Every week we learn something new, we learn something better. And this week is no different. But instead of learning about historical facts, we will learn about prehistoric monsters, human experiments, and not-so-fun facts about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Scroll down to have a look.
The Monster Study
In 1939, the University of Iowa conducted an experiment in which scientists relentlessly criticized every imperfection in the speech of 22 children (10 of whom were orphans) for six months straight. This was meant to test if stuttering could be induced by psychological pressure.
Although none of the children developed a stutter, they did develop other psychological problems that went on to last a lifetime. The incident has since been dubbed “The Monster Study.”
Medicating With Alcohol
From the late 1960s to the early ’80s (before fetal alcohol syndrome was widely understood or recognized) pure alcohol was often administered as a treatment to stop preterm labor. In the late stages of pregnancy, alcohol could be given intravenously in large amounts, sometimes continuing long after the mother had passed out.
Those who reacted badly to the treatment (suffering vomiting, headaches, hangovers, and general intoxication) would even be stripped down to their hospital beds to make them more “manageable.”
Even worse, later studies found that in addition to the harm this method caused to the fetus and mother, it also had no more effect on preventing preterm labor than a placebo.
A Harrowing Pattern Of Paternity
There’s a surprisingly widespread issue in the medical world of fertility doctors using their own sperm to impregnate clients with neither their knowledge nor consent. It’s such a common problem that some states have had to introduce legislation to make this act a crime, or to allow victims to seek justice.
One fertility doctor who engaged in such fraud was even thought to have fathered more than 70 children in his career – without any of the mothers’ knowledge.
Terror Underground
In 1976 Chowchilla, CA, three men kidnapped a bus driver and 26 children, then held them captive in a small moving truck underground. The men intended to hold their targets for ransom.
Fortunately, after approximately 16 terrifying hours spent in the cramped space, fearing that the ceiling would cave in or that they’d run out of air, the children and driver were able to dig themselves out of the underground prison and escape.
Yet Another Reason To Hate Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes don’t just have one straw-like proboscis, they actually suck your blood with six tiny needles. Two needles covered with teeth saw into the skin, another two (called mandibles) hold the skin open once it’s been sawed apart, one drools anticoagulating saliva into the wound to keep the blood flowing, and the final needle actually sucks the blood.
It’s like this tiny pest is performing tiny surgery every time it “bites” you.
Cool Culture, Carved Coffins, And Creepy Cadavers
The Igorot people of Sagada, Philippines, have an ancient interment ritual in which the elderly carve and paint their own coffins. After they pass, their family members fold them into those coffins in the fetal position (often breaking the deceased’s bones in the process) and nail them to the side of a cliff face. Suspending the cadavers mid-air is thought to bring the deceased closer to their ancestral spirits.
Furthermore, “mourners let fluids from the decomposing cadaver drip onto their bodies, believing that it will bring them luck.”
An ‘Offal’ Experience
The house used for filming 1974’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre had no air conditioning, and temperatures would often surpass 100 degrees inside, once even reaching 115 degrees. Adding to the discomfort, real offal and rotting meat were used on the set instead of props and would sit there baking in the Texas heat.
“We would do a scene and then all run to the window so that we could throw up,” said Ed Neal, who played the hitchhiker in the movie.
Hold Onto Your Butts
Brazilian butt lifts are one of the deadliest types of cosmetic surgery. One report found that one to two out of 6,000 BBLs resulted in the patient’s passing, and in 2018 a group of British doctors recommended that the procedure stop being performed altogether due to the health risks.
Moreover, recovery is incredibly difficult, as recipients can’t sit down or lie on their back for anywhere from two to eight weeks.
Despite this, its popularity continues to surge, with over 40,000 people receiving buttock augmentations in 2020 alone.
The Mystery Of The Tully Monster
Tullimonstrum Gregarium, AKA the Tully Monster, had such strange anatomy that scientists have argued for decades over whether it was a vertebrate or invertebrate.
Fossils of the bizarre creature, which lived over 300 million years ago, suggest it had a soft, conical body; a long proboscis with sharp teeth; and a bar-like structure on top of its back, which was possibly a set of eye stalks.
The Ninth Club
Within the world of classical music exists a superstition known as the “curse of the ninth.” Believers contest that a great composer’s ninth symphony is meant to be their last, and they will pass shortly after its completion. Some famous examples of those allegedly affected by this curse include Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, Dvořák, and Mahler.
Of course, skeptics will point out that many composers have escaped this fate, so the so-called “curse” is likely more akin to the infamous 27
