pinpricks

What an interesting life you have around scientists. And at the most unlikely times. As Granny swung in her lovely new - Mexican - fairtrade (of course) multi-coloured cotton hammock yesterday evening clutching her first glass of wine, Beloved said - a propos of she can't remember what exactly, though it was no doubt a logical progression; Beloved's progressions always are logical, unlike hers- 'Did you know there was a study done once using pin pricks and how close two needed to be to feel like one?' Granny did not know; not least he expressed it initially in terms not likely to be understood by the uneducated - for which read Granny; this was the idiot's (read Granny again) version he very kindly added. It was done, he went on to explain, by two eminent experimental psychologists, professors both, one from Oxford, the other from Cambridge. They tested it out on each other, reputedly all over each other's bodies. As in: ALL OVER.

It was a mistake, possibly, to report this advance in scientific understanding while Granny was in her hammock - even more so while she was clutching her first glass of wine. It was, according to Beloved, a very significant and very well-known study. If he says so, Granny believes him; of course. Nonetheless, at the thought of these two scientifically curious and presumably aging gentlemen, advancing scientific knowledge by solemnly pushing pins - best dressmakers' pins, she hopes - into each other's most private parts - she fell out.

Next post will concern MAIZE, a much more mundane and local subject; almost as local as Granny's still slightly - though probably less so than the professors' - sore bum.

(Beloved googled the study later by the way but couldn't track it down. Does it matter?)