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| So you're into sci fi? But what about sci fact? Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction... Each month our very own Voyager Science Queen* will bring you interesting, quirky and downright bizarre tasty morsels from the world of science. And its all completely, totally, 100% true! December Sci-Facts |
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Another year has passed by. The past is passed. It was another interesting year - as they all are – and the Science Page is now five years old. As usual, I like to celebrate the holiday season with something light-hearted. This year, I thought we could revisit with Mary Shelley, a Science Page guest from this year, and look at a famous hoax that fascinated and inspired her. The Roger Dodsworth Hoax In 1826, it was claimed an Englishman, a physician by the name of Dr James Hotham, discovered a frozen body in the French Alps. Now, we all know that this isn’t so unusual, as we have all heard of Otzi the Iceman, the ancient mummified Copper Age hunter who dies in the Alps. But, the frozen man discovered by Hotham was reanimated! Once thawed out, he returned to life. This iceman claimed to be a Seventeenth century Englishman, Roger Dodsworth. (Isn’t that a coincidence...both English, and yet in the location of this miraculous event is in Continental Europe.) Dodsworth said he had met with this frozen fate while crossing the Alps in 1654, and he had been 37 at the time of his refrigeration. He alleged he had been on ice for over 170 years. For a while, he was something of a celebrity, and was constantly in the papers, quoted frequently using ‘quaint’ language. Mary Shelley wrote about him, but her tone is incredulous. I would argue that Dodsworth and Hotham were inspired her 1818 Gothic novel: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.Biography – Otzi the Iceman Otzi the Iceman is a well-preserved natural mummy of a Copper Age man, found in the glacial ice in the Alps, somewhere between Austria and Italy. He lived and died around 3300 BC. Otzi the Iceman was discovered by two German tourists, Helmut and Erika Simon, on September 19, 1991; Otzi’s body was originally thought to be a recent corpse. He is now on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. His body has been extensively examined, measured, x-rayed, and dated. At the time of his death, Otzi was a 30-to-45-year old man, approximately 160 cm (5'3") tall. He had 57 tattoos, some of which were located on or near acupuncture points that coincide with the modern points that would be used to treat symptoms of diseases that Otzi seems to have suffered from, such as digestive parasites and osteoarthritis. Some scientists have theorized that the tattoos indicate an early type of acupuncture – so much for the 'New Age' tag for this type of treatment. He wore a woven grass cloak, leather vest, trews and shoes. The shoes were waterproof and wide, and designed for crossing snow. Otzi was equipped with a copper axe, a flint knife, a quiver of arrows, fire-starting equipment and a tall, unfinished yew longbow. The DNA analysis of Ozti and his gear revealed traces of blood from four other people: one from his knife, two from a single arrowhead, and a fourth from his coat. A CAT scan revealed that Otzi had an arrowhead imbedded in the flesh of his shoulder when he died, matching a small tear on his coat. The arrow shaft had been removed, possibly by a friend or companion. He also had defensive wounds, such as bruises and cuts on his hands, wrists, and chest. Otzi had died from these wounds, received in a fight.
By demand, this month I am supplying a picture of me. Why you all want to know what I look like is beyond me … |
| *The Voyager Science Queen is also known as Lynne Green So, who is this woman who attempts to entertain us with Science? Well, I really am a scientist. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, in Zoology. And, at the moment, I am working in a Pathology laboratory. I have always been intensely curious about every aspect of our universe, from the teeny tiny workings of the gene right up to the mind-bending forces that are twisting and knotting inside a blackhole. So, now I am sharing a brain stuffed full of trivia...and hopefully entertaining people at the same time. As well, I write Fantasy stories and novels. One day, I hope to have a book published, but don't hold your breath. Reading is my other major love, and my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, though I could list hundreds of others. If I had one wish, I ask for more time to write! Read previous Sci-Facts: Happy Birthday Looking for more scientific oddities? Have you checked out Dr Steven Juan's website? He is, quite literally, the wizard of odds! |
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