the real world. Almost every post on Garfield Minus Garfield is surprisingly depressing, and that’s what makes it so funny.

Panda Loves To Party:

Panda Loves to Party is one of my favorite Tumblr blogs as it is loaded with adorable images of pandas celebrating. Before seeing this blog, I had no idea that pandas were such party animals or that zoos made so many darn ice cakes just for cute black and white bears.

Hotties From History:

Whatever physical traits get you going, Hotties From History is sure to have someone from an era long gone that you would have fancied. Aside from the obvious physical characteristics, the author also makes sure to include any extra tidbit that could help add to your crush.

What do you guys think? Is it just a coincidence these are all on Tumblr or is their something about the site that caters to strange sites? Also, feel free to share any of your favorite strange blogs in the comments (even if they aren’t Tumblr specific).

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a soft spot for seriously strange and seriously niche blogs. Paula Deen Riding Things is one of those blogs.The name says it all. The entire site consists of images of Paula Deen riding on things. Enjoy.

Link

It seems everyone is familiar with the dangers of drug-resistant staph infections and well aware of just how scary they are. As it turns out, they are so terrifying that a woman recently robbed a convienance store using the staph infection on her arm as a weapon.

When a worker confronted her, prosecutors said Slusher showed her Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus-infected arm to the attendant, told him to stay away and then left the store.

She was later arrested and hopefully held in a cell away from the other prisoners.

Link Image via mtsofan [Flickr]

1. Toy Tazer

There are toy guns, toy bow and arrow sets, toy swords and more, but somehow a toy tazer still seems to take things a touch too far –particularly considering the “Police Electric Baton Shock” actually gives out real shocks.  On the upside, it’s only $3.50, so it’s much cheaper than most kid’s toys.

2. The Kaba Kick

Russian Roulette is a ton of fun, but it’s unfortunately completely permanent. If you want to practice the game without those deadly consequences, then you’d better go ahead and start out with the Kaba Kick and the more gentle pink hippo kicks that replace bullets.

3. Cleaning Trolley

It’s totally normal for kids to pretend to do grown up jobs, after all, some kids play house, some play doctor, some play superhero and some play with chemistry sets, but who wants to be a janitor? Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a better idea to push your kids towards an intellectual pursuit than a job in the cleaning industry.

4. Playmobile Security Checkpoint

This just might be one of the most popular terrible toys of all time. In fact, it has become sort of a strange collector’s item, accounting for the fact that it costs an incredible $175 on Amazon right now. That’s a pretty big rip off considering how inaccurate the toy is, I mean you can’t even take off the passenger’s shoes before they go through the checkpoint.

5. Peeing Dog

Maybe it’s just me, but part of the point of giving your kids a dog toy is to skirt the responsibility issues that come with giving your kids a real dog. Unfortunately, giving your little ones a dog toy that still pees in the house seems to negate that benefit. But hey, at least he looks cute.

6. Gelli Baff

I have to admit, I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, the gel turns the water into a nasty and disgusting goop and who wants their kids to bathe in something like that? On the other hand, anything that makes your kids want to take a bath is a good thing, right?

7. Pregnant Midge

Originally there was just Barbie, but then she met Ken and started making friends. Eventually Midge hit the scene, but once she got pregnant with Nicky, she just didn’t quite fit in with the partying Barbie crowd. These days, she’s mostly seen at home watching her three children and hoping some giant monster doesn’t come by to rip open her stomach to extract her newest baby.

8. Breast Feeding Doll

There’s nothing wrong with a little girl wanting to play mommy to her dolls, but when she starts breast feeding the toy, that’s when it becomes a problem. If you’re one of those handful of weirdos that thinks a little girl should know how to properly breastfeed an infant though, then this Bebe Gloton doll is just what you need to help make sure your little angel is 100% ready to have a little angel of her own.

9. The Punisher Shape Shifter

While in the box, this toy looks innocent enough, but this toy design just might be one of the most absurd I’ve ever seen. How could this toy actually get through design, research and marketing without anyone realizing just how ridiculous it is to have a giant “power pistol” coming from The Punisher’s groin or butt that shoots when you pull back on the sleeve.

Video link

10. Buzz Lightyear Sippy Cup

There’s nothing outright wrong with the idea of creating a Buzz Lightyear sippy cup…that is, until you put the straw right where his groin should be. To be fair, if you rotate the lid around it’s not so dirty, but the fact that you can even set it up to look like this is still pretty moronic.

11. Harry Potter Vibrating Broom

Again, this toy doesn’t seem like a bad idea until you give a young girl something to stick between her legs –and then make that thing vibrate. It wasn’t long before sex shops and parents alike took notice and Amazon quickly pulled the item from their inventory. But before that happened, the site had some great reviews like “When my 12 year old daughter asked for this for her birthday, I kind of wondered if she was too old for it, but she seems to LOVE it. Her friends love it too! They play for hours in her bedroom with this great toy. They really seem to like the special effects it offers (the sound effects and vibrating). My oldest daughter (17) really likes it too! I recommend this for all children.”

What are your favorite terrible kid’s toys? Please share in the comments.

In the end, the auction ended up pulling in over $15,000 in bids…unfortunately, the winning bidder refused to pay up and the second place winner wouldn’t take the Second Chance Offer. That left Morgan with tons of free stuff that wasn’t really his to keep and left the Red Cross out of a huge donation.

In order to correct the problem, he has opted to host a massive charity raffle for the prizes. Tickets are only £2.50 and the prizes total more than $1000. The only down side is that this time he’s only giving 70%, apparently because the raffles cost more to run and he needs money to fix the exhaust on his car.

Even so, it’s still a good chance to donate money to a good cause and possibly win a boatload of free stuff. Plus, included in the raffle prize is the opportunity to hang out with Morgan and a bear (presumably someone in a bear suit, not an actual bear).

Imagine trying to prosecute someone who could only respond with oinks and grunts. Believe it or not, trials of this type did happen many times in the middle ages and continue to take place in non-Westernized countries. Mental Floss has a great collection of these stories, including a pig who was executed in people clothes, a donkey who escaped a bestiality charge through a number of character witness testimonies, and a lawyer who was able to help fight off the charges against every rat in Autun, France.

If that’s not enough animal tails trials for you, then check out Crack’s article on the same subject that includes some of the same stories, but also a few different court cases including a cat fighting for its right to free speech and a chicken who was charged with laying an egg without a yolk -which could obviously result in a basilisk baby if it was hatched. In case your wondering, both of the animals named lost and while the cat simply had to stop meowing on the sidewalk for money, the chicken was burned alive on the stake with her egg.

Of course, animals have been known to be on the other end of proceedings as well. There’s always Tabby Sal, the cat who was called for jury duty. While the issue was eventually resolved and the cat didn’t end up serving on a case, I can only imagine what kind of horrible revenge would be in store for us if animals did start to serve on juries.

Bloodletting

To be fair, bloodletting is far from a cure-all like medieval doctors believed, but it is still a useful practice in some cases. When someone suffers from excess iron, known as hemochromatosis, bloodletting is an effective means of releasing the built up iron. The treatment is also used to help people who have too many red blood cells in their blood stream, a condition known as polycythemia.

Maggot Therapy

I know most people think the last thing they should ever see at a hospital is a maggot, but they can actually be a quite effective and sanitary way to treat wounds that do not respond to conventional medicinal treatments. The bowfly larvae eat away dead tissue and bacteria, allowing the healthy, living tissue to thrive. “I call them microsurgeons,” said Edgar Maeyens, Jr., a doctor in Coos Bay, Oregon, who employs maggot treatment. “They can do what we can’t do with scalpels and lasers.”

In many cases, the maggots can help treat festering wounds that have been open for weeks, even years, within only a day or two. While the treatment is pretty gross looking, patients rarely feel anything and when they do, it’s generally an itching or tickling sensation and nothing more.

Leech Therapy

Image via OakleyOriginals [Flickr]

What happens when you cross bloodletting and maggot therapy, you get bloodsucking leech therapy. Of course, the leeches aren’t used for everything, including headaches and ear infections, like they were in medieval times; instead they are used to help drain blood from swollen parts of the body after reconstructive surgery. Doctors find they are particularly helpful when the areas contain many blood vessels that can easily clot up, like the ear.

New studies are underway to find the effectiveness of leeches in other treatments, such as the reduction of pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis.

Worm Therapy

Apparently there have been thousands of micro-surgeons swarming the earth before mankind began, we just never had the science to back them up until now. Worm therapy is yet another insect treatment that is quite promising, and incredibly disgusting. The treatment involves the use of a parasitic worm (the type depends on the specific condition) being intentionally released within the patient’s body.

While scientists have still not drawn any firm conclusions as to the effectiveness of this treatment and the reason it seems to work, preliminary studies have been largely favorable in showing the parasites do have a positive effect. The worms have been used in a variety of treatments including celiac disease, Chron’s disease, allergies, asthma, multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis.

Image via AJC1 [Flickr]

Malaria As A Treatment

How did they treat syphilis before antibiotics were discovered? With a little dose of malaria, that’s how. While it sounds crazy, this treatment is relatively effective. The high fever from the malaria kills the syphilis bacteria and malaria can then be treated with quinine.

If you ever find yourself suffering from syphilis and happen to have malaria treatments on hand, but no antibiotics, you can always try this treatment. Otherwise, it has fallen out of favor since we now have safer methods to treat the STD. Even so, it is still used in some parts of the world.

Fecal Bacteroetherapy

Image via psd [Flickr]

If you were grossed out by any of the other treatments so far, then you may want to skip past this probiotic treatment. Fecal bacteroetherapy is exactly what it sounds like, the treatment of certain diseases with fecal mater. It works by transplanting healthy fecal material from a donor and then inserting it anally via enema into the patient. The healthy bacteria from the sample are believed to help restore normality to the patient.

The treatment is considered quite effective for treating severe inflammatory bowel disorder and may be a good alternative treatment for Chron’s disease and a few other conditions.

Smoking Therapy

Image via locator [Flickr]

Smoking is a bad habit in most cases, but people at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson disease may find the benefits to be worth the risks as studies have shown a 50% reduction in these diseases in smokers.

What’s the weirdest treatment you’ve ever undergone?

Source: National Geographic, Live Science, Wikipedia, Neatorama, Health Mad

Image via hurleygurley [Flickr] (BTW, if you want to make your own brain Jell-O, get the mold at the Neatoshop.)

Our brains are incredibly complex organs that allow us to comprehend both our surroundings and abstract concepts. Unfortunately, because our minds have to process so much information at once in order to help us understand things, they can also be easily tricked. Here are a number of ways your brain not be as reliable as you like to think.

Memories

We like to think that our memories work as photographs that preserve our pasts, but the reality is that memories change all the time and can be manipulated to change even faster.

Image via wallyg [Flickr]

Do you recall seeing the video of the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11? 73% of people remember seeing the video on that fateful day, but the truth is that the footage of the first plane wasn’t released until the next day. The problem is, according to neuroscientist Karim Nader, that every time you remember something, you change it just a little in your mind. Thus, the more we recall a memory, the more we forget the actual details of the event. In fact, if you make up a lie about something and tell it to yourself often enough, your brain will actually start to remember the fib as the cold hard truth.

If that wasn’t bad enough, other people can manipulate your memories just as easily. Remember when the concept of repressed memories came out a few decades ago and everyone started to believe it as absolute truth? As it turns out, repressed memories can be easily implanted in your mind through the power of suggestion. Researcher Elizabeth Loftus told study participants that she was conducting research on childhood memories. She gave them four accounts of stories from their childhood that were written by the relatives. One of the four accounts was a fictional story about being lost in the mall. Loftus then asked them questions about this incident and over a quarter of the volunteers recalled this imaginary event, citing incredible details about the incident.

After learning about these two facts, it’s not entirely surprising that repetition of something can lead to our acceptance of the statement as a truth. It’s called the Illusion-of-Truth effect and it means that we start to believe things are true, despite evidence to the contrary, if we just hear about it enough. It’s sort of our brain’s way of saying, “well if everyone else believes this, then I should too.”

What’s worse though is that when someone has firmly accepted something this way, it’s nearly impossible to prove the truth to them. Think about a cult that says the world will end on a certain date. When the time comes and goes, the cult members don’t realize they’ve been had and move on with their lives, they start rationalizing it, saying that they changed god’s mind somehow. In many cases, being confronted with the truth will only make the mislead person believe his or her convictions even more strongly.

It doesn’t even take manipulation from another person to alter your memories. Your brain can be tricked with a Photoshopped image just as easily. Ms. Loftus, from the repressed memories study, also experimented with falsified images including the famed picture from the Tiananmen Square protest. People who saw the manipulated images were far more likely to remember the events in a different manner than those who didn’t see the altered pictures. By the way, if you realized the crowd in the image above was added after the photo was taken, you’re in the minority.

Concentration

Our brain’s concentration can also lead to some strange problems with cognition. For example, watch the video below and count how many times the white team passes the ball.

Video link.

Did you notice the gorilla? Over 50% of people watching the white team don’t notice the fact that a man in a gorilla suit walks through the court. This phenomenon is known as selective inattentiveness and it makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. When you are hunting or being hunted, you don’t want to be distracted by every little thing going on around you. Sometimes though, this inattentiveness can be a problem. If the players in white were prey and the gorilla was a predator, half of all viewers would be an easy target for the hungry beast.

Interestingly, if we are told not to focus on something after it is brought to our attention, we usually can’t get the image out of our minds. Watch the video again and try to ignore the gorilla. Your eye and your mind will almost certainly keep going back to it.

Image via Marcus Vegas [Flickr]

Similarly, if you try not to think of a white bear, your mind will keep veering back to the white bear. If you’ve ever had a crush that just wouldn’t get out of your head even after you made a conscious effort to stop thinking about him or her, it’s the same problem; the conscious effort makes you focus on the one thing you aren’t supposed to think about. This can even lead to an obsession, which is why so many stalkers know very well that they shouldn’t be so focused on the person at hand.

Senses

Image via Sean Dreilinger [Flickr]

Did you know today is National French fry day? I don’t know about you, but where I live, everyone is frying them up. I can smell French fries all over the place, even in my house. Do you smell them? If so, then I have some bad news; it’s not National French fry day and unless someone’s in your kitchen making fries right this second, your mind is probably playing tricks on you.

Over 100 years ago, Professor Edwin Slosson proved that suggestion is a major part of our sense of smell. He poured distilled water on a cotton ball and told his class that he just poured a sample of a highly aromatic chemical. He then asked them to raise their hands when they could smell it. Within 15 seconds, the majority of the front row had their hands in the air and within 45 seconds, three-quarters of the class was raising their hands.

If you read the rest of this article saying “fine, my memories and my concentration can be manipulated, but my basic observations are more reliable,” then you’re wrong.  Sensory manipulation is so easy that even professionals can be duped.

Image via digimist [Flickr]

A 1998 study by Frederic Brochet asked 54 professional wine tasters to try some wines and write down their opinions. He asked the specialists to taste two white wines and two red wines. The first set of red and white wines were different, but the second set was the same white wine with some red food coloring added, presented as “red wine.” The tasters used completely different adjectives to describe the colored wine as its uncolored equivalent. Their notes on the white wine included things like “dry, apricot, lemon, honey, and straw,” while the red wine notes included words like “deep, cherry, raspberry, spice and black currant.”

He later tried serving the specialists another wine, telling them it was a common table wine for the first sampling and for the second sampling, he told them it was an expensive vintage. The tasters loathed the first sample, calling it “simple, unbalanced and volatile.” When it was presented as a premium wine, they called it “complex, balanced, flavorsome and excellent. While it would be easy to say that this was a good way to prove that wine tasters are full of it, the study actually goes a lot deeper into how we give foods a perception prior to trying them and how this can affect our sense of taste.

The human mind is a complex and wondrous place, but the more you accept its ability to make mistakes, the fewer manipulations you will be subject to. And next time you’re arguing with someone about politics, just remember, whoever is wrong will never allow their mind to accept the truth, even when it is presented conclusively, so there’s really no point to the discussion.

Sources: Elephants on Acid, Smithsonian Mag, Boston Globe, Wiley InterScience, Wikipedia, Cracked

In the Ultimatum game, you’re handed $100 and told to offer a portion to someone else. If the person accepts, then both of you get the money. If he declines, then none of you get it.

Americans typically offer (almost) $50, and reject offers below $40 if the tables were turned. After all, fair is fair, right? But is this how the rest of the world think?

Researchers from the University of British Columbia decided to test the Ultimatum Game to the rest of the world and found that the Western concept of fairness is actually not the norm, it’s the outlier. Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic (WEIRD) people, he argued, are actually the weird ones:

It seems most of humanity would play the game differently. Joseph Henrich of the University of British Columbia took the Ultimatum Game into the Peruvian Amazon as part of his work on understanding human co-operation in the mid-1990s and found that the Machiguenga considered the idea of offering half your money downright weird — and rejecting an insultingly low offer even weirder.

"I was inclined to believe that rejection in the Ultimatum Game would be widespread. With the Machiguenga, they felt rejecting was absurd, which is really what economists think about rejection," Dr. Henrich says. "It’s completely irrational to turn down free money. Why would you do that?"

Link – via Metafilter

A few days ago, I posted about a group of cross-dressing cosplayers in China, in which I used the word "weird." A few Neatoramanauts took umbrage at my choice of words (both in the title and the post) – and the comment thread explored the issues of rudeness, homophobia, and "exotification" (that’s a new one for me).

While I’ll leave that up to you whether you see a valid complaint, I’d like to ask you about the use of the word "weird." Is it a bad word to use? I mean – if someone says, "you’re weird," would you be offended? Is "Keep Portland Weird" an evil demand?

Flickr user Jack Hynes found this head of a fish on a beach in Fiji. A closer look shows a likely cause of death.

A large fish seems to have attempted to eat a puffer fish, which inflated, and killed the large fish with its toxin, tetrododoxin. The rest of the large fish’s body has been eaten as well.

Link – via evilsunday

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by SnowRose.

Austin’s legendary "Cathedral of Junk" is closing its doors after city officials demanded that the 33-foot folk art tower be modified to meet safety requirements. The structure is made of discarded items such as TVs and furniture and was so popular it was listed in Roadside America. So much for the slogan "Keep Austin Weird."

The owner, Vince Hannemann, has decided that altering the 60-ton structure to bring it into compliance with demands made by Austin city officials has altered the unique character of the piece and further modifications will destroy it completely.

Mr. Hannemann commented that the changes he has made in pursuit of city approval have already the rendered the structure a “Junkhenge.”

Link

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Doctor Zom.