The Straight Dope 09/06/2002

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The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 09/06/2002

Dear Cecil:

You haven't had a really odd column in a while--how about an
overview of trepanning? Who are some of the people availing
themselves of this "earliest known surgery" and why are they
allowed to run around loose (if in fact they are)? KIDS,
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! --hraka

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Cecil replies:

Sound advice for troubled times, bub. Trepanning, also known
as trephination, is the art of boring a hole in the skull
for medical, mystical, or, God help us, recreational
purposes. Practiced since the Stone Age (hence the "oldest
known surgery" sobriquet), trepanning was common well into
the 19th century, and a few iconoclasts are attempting to
revive it today. One thinks with a shudder: Could this be
the next goth fad?

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020906.html


STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

The recent column on lightning rods sparked (if you'll
pardon the expression) a different thought: How do they
"ground" electrical outlets on the space station? Or in any
spacecraft, for that matter? Where do all those unattached
electrons go? Do they whiz on over to the Van Allen Belt?
Does the vacuum of space have the unlimited potential of
earth? Or does every space shuttle have a big static
electricity spark whenever it lands? Does this have
implications for colonies on the moon and Mars? --David E.
Romm, Mpls. 

SDSTAFF Chronos replies:

Whence cometh this silly notion that every electrical
circuit must have a ground? Speaking as a scientist, I blame
electrical engineers. Science is pure and holy. It's when
engineers put science into practice that things get messed
up.

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspaceground.html


STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 10/21/1977

Dear Cecil: 

I've gone through life wondering about a childhood discovery
that I must resolve before I slip into chronic adult
paranoia. Lying in bed with a winter cold, I noticed that
when I coughed, I sparked- -but only when my eyes were
closed. What does this mean? Am I all right? Need we be
concerned about the power drain? It would be a shame to
short out before my time. Should I avoid coughing in the
tub? In the rain? --Sparky, Washington, D.C.  

Cecil replies: 

Don't worry, goofball, you're not going to electrocute
yourself. The sparks are an optical illusion.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_095a.html

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