Category: Biology

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Worst Way to Scare a Cat

Why are cats so afraid of cucumbers? The common theory is that cucumbers look like snakes, and cats have evolved a natural fear of snakes. Cats see only in black and white with red, so the green color of a cucumber does nothing to de-worry the cats.

Another factor worth considering is that the cucumbers are often placed while the cats are obliviously eating or sleeping. When the cat suddenly sees the cucumber, all they know in that instant is that something possibly ominous has appeared that they were not expecting.

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Worst Jokes About Science

Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!

Did you hear about the chemist who was reading a book about helium? He just couldn’t put it down!

Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems!

What did one magnet say to the other magnet? I find you very attractive!

Why do chemists like nitrates so much? They’re cheaper than day rates!

How do you organize a space party? You planet!

What did the zero say to the eight? Nice belt!

Why did the physics teacher break up with the biology teacher? There was no chemistry.

What’s the fastest way to determine the sex of a chromosome? Pull down its genes!

Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts!

Did you hear about the biologist who had twins? He named them Gene and Jean!

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus!

Why did the bacteria join the gym? They wanted to get a little culture!

What’s a scientist’s favorite type of dog? A lab!

What’s the difference between a chemist and a plumber? A chemist washes their hands before they go to the bathroom, while a plumber washes their hands afterward.

Did you hear about the chemist who lost an electron? He’s positive he’ll never find it.

Two antennas met on a roof and fell in love. The ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was excellent!

What’s a physicist’s favorite food? Fission chips!

Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired!

How did the mathematician solve his constipation problem? He worked it out with a pencil!

What did one DNA strand say to the other? “Do these genes make me look fat?”

Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He will stop at nothing to avoid them.

What’s the difference between a dog and a marine biologist? One wags a tail, and the other tags a whale.

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Worst Way To Manage a Dog

Most dog owners don’t realize the harm a dog collar can cause. Veterinarians have reported dogs with tracheal collapse in varying degrees up to death, permanent pain injuries due to spinal problems, epilepsy, and even broken teeth and legs, all from dog collars.

You might be wondering how legs can be broken. It turns out a dog scratching an itch can get a leg stuck under the collar. In their ever-more frantic attempts to get free they end up breaking their own leg.

So what can you do?

1. Replace the collar with a harness, as shown above.

2. Don’t yank your dog’s leash as a training technique or punishment. Evidently a training coach at a Petco store accidentally killed one of his students by doing this.

3. Make sure the harness fits correctly. You should be able to slip a thumb under the harness, but not your whole hand.

4. If your dog stays in at night, remove the harness for the dog’s comfort and health.

5. Tell your friends who own dogs, and even people who know people who own dogs, about this web page.

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The Worst Gap in Medical Education

Extensive studies published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association (AMA) show that the average U.S. medical student receives about 19 to 20 hours of nutrition education over four years.

The vast majority of those ~20 hours focuses on basic clinical biochemistry (such as vitamin deficiency diseases like scurvy or metabolic pathways) rather than practical, counseling-based nutrition for preventive health or disease management.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends a minimum of 25 hours of dedicated nutrition instruction. Less than 30% of U.S. medical schools currently hit this benchmark.

This is unfortunate since the majority of diseases start with poor nutrition or can be entirely avoided with good nutrition. When doctors can advise on nutritional improvement, usually eating less sugar and starch, many diseases can be minimized or cured without invasive procedures or medicines with sometimes serious side effects.

10 Fascinating & Curious Facts About Medical School

Unusual traditions, bizarre history, and surprising realities of medical education

1. Professional Actors Are Hired to Feign Illness

Medical schools employ “Standardized Patients”—trained actors who simulate specific physical symptoms, psychological conditions, and emotional outbursts. They grade students not just on diagnostic accuracy, but also on bedside manner and empathy.

2. Students Formally Thank Cadavers at “Anatomy Memorials”

Before or after human dissection courses, most medical schools hold formal memorial services. Students read letters, play music, and express deep gratitude to the donors and their families for providing their first “patient.”

3. Medical School Admissions Used to Accept No Women

Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S. in 1849—and her admission was originally intended as a joke by the faculty, who put the vote to the all-male student body assuming they would reject her.

4. Students Learn Physical Exam Skills on Each Other

Long before practicing on real patients, medical students practice routine clinical skills—such as abdominal palpation, neurological reflexes, and ophthalmoscopic eye exams—by acting as test subjects for their classmates.

5. The “White Coat Ceremony” is a Relatively Recent Invention

Though white coats have been worn for over a century, the formal ritual welcoming first-year students with a white coat began at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1993. It has since spread worldwide.

6. Medical Slang Has Its Own Deep Subculture

Medical trainees historically developed elaborate jargon. Concepts like “zebra” refer to an extremely rare diagnosis when a common one is far more likely (“When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras”).

7. High-Tech Robotic Mannequins Can Sweat and Bleed

Modern medical simulation labs feature high-fidelity mannequins that breathe, dilate their pupils, cry, bleed, moan in pain, and react realistically in real time to drug dosages administered by medical students.

8. “Match Day” Dictates a Doctor’s Entire Career Path in One Envelope

On the third Friday of March, graduating medical students across the U.S. simultaneously open sealed envelopes at 12:00 PM EST to reveal where they will spend the next three to seven years for residency training.

9. Sleep Deprivation Limits Were Only Enforced Recently

Historically, medical residents worked up to 100+ hours per week. It wasn’t until 2003 that the ACGME capped resident work hours at 80 hours per week following major public health advocacy and safety investigations.

10. Scent Adaptation is a Learned Survival Skill

During gross anatomy and clinical rotations, medical students encounter intense smells ranging from embalming fluid (formaldehyde) to severe infections. Many use peppermint oil or Vicks VapoRub under their surgical masks to cope.