e pur si muove

Takchek reports that neurologists at the National University Hospital (for Oriental Magic), in collaboration with the Hogwarts school nurse, have published a summary of magical outpatient cases in the Annals of the Academy of Medicine in Singapore.

It’s a comprehensive study of the records of the magical ailments of 5500 magical folk, comprised of “908 wizards, 579 witches, 8 trolls, 9 ghosts, 18 poltergeists, 1800 house-elves, 3 centaurs, 1 unicorn and 2172 goblins”, and 2 “of indeterminate subtype”, all with the admirable goal of identifying parallels between magical and mundane illnesses. Amongst other things, Professor Trelawney is diagnosed with the muggle ailment of pneumocephalus, inflated aunt syndrome is identified as subcutaneous emphysema, and cheering charms are considered as possible non-pharmaceutical replacements for Prozac.

I, for one, am not at all certain that all swellings have to do with air pockets. I mean, how can one really tell subcutaneous emphysema from rapid weight gain? But an interesting work, nonetheless.

Abstract

Ailments afflicting wizarding folk are underreported in the muggle world. The recent integration of muggles and magical folk with the return of You-Know-Who (aka He Who Must Not Be Named) may result in a similar affliction of inhabitants of both worlds. We describe interesting maladies afflicting muggles and wizarding folk alike, arising from the use and misuse of magic. We also provide a basic glossary of magical ailments, and describe their muggle corollaries. Further studies will hopefully result in the development of immunity against the unforgivable curses.

References

1. takchek, Harry Potter… in Pubmed?, 2007-08-30.
2. E. C. H. Lim, P. M. Pomfrey, A. M. L. Quek, R. C. S. Seet, Interesting In- and Outpatient Attendances at Hogwarts Infirmary and St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies, Ann. Acad. Med. Singapore 35, 2006, 127-9. [pdf]

This morning’s International Herald Tribune runs parts of an interview with Lee Kuan Yew. It’s always illuminating to hear from LKY, because no one can deny his integral influence in the past and current trajectory of Singapore.

And quite an insightful interview, it is. Full of survivalist leanings, as are many of his interviews, but here and there he seems to let slip his true worries. Critics who declaim LKY’s growing senility may wish to reconsider their positions after reading this interview transcript. Some bits I found particularly noteworthy, I have discussed and annotated under the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

Quoted from a lecture in class today:

Lots of people have ideas, but only a few bring them to a level usable by the public.

Seen on BoingBoing sometime back, but it’s hilarious even now. A bunch of anime friends meet on the streets of Akihabara and do a cosplay dance, then get busted by the police:

Apparently it’s from the anime 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 (The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi).

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