If Panama Hats Didn't Originate In Panama, Where Are They From?
From Nation, For Nation - Pulse of the Nation
Do You Really Just Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day?
The Disney Roller Coaster That Doubles As Medical Treatment
There are many physical sensations people experience when riding a roller coaster: heart flutters, a drop in the stomach, and lightheadedness, to name a few. But did you know that Disney’s iconic Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster has also been known to make your body react in more substantial ways, such as passing a kidney stone? Believe It!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the OG rides at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. First opening its doors to the public in 1979 at the California park and 1980 in Florida, the mine train roller coaster features sudden drops and hairpin turns along a bumpy track and even whizzes through the ribcage of a dinosaur fossil. And while you’re busy passing through that skeleton, all of that careening can make a kidney stone pass right through you.
According to a 2016 article by Live Science, a study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that several patients had found relief from their kidney stones after riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster.
Kidney stones are hard, crystalized mineral masses that can form in your kidneys. They range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Kidney stones can cause many painful symptoms, including sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and discomfort while urinating. While most patients don’t need medical treatment for kidney stones, passing them can be extremely painful. The masses must travel from the kidneys, down the ureter, and into the bladder. From there, the stones exit the body via the urethra.
The scientists behind the study were intrigued to hear claims from patients that riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad helped them pass their kidney stones. To effectively test the coaster’s capabilities, the researchers made a 3D model of a kidney and filled it with urine and three real kidney stones in different sizes. Then, they stuck their mock kidney in a backpack (ew!) and boarded Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The scientists rode the roller coaster 20 times. During each round, they tested the positions of the three kidney stones in different areas of the kidney model. For instance, on one ride, they put the largest stone in the upper section of the kidney. On another ride, the large stone was placed in the middle of the model. The doctors found that sitting at the front of the coaster resulted in 17% successful passage rates. At the back, the kidney stone passed about 64% of the time. This was probably because things get bumpier in the back.
More than a half million people go to the ER for kidney stones each year. However, for those that have an extremely small stone stuck in their kidney, they might want to give a roller coaster ride a whirl.
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From Globe, For Globe - Pulse of the Planet
There are 32 million possible combinations!
Cain’s Jawbone is a literary puzzle and murder mystery that has been around for 90 years and, after all these years, only three people have ever solved it. It was devised in 1934 by English poet and cryptic crossword compiler Edward Powys Mathers, who wrote under the name Torquemada, and consists of 100 pages from his 1934 collection The Torquemada Puzzle Book. Powys Mathers claimed the pages were printed “in an entirely haphazard and incorrect order” and wrote that it was too late for him to remedy the ordering of the pages.
Therefore, the reader’s goal is to put the pages back in the correct order and figure out who kills who in the book. In total, there are six murders, which means six victims and six murderers? Or could there only be one perpetrator? You’ll have to put on your best crime-hunting hat and channel your inner detective to find out.
There are 32 million possible combinations, and if you’re able to put the story together in the correct order, you win a reward of $1,335. At this rate, they should probably give the next lucky puzzle solver a raise!
The first two individuals to solve the puzzle were Mr. S. Sydney-Turner and Mr. W.S. Kennedy who sent their solutions to The Observer. Upon being announced correct, they received their cash prize and recognition in the paper.
It had been reported by The Guardian’s Alan Connor that the answer to this literary puzzle was thought to be gone forever. But just when they thought there was no hope, Laurence Sterne Trust, administrators of Shandy Hall, a historic museum in Geneva, Ohio, received a copy of The Torquemada Puzzle Book. This prompted Patrick Wildgust, one of the museum’s curators, to work quickly to see if they were able to uncover the solution to the puzzle.
Incredibly, they were able to confirm the solution with one of the two previous puzzle solvers. Answer in hand, Shandy Hall partnered with the publisher Unbound to re-issue Cain’s Jawbone in autumn of 2019. Powys Mathers’ secret was safe with the museum. They allowed those inquisitive enough to take a stab at the puzzle to do just that. Twelve people came back with what they believed was the right answer and only one was actually correct.
That person was British comedy writer John Finnemore. Quarantine was a time of puzzles, games, and figuring things out, so Finnemore took it upon himself to dive deeper into the infamous Cain’s Jawbone while he had some extra time on his hands. He did some online research to make a bit more sense of the novel’s plot and dug deep for any literary references he could find. Although, he came up with nothing. After a bit of defeat and a mere four months, Finnemore finally solved the puzzle.
Powys Mathers, your secret is now also safe with Finnemore, one of the few people alive who know the true answer. Wildgust also is sworn to secrecy. We challenge you to be the next to solve this so-called “impossible” puzzle. Proceed with caution, as it’s been reported that this puzzle is extremely difficult and not for the faint-hearted. Good luck!
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