Crazy Researches and Experiments (Part 1 of 3)

We seem to view research as a serious thing, sometimes scientists are more attuned to the process and forget to laugh once in a while. However, there are some scientific papers which might give you that tickle in the belly once in a awhile.

Safe and Painless Manipulation of Penile Zipper Entrapment

Abstract

Entrapment of prepuce in a zipper is a common cause of prepuceal injury in children. The reported interventions include dismantling the zipper with bone or wire cutters, to circumcision. A quick, simple and non-traumatic approach to the zipper manipulation is presented in which prepuce is instantly released by lateral compression of the zip fastener, using a pliers. (Read it online)

The Pitch Drop Experiment

Summary

A heated sample of pitch (highly viscous liquids which appear solid) is poured into a sealed funnel and allowed it to settle for three years. After that, the seal at the neck of the funnel was cut. This allows the pitch to start flowing. Large droplets form and fall over the period of about a decade. The eighth drop fell on 28 November 2000, 70 years since the pitch was allowed to flow. (Read it online)

The Effect of Country Music on SuicideAbstract

This article assesses the link between country music and metropolitan suicide rates. Country music is hypothesized to nurture a suicidal mood through its concerns with problems common in the suicidal population, such as marital discord, alcohol abuse, and alienation from work. The results of a multiple regression analysis of 49 metropolitan areas show that the greater the airtime devoted to country music, the greater the white suicide rate. The effect is independent of divorce, southernness, poverty, and gun availability. The existence of a country music subculture is thought to reinforce the link between country music and suicide. Our model explains 51% of the variance in urban white suicide rates. (Download full text PDF)

More crazy researches and experiments in my future posts. Please leave a comment.

(Photos: fark.com, grdurand.com, moejackson.com)