If you put all your fish in one barrel, they might be inclined to align themselves, if they are not too far from the magnetic north pole or south pole, suggests this study: “Magnetic Alignment in Carps: Evidence from the Czech Christmas Fish Market,” Vlastimil Hart [pictured here with a non-magnetically aligned dog], Tomas Kusta, […]
Tag: Christmas
Surgical Insight: How to truss a stuffed turkey
Veterinary surgeons offer their insight to anyone who plans to cook a Christmas (or Thanksgiving or other) turkey. Details are in this new study: “Investigation of the best suture pattern to close a stuffed Christmas turkey,” D. Verwilghen, V. Busoni, G. van Galen, M. Wilke, vol. 169, no. 26, Veterinary Record, 2011 pp. 685-6. The authors, […]
Paraffin wax in the Male Bladder (revisited)
From the British Medical Journal, Aug 27, 1949, where Dr. B.B. Rapackl describes a case he encountered in Poland in 1936. “The patient was admitted to hospital with acute cystitis. Cystoscopy confirmed this diagnosis, and to my great surprise revealed a blue-tinted twisted Christmas candle floating on top of the liquid (‘rivanol’) which had been injected into […]
Politicians’ Christmas Lottery Windfall
Christmas randomness can pay off for politicians, implies this new study: “Politicians’ Luck of the Draw: Evidence from the Spanish Christmas Lottery,” Manuel Bagues and Berta Esteve-Volart, FEDEA Working Paper #2011/01, January 2011. The authors, at Universidad Carlos III and FEDEA, Madrid, Spain and at York University, Toronto, Canada, explain: “It is well known that […]