What are the wierdest things you've learned gaming?

[Sejs]

According to my buddy who was studying forensics at the time 5-6 hours.

There are variables like fat content...a fatter person burns up more quickly.

*nod* Closer to 6. Longer if you can't get an even burn on the corpse, or keep the flames at a reasonably consistant level. You can speed up the process a bit if you drain the corpse (mainly blood, occasionally digestive contents), and reduce some of the thicker cross-sections of the body.

/parafuneral

 

[Abisashi]

I learned why canabalism is bad beside the moral implications. Thanks to Aftermath I believe it was. It ha to do with Human flesh having all the same bad germs/diseases etc as the human eating so the likelyhood of it making you sick increases if not cooked properly. This is also why Pork is dabgerous if ill prepared becuase pig metabolism is similiar to human.

In addition to this, eating human brains gives you an equivalent of mad cow disease; there is no other way of getting this (you get different prions from cows.) But I don't think I learned that from gaming.

 

[mythusmage]

You're thinking of Kuru, a disease peculiar to the Kuru People of New Guinea. Kuru was spread among them because of their practice of eating the brains of their honored dead. It was their way of honoring the deceased, and sharing their wisdom.

This practice was stopped when western medicine figured out what was happening and informed the Kuru People. Pretty much stopped the disease in its tracks.

As far as I know, you can't get a prion by eating a human brain these days.

 

[Razz0putin]

One of the weirdest things I've ever learned happened when I tried to run Reverse Dungeon. I tried it with 3 different groups where the players play a bunch of goblins. In the module you get lousy characters but you get a few of them, There is a leader goblin who has bodygaurds. What I found interesting during each time I ran it there was always, ALWAYS someone who would toady up to the leader and ALWAYS someone who would have a problem with the leader. Something very intersting about human nature in there

 

[BiggusGeekus]

In addition to this, eating human brains gives you an equivalent of mad cow disease; there is no other way of getting this (you get different prions from cows.) But I don't think I learned that from gaming.

Which makes me kind of nervous to know how you did learn it.

Has any ENworlder gone missing lately?

 

[MonsterMash]

Ok, couple of things I learned which I would otherwise have never known..

- Robot is Polish for slave.

Actually robot is worker in Polish and Russian

- The bigger the Dice, the higher the average roll. I am convinced of this.

What do you mean, physically bigger or more sides?

 

[Wraith Form]

I learned that, in a kidnapping, it's considered a federal offense (and thus the FBI will be involved) after the victim has been taken across state lines. (Thanks, Delta Green research!)

My wife was a bit alarmed to discover that I knew this.

 

[radferth]

I'm sure I've learned lots of weird things, but the oddest I've intentionally done research on is the effect of platypus venom.

 

[Razz0putin]

I'm sure I've learned lots of weird things, but the oddest I've intentionally done research on is the effect of platypus venom.

okay I'll bite (no pun intended) what IS the effect of the mighty platypus's venom

 

[mythusmage]

okay I'll bite (no pun intended) what IS the effect of the mighty platypus's venom

Hurts like Hell.

In case you didn't know: The male platypus has a spurs on his back feet. They are connected through ducts to poison glands. Used in mating fights.

The saliva of the common shrew is now considered toxic in some circles.