December 9, 2008
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I went to the ‘babylab’ this morning. Working for a university I get to hear about various studies being conducted, and volunteers needed. For this girl’s PhD, women in their fifth month of pregnancy were wanted for a study in maternal nutrition. Voila. No monetary gain but any kind of research like this (ie. that’s not likely to have me foaming at the mouth or growing extra digits) can only be a good thing.
With a name like Babylab I was expecting to see shelves and shelves of foetus-filled jars, flat-faced, short-limbed little bodies pressed up against glass. Or perhaps tiny tiny babies so small you could bite off their heads in one go, geek-like. At least I thought there might be babies in cages pressing levers that dispensed food, wearing headgear that emitted electrical currents, babies with eyes forced open and perfume-filled droppers poised and ready…
But, as usual, reality was different to my imagination and I just ended up answering questions about my diet. Ah well. Reality can bite me!
Comments (8)
It would be a little unfair to put a baby in a Skinner box with an electrified floor. How would the poor thing ever leap out?
I was in a blood study once, and got paid for it. It was truly morbid. I had to collect all of my blood (monthly, yeah…that kind of blood). It was very odd, beginning to feel like something that came from me which I would normally just toss away was of great interest and value.
Crazy world, eh?
maybe the fetuses were behind a top secret door that only opens to a secret knock. that’s the next phase of study.
They’re waiting to show you the baby cannibals they’ve created until you’re so weak with hunger you can’t escape. If you hear someone screaming, “My hand, my hand!” make a run for it!
I think reality did bite you. -
There was a Skinner box for babies:LINK
@dingus6 - Haha! Think I might get one of those.
I think there was a baby lab like the one from your imagination in the X-Files once or three times. Except they were like… little alien/human hybrid babies.
@warweasel - Ah, the best kind!