Scientific Humor: Cello Scrotum

In 1974 Elaine Murphy reported the condition that came to be known as “Cello Scrotum” to the British Medical Journal. The condition was supposed to be occur among cellists and was a painful complaint caused by their instrument repeatedly rubbing against their body. Well over 30 years later the originator admits that the condition was a just a hoax. BBC writes:

“Anyone who has ever watched a cello being played would realise the physical impossibility of our claim. “Somewhat to our astonishment, the letter was published.”

Baroness Murphy, formerly a professor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, did not sign the 1974 letter herself, fearing that she might get into trouble. Her husband John, now chairman of a Suffolk brewery, signed it instead.

The reason for coming clean according to the Baroness was when the hoax was included again in the 2008 Christmas edition of the BMJ. Even though making up science is serious I just can’t stop smiling at this which feels more like a prank than the scientific fraud it is. It also goes to show that even well established journals are not to be trusted.

Rubbing the cello against the body causes “cello scrotum”? It makes you wonder how the editors of the BMJ thought the cello was played – or did they think it was something that cellists did after hours?

Cellist by St Stev (CC by-nc-nd)


Photographic film and social change

While in Vienna I saw the surprising and nostalgic sight of two tourists helping each other to change a role of film in their camera. The development of film has been superseeded by digital cameras which themselves are losing to mobile phone cameras. Mobile phone cameras are digital cameras but the camera as an artefact is slowly disappearing. Another thing that happened in Vienna was that I browsed a collegues photographs of the art she had seen over the last year all stored in her mobile phone – no need for a camera here.

The demise of photographic film is a fascinating story beginning way back in 1876 when Hurter and Driffield experimetnted with light sensitivity of film. Naturally early photography did not use rolls of film which I have pangs of nostalgia for but the early daguerreotypes used tricky glass plates consisting of polished silver surfaces coated silver halide particles deposited by iodine vapor (wikipedia).

Eastman Kodak changed all this in 1885 with the first flexible photographic film. This breakthrough made cameras cheaper, easier to use, lighter to carry and the era of snapshot photography was launched. Now the photographer could easily carry a camera and use it on people who did not have to be standing still. The privacy implications launched a major discussion into the nature of privacy in relation to technology. The seminal article in the privacy field is The Right to Privacy by Warren and Brandeis (1890), is still widely quoted.

The move from the heavy and complex equipment to the small, cheap and portable devices show how changes in base technology affect social change. The ubiquitous holiday snaps are a product of these developments. Now that this phase is going to its grave, being overtaken by digital photography, we see new developments. More photographs are being taken and (maybe) saved but there also seems to be an issue of accessibility and use.

If the pictures are not online do we ever look at them?

Friday at last

It’s been a long week and I am looking forward to leaving the mill for a relaxing break… Maybe a spot of culture and a relaxing book?

Because its Sunday

It’s been a long weekend going slowly blind over text and screen. It’s time for a reasonable level of Monday normality to start. But before that it’s time for some light relief. These are from my absolute favorite cartoonist Mattias Adolfsson, he does the most amazing artwork, creative interpretations of our inner animals (or just fun stuff – you decide). I am the proud owner of a framed original. Here are Some Animals from his blog which capture my weekend…

Mattias Adolfsson - Reading Dragon

Mattias Adolfsson - Reading Dragon

Mattias Adolfsson - Computer worker

Mattias Adolfsson - Computer worker

CC photos of Göteborg on Flickr

Flickr has over 2 billion images – that’s a lot. If you type in the search term ”Göteborg” – my home town – suddenly you have the more manageable number of 66 804 hits. Of these 13 820 images are available under one of the six Creative Commons licenses which allow others to reuse the images.

The reason I know these numbers is that I have been doing some preparatory work for a project. I have looked through the 13 820 images and chosen 279 of them.

What computers replaced II

Shorpy published another wonderful old office picture this time it’s from the Computing Division (as the sign in the photo helpfully explains). This time it’s November 24, 1924. Washington, D.C. “Bonus Bureau, Computing Division. This time it’s not the people who are fascinating everyone is too busy to look into the camera but rather the rows of shiny machines. It is also interesting to see that this is a female dominated workplace (I see three men working machines) but the supervisor is a man.

check out the full size here.

What computers replaced?

Ever wonder what computers replaced? Well one of Shorpy’s recent images gives a great example with this excellent image of office workers. Check out the different people! I mean open the open up the picture and take a look at the characters. All gone now, replaced by laptops, or else stuffed in cubicles…

Washington, 1923. “Stamp Division, Post Office.”

National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Click for larger image.