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2012/04/10

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Order Now!: The Short History of Paid Programing

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:08 AM PDT

Whether or not you've ever actually watched a full one, you're certainly familiar with the show-length advertisements known as infomercials. But have you ever wondered how these comically bad ads came about? After all, unlike other forms of advertisement, infomercials were created specifically for television. Here's the story of the paid programs we all love to hate.

The Infomercial's Ancestor

(Video Link)

If you're familiar with old-timey radio programs, then you probably already know that many pre-television radio programs didn't have ads so much as sponsors whose name and product would be plugged in between just about every song. Even those unfamiliar with these early radio programs may recognize the idea from the movie O' Brother Where Art Thou, where there are frequent mentions of Pappy O'Daniel's Flour Hour.

Interestingly, that character was actually based on a real life Texas governor with the same name who also had a flour company, Hillbilly Flour, that sponsored a radio program. As if the frequent mention of the sponsor's name wasn't enough, the real Pappy O'Daniel ensured that even his performers reminded people of the product, so he even helped form a band known as the Light Crust Doughboys (the Hillbilly Band in the video was created after the Doughboys broke up). Sure it was still not quite an infomercial, but I'm sure you can see that sponsored programming is certainly nothing new.

Changing Mediums

(Video Link)

As television began  to catch on, the same concept was used again, only instead of using music or radio plays, the sponsors could create entire TV shows devoted mainly to pitching their products while consumers watched the programming intently. One of the most famous early examples was NBC's The Magic Clown, which was created and sponsored by Bonomo's Turkish Taffy and featured regular interruptions promoting said candy (aside from the name in the intro, there’s basically a full commercial at 4:09).

The first real infomercial appeared around 1950 and was for a blender, although there is a heated debate as to whether it was for a VitaMix or a Waring blender.

It wasn't long before the FCC caught wind of the schemes and started cracking down on advertising on television by restricting the amount of ads that could appear during a regular hour of television to only 18 minutes.

The first modern-styled infomercial ran in the seventies on San Diego's XETV and promoted local homes available for purchase. Because the station was broadcast and licensed out of Tijuana, the FCC's ad regulations had no jurisdiction over their programming.

Opening New Doors


While there were certainly a few exceptions to the FCC's rule, like the program ran on XETV, it's Frank Cannella who is considered the father of infomercials. That's because when the young ad man was asked to market a new hair growth treatment in 1982, he thought, 'why not advertise it in a half-hour block?' Somehow he managed to convince networks to buy the program-length ad despite the ban on these types of ads and the commercial was shown late at night in place of the test patterns and static the networks would otherwise show after their programming ended. The inventor of New Generation hair products soon became a millionaire and Cannella became an advertising legend.

(Video Link)

The infomercial format proved successful and rather than cracking down on the networks showing them, the FCC decided to eliminate their program-length ad restrictions all together in 1984. The next year, Cannella quit working for his old ad agency and formed his own dedicated exclusively to the new medium of infomercials. Soon enough, Soloflex, hair in a can, juicers and the famed George Foreman grill all became goldmines thanks to the new advertising format.

Of course, restrictions remain and vary from country to country. For example, in the UK, mainstream networks couldn't broadcast infomercials until 2009 and now they can show up to three hours of infomercials per day. In the early nineties in Canada, infomercials could only consist of photographs, not moving video, a restriction that has long since been removed.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of shady businesses and get-rich-quick schemes jumped on the opportunity to advertise through infomercials. Since the 90's federal and state consumer protection agencies have seemed to be constantly suing one infomercial company or pitchman or another. Fortunately, the ads are becoming at least a little less sketchy, in 2006, the first ever third-party testimonial verification company was launched to validate the testimonials used in commercials and infomercials. It's not a huge difference yet, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Infomercials started out as an exclusively late night offering. I'm sure many of you even remember seeing them come on and then reminding yourself, 'I guess it's time for bed.' In more modern times though, late night TV has become increasingly popular, leaving infomercials to sneak their way into daytime programming as well. As more soaps and game shows were cancelled, mid-day infomercials became increasingly common, but these days it's not uncommon to see infomercials airing on certain cable networks during prime time. Heck, there are even stations dedicated exclusively to playing infomercials.

(Video Link)

The infomercials themselves have even become more legitimate. Back in the eighties and nineties, the only political candidates to turn to infomercials were fringe candidates like Lyndon LaRouche and Ross Perot, but in the 2008 election, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both used infomercials to help push their campaigns. Humorously, they still seem just as cheesy as any other infomercial though.

Since the recession, infomercials have become even more popular as networks have started seeing fewer traditional ad dollars heading through the door. Rather than making or syndicating actual shows that don't have enough ad money, stations have increasingly turned to infomercials to fill in the gaps in their programming. Most notably, Fox cancelled its Saturday morning cartoon block after a dispute with provider 4KidsEntertainment and has now replaced the programming with a two hour block of infomercials –won't someone think of the children!

Personally, I never buy anything I see on infomercials because I just don't trust them, but I have watched a few, if for no other reason than the fact that they were just so darn ridiculous –did you know there's a blender that can whip water? What about you guys? Do you ever watch paid programming? And if so, have you ever actually ordered anything from an infomercial?

Sources: Wikipedia #1,#2, #3, USA Today, Direct Marketing Magazine and Response Magazine

12 Underappreciated (But Equally Precious) Bodily Fluids

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 04:06 AM PDT

Blood, sweat, tears, and a few other bodily liquids we don’t talk about in polite company are the main body fluids you know. There are plenty more you might not know, but they all work together to make you exist and function properly. For example, have you ever heard of interstitial fluid?

Interstitial Fluid, AKA tissue fluid, works in conjunction with lymph and plasma (the liquid part of your blood) to maintain your body's internal pressure and make sure your organs and other fluids properly interact. Most interstitial fluids have a specific job and a specific name, like peritoneal fluid, which lubricates everything inside the abdomen, or pleural fluid, which coats the lungs to allow them to do that whole oxygen exchange thing so you can live. And you were giving air all the credit.

Read about the rest and what they do at mental_floss. Link

The Secret Life of Plankton

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 03:56 AM PDT

This one is wonderful: using state of the art optics, marine biologist Tierney Thys reveals the secret life of planktons in this first ever TEDTalk given by a fish (you'll understand when you view the video clip).

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Andrew Sullivan's The Dish

The Pet Fit Club 2012 Finalists

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 03:49 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

A British reality TV show called The Pet Fit Club takes overweight pets and tries to reform their lives. It sounds like a better concept than The Biggest Loser, because we can all root for the pets, who are not only obese through no fault of their own, but also cannot say dumb things to make us dislike them. Their owners, on the other hand…. Link -via The Daily What

Taxonomy Humor

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:19 PM PDT

The science of naming species comes with a few perks. If you were studying the genus Gelae, how could you possibly resist naming the little beetles Gelae belae, Gelae donut, Gelae fish and Gelae rol? The bug pictured here is of the species Gelae baen. Pronounced just like you’d think. Yes it is. And that’s just one of 17 examples of taxonomy humor you’ll find at Buzzfeed. Link

(Image source: taringa.net)

Elephant on Mars

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:07 PM PDT

There may not be any green men on Mars, but there sure is an elephant there! The image above is actually of the dried flood of lava over the Elysium Planitia volcanic region of Mars, as captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: Link 

Firefly in a Jar

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:53 PM PDT

Just make sure that you don’t catch Cap’n Mal’s Serenity. It won’t be worth the trouble it’ll cost you.

Crafster member spikefan embroidered this cute cover for a sketchbook.

Link -via Geek Crafts

Yes, This Is William Shatner Wearing a Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:40 PM PDT

He does this to humble — to look like one of us. Remember: The Shatner does not need a proton pack to bust ghosts. They dissipate before him at his will.

Link -via Nerd Bastards

Star Trek Enterprise Light-Up Feeding System

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:28 PM PDT

Star Trek Enterprise Light-Up Feeding System - $23.95

These are the voyages of parenthood. It is time to boldly go where no solid food has gone before.  It is only logical that you arm yourself with the proper tools. You need the Star Trek Enterprise Light-Up Feeding system from the NeatoShop.

This awesome Star Trek Enterprise Light-Up Feeding System includes a light-up bib and Enterprise NC-1701 shaped spoon. The LED’s in the bib are motion activated. The starship spoon is also equipped with flashing LEDs. The spoon’s lights can turn on/off.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Star Trek items!

Link

Cherry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:25 PM PDT

Woah, now, that cheesecake isn’t a proper, healthy breakfast! You need to modify it a bit. Mix it with cherries, shove it inside some challah, then batter your bread with an egg mixture. Soon enough, you’ll have some healthy French toast.

Link -via That’s Nerdalicious! | Photo: Brooklynsupper

Wood VHS Cassette Table

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:17 PM PDT

Pretty cool, huh? Take a closer look. Someone taped over Star Wars…with Police Academy 4!

We don’t know much about the person who made this wonderful yet offensive coffee table. S/he goes by a pseudonym — “t76″ — probably for personal safety reasons.

Link

Burglar Busted by Busting a Move

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:07 PM PDT

Perhaps dancing your signature moves isn't the smartest thing to do while committing a burglary. Here's how police in Galveston, Texas, identified a possible burglary suspect:

Galveston Police Captain Jeff Heyse released the 38-second video on Wednesday which shows a young man briefly chatting with others before performing a short dance routine, which allowed them to identify a possible suspect.

"The 16-year-old juvenile suspect is known for his 'swag,' or signature dance move, and (he) does it in the hallways at school," Heyse stated in a press release obtained by the Galveston Daily News.

The footage was captured between 8 and 9 p.m. on March 27, when three men reportedly broke into an amphibious automobile that the touring company "Duck Tours" uses to drive sightseers along the streets of Galveston and ferry them across Galveston Bay, the paper reports.

"Three suspects somehow scaled the side of the vehicle and made entry into the emergency exit on the roof," Heyse said in the press release. "They sprayed the fire extinguisher inside the vehicle and subsequently stole the extinguisher."

Link

Zombie Apocalypse: A Map of Resources

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:50 PM PDT

You were foolish and didn’t make any preparations until it was too late. Now there are zombies everywhere and you need supplies.* Go directly to the interactive Map of the Dead. Type in an address and it will plot out gun stores, liquor stores, hospitals, hardware stores and other resources in your area.

Link -via Say Uncle

*Yeah, the address that I gave you for my shelter was disinformation. Sorry. Nothing personal, just operational security.

Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics in LEGO

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:39 PM PDT

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov famously devised three laws that all robots should follow:

1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Simon Primordial Greeble created LEGO dioramas representing these laws. The second is illustrated above.

So: there’s a dog poop piece. That never appeared in any set that I owned as a kid.

Link -via Geek Dad

Vancouver Bans Bagpipes

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:06 PM PDT

Want to torture entertain us with your bagpipe in Vancouver, Canada? Not so fast: the city has outlawed the torture musical instrument for noise complaints.

Huzzah or boo? Whatever you say, the bagpipers are bleating their complaints though thankfully none have resorted to picking up the nuclear option equivalent of musical instruments, the vuvuzela.

Link (Photo: Tobin Grimshaw/The Globe and Mail)

World Record Rube Goldberg Machine

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 03:46 PM PDT


(YouTube link)

Purdue University’s Society of Professional Engineers broke its own world record Saturday by demonstrating a Rube Goldberg contraption with 300 steps. Not only that, they made it relatively compact, as these things go, by creating rotating courses that fold out on cue. All that just to blow up and pop a balloon! Link -via The Daily What Geek

Previously: Purdue Sets World Record in 2011.

Akira Motorcycle in Real Life

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 03:45 PM PDT

In Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 Japanese anime classic Akira, Shotaro Kaneda rides a very sweet and very fictional custom motorcycle. Well, Masashi Teshima decided to rectify that last part: he spent more than 7 years and $120,000 to bring Kaneda's motorcycle from the pages of the famous manga series into reality.

Behold, the real life Akira Motorcycle over at Nerd Approved: Link

World Leaders Looking at Model Cities

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 03:01 PM PDT


Photo: Eric Federberg/Reuters

The blogosphere has parodied North Korean leader Kim Jong Il as being fond of looking at things, but there's one thing that he and leaders of other nations have in common: they all like to look at model cities.

Nate Berg of The Atlantic Cities compiled a collection of 25 leaders of the free and not-so-free world looking at miniature cities:

Whether they're taking credit for a development they likely had nothing to do with or trying to feign interest in a facility they probably don't care about, city models can be a prime minister's (or a president's, or a queen's) best friend. These 25 world leaders and heads of state from today and the recent past show how looking at small-scale models of big city projects can create the impression that they actually have some semblance of control over how their domain is built and developed.

Or, perhaps they like model cities because they're fun! Link

Invasion of the Nintendoids

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:28 PM PDT

Totally rad! You can be a Nintendoid, too, with all this cool gear from Homer’s of Omaha! That is, if you were a young gamer in the early ’90s who bugged his parents until they bought such stuff. Clothing available in men’s and children’s sizes. Link

IKEA to Build Entire Neighborhood

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT


Conceptual design by LandProp Services

You can get furnishing for your home from IKEA. Heck, you can get an entire house from IKEA, but the giant Swedish company ain't done yet: it wants to build an entire neighborhood!

The people who run the Swedish home-furnishings behemoth are launching a bold push into the business of designing, building and operating entire urban neighbourhoods. Where once they placed a couch in a living room, the Swedes now want to place you and 6,000 neighbours into a neglected corner of your city, design an entire urban world around you, and Ikea-ize your lives. Their bold, high-concept notion of an urban ’hood could be an important solution to the housing-supply shortages that plague many large cities – but it could take some getting used to.

Doug Saunders wrote the article in The Globe and Mail: Link - via Design Taxi

So Neatoramanauts, would you live in IKEA-land?

Previously on Neatorama: 10 Things You Didn't Know About IKEA

Teen Sold Kidney for iPad and iPhone

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 12:59 PM PDT

Apple's iPad costs an arm and a leg here in the United States, but in China, the organ you'd have to part with is the kidney:

It sounds like the stuff of urban legends, but the official Chinese Xinhua News Agency is reporting that five people have been arrested for alleged involvement in the removal and selling of a teenager's kidney for transplant, according to the Associated Press.

The Xinhua story said the 17-year-old student, identified only by his surname Wang, gave up his kidney for money, some of which was used buy two of Apple's most popular products -- an iPad and an iPhone. [...]

As the story goes, the mother of the student uncovered the plot. According to Xinhua, she asked her son how he could have afforded an iPad and iPhone, and he told her that he had sold one of his kidneys.

Link

Water Guns Banned, Real Guns OK at GOP Convention in Florida

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 11:57 AM PDT

There's politics, and then there's gun politics: You cannot bring squirt guns to certain areas of the GOP convention in Tampa, Florida - safety reasons, you understand - but real guns? Those are perfectly fine as long as you have a concealed carry permit.

Tampa’s Mayor has produced a list of items that will be considered security threats during the week-long event.

The list runs from air pistols to water pistols and also includes items such as masks, plastic or metal pipes, hair spray, mace, placards and string more than six inches long.

The city is proposing a ‘clean zone’, which has drawn rallies about the wide restrictions on protesters over a large area, but “if we’d tried to regulate guns, it wouldn’t have worked,” said City Attorney Jim Shimberg.

The city cannot put actual firearms on a ‘security threat’ list because state law bans local governments from placing any restrictions whatsoever on the carrying of guns in public spaces.

Guns will be banned from the security zone the Secret Service will set up around the convention site, but not immediately outside that perimeter. So protesters cannot wield a piece of wood larger than a ruler but they can carry a concealed handgun.

Link

Should Hospitals Ban Fat Employees?

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 10:57 AM PDT

Our health care professionals have been haranguing us for years to lose a few pounds - so is it fair for us to expect that people working for the hospital to be, well, not fat?

Citizens Medical Center, a Texas healthcare facility, is walking the walk: they're refusing to hire fatties (people with body mass index over 35, classified as severely obese):

Officials say the measure is meant to promote healthy living, so that employees can set an example for patients. The rule is legal in Texas, and the medical center is hardly the first company to institute weight-related policies — in 2010 grocery chain Whole Foods started offering workers with low BMIs better employee discounts. Considering how hard it is for anyone to get a job these days, should hospitals be able to reject applicants based on their weight?

So - what do you think? Is it discrimination for hospitals not to hire people because of their weight? Link

Prosperity Paramount in 1929

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT

 

Quick, what’s the one thing you know about the year 1929? I bet it has nothing to do with fire, flood, or disease. This picture appeared in the December 30, 1928 issue of the Ogden Standard-Examiner of Ogden, Utah. In the full graphic, the horoscope for the year is broken down into months, and the biggest headline for October is “World Peace Established.” Yeah, you can say hindsight is 20/20, but a better adage would be, “Don’t make predictions based on astrology.” Read more at Paleofuture. Link

Doctor Who Dalek Factory Set

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 09:23 AM PDT

Doctor Who Dalek Factory Set – $64.95

Attention Doctor Who fans! Are you seeking conquest and world office domination. You need the Doctor Who Dalek Factory Set from the NeatoShop. This fantastic construction playset from Doctor Who features:

  • Swiveling Dalek factory machine arm
  • Moveable conveyor belt
  • control panels
  • Dalek component hopper
  • Rejected part bins
  • Dalek Scientist
  • and Dalek Drone

This set is perfect for exterminating cubicle stress. Remember, all work and no play makes a Doctor Who fan a dull cyborg.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Doctor Who fun.

Link

Name That Girl Scout Cookie

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 09:12 AM PDT

Now that the schools and kiosks are out of Girl Scouts cookies for the year, it’s time to test your knowledge. Of course, if you have a stash in the basement freezer, you might have a leg up on today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. But try it by memory. The challenge is to match up images of the cookies to their names. There are nine cookies. It may be quite simple -I got all the cookies right that were available when my daughters sold them, but missed all that were introduced after that point. Link

That’s NOT an Easter Egg!

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 08:42 AM PDT

A child participating in an Easter egg hunt in Holford, Somerset, England, on Saturday found something the organizers did not hide there. It was egg-shaped, but it was a hand grenade!

The area was cordoned off and the bomb disposal squad destroyed the grenade in a controlled explosion, police said. It also resulted in the closure of a highway for a few of hours.

“We were beginning to count up the eggs at the end of the hunt and I saw a boy of three standing on an object,” Stuart Moffatt, who was attending the hunt with his three children, told the Daily Mail.

“It was brown and about four inches high. It looked like an Easter egg, but it was a hand grenade.

Officials believe the grenade may have been left over from World War II. Link -via Breakfast Links

(Unrelated image credit: Flickr user Corey Holms)

Lakes and Oceans

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 08:18 AM PDT

Randall Munroe’s xkcd comic today is a chart showing the relative depths of lakes and ocean features. It’s best seen at full size. In the small detail shown here, the bow and stern belong to the Titanic. What surprised me the most was the depth of the Deepwater Horizon oil well. Also, check out what James Cameron found in his recent trip to the Challenger Deep. Hover over the original comic for the punchline. Link -via Laughing Squid

The Internet Described in 1974

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:43 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

In 1974, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke told a reporter from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation what computer use would be like in the year 2001. At the time, the technology to link one computer to the next was in its infancy. Clarke could see possibilities far ahead of ability. -via Geeks Are Sexy

Rethink Your Drink

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 07:07 AM PDT

The post doesn’t say who made this display, but it’s a great way to visualize the amount of sugar in what you drink. Personally, I prefer black coffee with my sugar on the side in the form of a doughnut; that’s easy to visualize. Link -via Nag on the Lake

The Wild Horses of Tonto National Forest

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT


(video link)

Becky Standridge photographs wild horses in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. It began as a hobby. Over time, she’s gotten to know each horse, so her photographs are a godsend to wildlife officials from six agencies as a catalogue of the herd, helping them to figure out the best ways to manage the horses.

“I identify their color, their blaze, their socks. All the characteristics. Who’s who. What’s going on”, she explained. “The horses are all very special. Their family bonds are very strong. Their freedom is extremely important to them.”

Now Standridge has a uniform and an official mission to document the horses, which may help to save their lives. Link -via Arbroath

King of the Lemurs

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:34 AM PDT

This little lemur appears to be showing off his biceps for the ladies! Of course, redditors have dubbed this particular ring-tailed lemur King Julien, the lemur from the 2005 film Madagascar.

They are referring to the lemur’s attitude, but I can see the resemblance. Link -via Buzzfeed

Slow Motion Car Crash Lasts a Month

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:11 AM PDT


(Video Link)


(Video Link)

Watch a disaster unfold. You’ll need about a month.

Well, if not for time-lapse videos, you would. Jonathan Schipper’s art exhibit at the AV Festival in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, showed a car crashing into a wall. Every hour, the car was moved forward 7 millimeters. Over the course of a month, visitors saw it impact and crumple against the wall. The embedded videos above show the first two weeks.

The Other Videos | Artist’s Website -via Blame It on the Voices

Previously by this artist: Katamari-Like Giant Ball of Monitors and Cameras

The Insane Experiment

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 05:08 AM PDT

The following is an article from Uncle John’s Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader.

BRI member Ben Brand sent us this information about a couple of experiments conducted by a Stanford professor a few years ago. The results are a little scary -but frankly, they’re not that surprising, are they?

EXPERIMENT #1

Researchers: Dr. David Rosenhan, a professor psychology and law at Stanford University. He was assisted by eight people, carefully chosen because they were “apparently sane in every measurable aspect, with no record of past mental problems”: three psychologists, a psychiatrist, a pediatrician, an artist, a housewife, and a psychology graduate student.

Who They Studied: The people who run America’s mental institutions.

* Using pseudonyms, the researchers presented themselves at 12 different mental institutions around the U.S. as patients “worried about their mental health.” They were admitted and diagnosed as insane. According to Ron Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle, “All told the same tale of trouble: they had been hearing voices which seemed to be saying ‘empty’ or ‘hollow’ or ‘thud.’ This was the only symptom they presented, and the pseudopatients were scrupulously truthful about all other aspects of their lives during interviews and therapy sessions.”

* Perlman adds, “As soon as they were admitted to the hospitals, they stopped simulating any symptoms at all, and whenever they were asked they all said they felt fine and that their brief hallucinations were gone. They were cooperative a patients and behaved completely normally. The only symptom they might then have shown was a little nervousness about the possibility of being found out.”

* They remained in the institutions for as long as 52 days, getting regular treatment.

* The eight “mental patients” scrupulously kept a written record of both their treatment and the things that happened around them in the mental wards. At first they did it furtively, hiding their notes so that the staff wouldn’t find them. But gradually they realized that the staff didn’t care, and never even bothered to ask what they were writing. “One nurse,” writes Perlman, “noticing that a pseudopatient was taking regular notes, saw it as a symptom of a crazy compulsion. ‘Patient engages in writing behavior,’ she wrote portentously on his chart day after day.”

What They Learned: “We cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals,” Rosenhan reported. Moreover, he added, “it’s the hospitals themselves that might be ‘insane,’ rather than the patients confined there.”

Some of the evidence:

* Of the eight experimenters, seven were diagnosed as schizophrenics; one was diagnosed as “a victim of manic-depressive psychosis.”

*  And when they were released, they were described as “improved,” or “in remission,” but no doctors listed any of them as “cured.”

* The staff at the institutions never suspected the eight experimenters weren’t crazy …but the real patients did.

* Perlman writes, “Many of the real patients challenged them. ‘You’re not crazy,’ they insisted. ‘You’re a journalist or a professor. You’re checking up on the hospital.’” Rosenhan’s wry comment on the subject: “The fact that the patients often recognized normality when staff did not raises important questions.”

EXPERIMENT #2

At one of the hospital included in the experiment, administrators doubted Rosehan’s results. It was, they insisted, impossible for professionals to make such egregious mistakes. So Rosenhan suggested a new experiment that would prove either the hospital or his own findings right.

Researchers: Rosenhan, and an undetermined number of “pseudopatients.”

Who They Studied: The hospital staff. Rosenhan told the hospital that his new assistants would pull the same stunt they’d tried before, and challenged hospital officials to detect them.

What They Learned: Rosenhan’s original findings could well have been correct.

Some of the evidence:

* “The hospital staffs took extra pains diagnosing the next 193 patients admitted for psychiatric treatment,” Perlman writes, “and sure enough, 41 new patients were determined by at least one staff member to be a “pseudopatient” -a sane person posing as insane. Twenty-three patients were judged to be sane by at least one psychiatrist.”

* Actually, not a single one of the 193 were sent there by Rosenhan.

* That didn’t mean they were really insane, of course -Rosenhan offered no conclusions about them. He merely pointed out that as soon as doctors and their staff expected to find sane people among the patients, they did.

* His conclusion: “Any diagnostic process that lends itself so readily to massive errors of this sort cannot be a very reliable one.”

_____________________________

Reprinted with permission from Uncle John’s Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader, which comes packed with 504 pages of great stories.

Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.

If you like Neatorama, you’ll love the Bathroom Reader Institute’s books – check ‘em out!

 
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