Category Archives: Medicine

What If? Rejects #12.1: Ticks

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Fire Tornados! Next post in this series: Resonant Frequency Q: What if I swallow a tick that has Lyme disease? Will my stomach acid kill the tick and the borreliosis, or would I get Lyme … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #12.1: Ticks

What If? Rejects #10.1: Knife Wounds

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Everyone Knows It’s Slinky Next post in this series: Stunt Bike Q: What is the probability that if I am stabbed by a knife in my torso that it won’t hit anything vital and I’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #10.1: Knife Wounds

What If? Rejects #8.1: I Am Not a Doctor

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Nuke It From Orbit! Next post in this series: The Little Shop of Horrors Q: A toxin blocks the ability of the nephron tubule reabsorption but does not affect filtration. What are the possible short-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #8.1: I Am Not a Doctor

What If? Rejects #6.2: Chainsaws

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: A Well-Balanced Meal What If? bonus: How Many Seconds in Eternity Next post in this series: Thor’s Hammer Q: What temperature would a chainsaw (or other cutting implement) need to be at to instantly cauterize … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #6.2: Chainsaws

What If? Rejects #6.1: A Well-Balanced Meal, Part 3

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Two years ago, I began a series of posts based on Randall Munroe’s book, What If? The What If? book and website are described as “serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #6.1: A Well-Balanced Meal, Part 3

What If? Rejects #6.1: A Well-Balanced Meal, Part 2

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. In Randall Munroe’s What If?, one of the most complex questions that he declines to answer is the following: What is the total nutritional value (calories, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc.) of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

What If? Rejects #6.1: A Well-Balanced Meal, Part 1

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Cutting the Cheese Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. What If? bonus: How Many Seconds in Eternity? Q: What is the total nutritional value (calories, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc.) of the average human … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Medicine, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What If? Rejects #1.1: Teeth

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Next post in this series: Fire. Randall Munroe’s bestselling book, What If? answers many absurd hypothetical questions with serious scientific answers. However, there are a number of questions that Randall refuses to answer and prints solely for entertainment value. These … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Reading, Science | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Of mice and men and monkeys

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Caloric restriction is a diet in which humans or animals eat fewer calories than they normally would–anywhere from 20% to 50% less. It has become a fad diet for some, not just for losing weight (which is the obvious result), … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Current events, Medicine | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Of mice and men and monkeys

Supreme Court rules human genes are not patentable

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

In what is widely seen as a victory for science and medical research, as well as common sense, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled unanimously today that human genes cannot be patented. (Read the opinion here.) At issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Current events, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Supreme Court rules human genes are not patentable