Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Stink Theory

Just yesterday evening on the electric wireless, there was a short piece about TCM the scientists and another of their invaluable experiments. I will list the points made.

·         They were conducting experiments on mice in order to research pain
·         The mice did not show behaviour consistent with experiencing pain
·         They (the experimenters, not the experimentees, ffs) deduced that the mice’s reaction was due to their showing signs of stress which somehow alleviated the pain
·         This stress disappeared when the experimenters left the room
·         They then discovered that the stress was only present when the mice were being handled by men; when women were present it had no effect
·         They discovered that the scent of men is similar to the scent of male mice and this was influencing the mice
·         They proved this by asking the men to leave behind their sweaty t-shirts and leave the room – the mice were stressed by the smell of male human clothing
·         This experiment was conducted in Canada

Here are some of my observations on this little story

·         After 14 billion + years of this universe expanding, the most intelligent life form known in these parts has still not evolved beyond the stage of finding it necessary to torture rodents.
·         Don’t we already know that observers affect the outcome – innit called the Observer Paradox or summat?
·         If the smell of the human male has such an acute effect upon the scientific method, it supports my theory that all of the science I learned in school is flawed, if not complete balderdash. All of the experiments I observed during the 5 painful years I was forced to learn chemistry, physics and biology were conducted in the presence of a roomful of adolescents. For most of the time I was too shy to get close enough to the girls to find out whether they smelt unpleasant, but I can testify that the boys were beyond disgusting and this has been my experience of adolescent males ever since; they stink. The little belief I had before in magnetic north and south poles, the reflexes of frogs and Avogadro’s hypothesis and all other guff has now dissipated, and I confess to feeling strangely liberated. Those particles whizzing round the corridors at Cern are motivated only by the need to get away from the disgusting odour of physicists. We shall learn nothing about the nature of existence by meddling with it.
·         If the human armpit smells like a mouse armpit, then there is probably a market out there for rodent deodorant.
·         If you are unfortunate enough to be admitted to hospital and require an operation make sure that you request that the anaesthesiologist has appalling personal hygiene.
·         The sight of the experimenters removing their shirts would probably cause most sentient mice more stress than the smell of their sweat.
·         Canadians are not as friendly as they would have us believe
·         Science or religion – which one is more crazy? Buggered if I can decide.

8 comments:

Rog said...

Very interesting and agreed.

Although I think you'll find the "Observer Paradox" concerns the loss making Sunday Newspaper which spouts opportunities for all yet is solely run by cosseted privately educated elite.

Vicus Scurra said...

Thank you, Rog. I am always open to being better informed.

Indigo Roth said...

Incisive analysis as ever, Old Son. I would like to propose that we trademark the name "Deodorodent(TM)", and wait for the millions to roll in. Cheers, Roth

Wofl said...

I think mice might like me - although a human male, I smell like a horse. Dogs certainly rush across streets to sniff my groin, and I spend a lot of time sniffing myself because horse is my favourite smell. Have I died and gone to heaven ? Am I the Living Horse-god ?
dsdnt.blogspot.ie

Vicus Scurra said...

Auban!
Welcome dear boy - your odours are welcome here, and your habits will not be judged.
love and peace

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

I think that you are right about the myth of "Canadian niceness " Nice Canadians are dying out and now there are only about ten living in Sudbury.
Another myth - Canadians are sexy.
The studies were conducted in Brasile, 60 university students were participating in order to find out if there is a difference between making love with a dead fish or a Canadian.
Unfortunately, scientists could not come up with any findings because no one wanted to make love with a Canadian.

First time visitor, thanks auban, delightful "crap".

Vicus Scurra said...

Hello Jindra
Please pull up a prairie and make yourself comfortable.
You are very harsh on Canadians - we will be much nicer to you.

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

Wait a minute Mr. Vicus !
Initially, I was harsh on everything. After coming to Canada I became nice. It is not practical. Now, I save niceness to a selective few.
There are still nice Canadians around. I made love to some and after the session we had fish.
One time I had my Canadian girl in my arms on the Copacabana beach just to show them !