What happens when a scientist has too much motivation, too much time, and too little good sense in the time of corona....

"Two magnets ended up in my left nostril while the other one was in my right. At this point I ran out of magnets."

Astrophysicist Daniel Reardon is good-spirited about his attempt to invent a face-touching warning device that ended up with him in hospital. (The Guardian)

Comments

  1. Jess DKMarch 30, 2020 at 1:15 PM

    End of incident report "Denies further magnets" pretty much takes the cake for me! I'm so glad that there are really smart people out there willing to share when they have managed to make a real mess of things to let the rest of us have a laugh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 30, 2020 at 1:33 PM

    Still laughing after reading it earlier today. Each step along the way seemed completely reasonable, until it all went wrong. Humans are remarkable - our ingenuity and our misadventures. Reassuring about the human spirit, even when it all goes awry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LucyApril 4, 2020 at 10:04 AM

    This story was featured on Wait, Wait.... NPR's quiz show this morning as one of the true/false stories!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownApril 14, 2020 at 6:01 AM

    Sent this story to my physicist brother, who still maintains that physics is the only 'true' science.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Respiratory Viral Season: Fall 2023 Edition - Dr. Dora Anne Mills

  Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH The View from Maine Sept 17, 2023 Respiratory Viral Season: Fall 2023 Edition   Below is an overview, recommendations, and common questions related to this year’s respiratory viral season. At the very end are links to references with more information, in order by topic as they appear below.   Last week, the US FDA and US CDC issued approvals and recommendations for the updated fall 2023 COVID-19 vaccine. Everyone 6 months of age and older is recommended to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine as well as an annual influenza vaccine. Both vaccines are updated and formulated to protect against the strains that are circulating and/or predicted to circulate this fall and winter.   One of the main lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic has been the importance of taking some simple steps during respiratory viral season, which is the fall and winter, when we more commonly see influenza, RSV, and other respiratory viruses.   Although we don’t fully know if COVID-19
Read more

36 Best New Year's Traditions to Ring in 2024

Image
 from the Pioneer Woman 36 Best New Year's Traditions to Ring in 2024 Raise your glass to new beginnings! BY  REBECCA NORRIS Published: Dec 15, 2023 New Year's Eve  is a time to reflect on the past year, embrace the present, and look forward to the year ahead. Folks all over the world have New Year's traditions they enjoy each year alongside family and friends—whether it's watching the  New Year's Eve ball drop  in Times Square, coming up with  New Year's resolutions , or whipping up a traditional meal of  good luck foods . There are so many ways to celebrate, and many of them can even be done from the comfort of your couch. If you're not feeling up to attending or hosting a  New Year's Eve party , you could always take a cue from Ree and Ladd Drummond—one year, they ditched their fancy  New Year's Eve dinner  plans in lieu of staying home and watching movies and football. That doesn't sound like a bad way to spend an evening! For more great opti
Read more

New MHIR staff introduction - Melissa Sassman

Melissa is a Maine native and grew up in Saco. Though she has traveled and lived or spent considerable time in Kansas, Virginia, and Washington D.C., nothing compares to Maine. She completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Southern Maine. Her Master’s was completed under the guidance of Dr. Doug Currie who studies developmental neurobiology and the effects of various toxins and toxicants on cells of the nervous system. She taught at USM for 10 years before leaving academia to get back into the lab. She is very excited to be a part of Dr. Rosato’s Lab.  Melissa LOVES to eat, read, go for walks and hikes with her dogs, and do yoga. She is also licensed to sell real estate and is a certified yoga instructor!  
Read more