Monthly Archives: November 2005

While most of us are quite familiar with the name Rasputin and some of the mysticism associated with him, not many are aware that he was allegedly quite the prophet. Not long before his death, he composed a last will and testament, addressed to the last Russian Tsar, Nikholai II. Here is a loose translation from the copy presented in the book, “My Thoughts and Reflections” by Grigori Rasputin (edited, foreword/prologue by Oleg Slavin).

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Any farm-savvy secret agent can tell you that it’s always a good idea to keep abreast of livestock-stupefying techniques. A chicken’s brain is small enough to be eclipsed by a dime, and is therefore a particularly easy subject. You’ll need A) an ordinary chicken, and B) a finger. In the old days they used chalk, but a plain old finger or a stick does the job just as well.

Start by holding the chicken’s head against the ground, and place the tip of your finger on the ground right in front of the chicken’s beak. Then, while holding the chicken’s head, use your finger to draw a straight line directly away from it. It will quickly enter a trance-like state with significantly reduced heart and respiration rates, and will remain this way for anywhere from fifteen seconds to several hours. Most of the time, it’s on the order of a few minutes before the bird normalizes.

Description from the Old Farmer’s Almanac

There is a very real, very disturbing, and very rare medical condition called “Alien Hand Syndrome” (AHS). An individual with this neurological disorder has full sensation in the rogue hand, but is unable to control its movements, and does not feel that it is a part of their body. The hand becomes personified, as if it has a will of its own, and its owner will usually deny ownership of the limb.

Though AHS was first identified in 1908, it was not clearly defined until 1972. Depending on the cause of the injury, the movements may be random or purposeful, and may effect the dominant or non-dominant hand. The symptoms are brought on by an injury to the brain, such as head trauma, stroke, tumor, or infection, but it can also be a side effect of a certain kind of brain surgery where the patient has the two lobes of the brain separated to relieve severe epilepsy.

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In 1966 1960, Howard Dully became one of the youngest recipients of an “icepick” lobotomy at the age of 12. The psychiatrist who administered the procedure, Dr. Walter Freeman, believed that mental illness was tied to overactive emotions, and that this procedure of cutting the brain dulled the errant feelings, and “cured” the patient.

Howard Dully was brought in for the procedure because his stepmother described him as “unbelievably defiant,” saying among other things: “He objects to going to bed but then sleeps well. He does a good deal of daydreaming and when asked about it he says ‘I don’t know.’ He turns the room’s lights on when there is broad sunlight outside.” After Howard’s stepmother visited with Dr. Freeman, he suggested that “the family should consider the possibility of changing Howard’s personality by means of transorbital lobotomy.”

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“Thermonuclear fusion” is a big phrase with big connotations. Related phrases that immediately come to mind include “the Sun” and “H-bomb”. For those following the field, “Tokamak” and “Shiva” might pop up. What about the word “benchtop”? Throwing this in instantly brings up the 80′s “cold fusion” fiasco. But some of the frontrunners in the race to achieve controlled nuclear fusion are humble devices that could fit on your kitchen table. The newest, introduced in April of 2005, could fit in your pocket. And we’re not talking about cold fusion.

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