Thursday, October 24, 2013

A related note about corpses.

Today I learned about the story of Elmer McCurdy:
In December 1976, during filming at Queens Park (A.K.A. The Pike), of the television show The Six Million Dollar Man episode "Carnival of Spies" (#4.17) (1977), a crew member was moving what was thought to be a wax mannequin that was hanging from a gallows. When the mannequin's arm (some accounts say finger) broke off, it was discovered that it was in fact embalmed and mummified human remains. Later, when medical examiner Thomas Noguchi opened the mummy's mouth for other clues, he was surprised to find a 1924 penny and a ticket from Sonney Amusement's Museum of Crime in Los Angeles.
Long story short: the guy got shot in 1911, got mummified, got turned into a sideshow attraction, and somehow became a prop on a California boardwalk.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Friday, October 11, 2013

Salt of the earth

The word of the day is 'saltern'. That's a place where salt is made. We've been doing that (making salt, that is) since prehistoric times, but what's even more interesting about salterns is how rich they are in salt-loving microorganisms. One such group is the Ectothiorhodospiraceae, or purple sulfur bacteria. They just love salt. That, and sulfur. 

There's no conclusion here. I just really enjoy microorganisms with exotic lifestyles.