You did what on an MRI machine??

August 9, 2002 12:42 PM

You did what on an MRI machine?? [pdf]. Also included is the transcript of one of the 'participants' in this experiment.
(Friday fun - possibly NSFW)
posted by patrickje (20 comments total)

Later in this same issue: "Shaken, not stirred: bioanalytical study of the antioxidant activities of martinis." Wow, I'm sending in for my subscription.
posted by alumshubby at 12:55 PM on August 9, 2002

At what point does voyeurism go too far? And I suppose they get Playboy for the articles.
posted by ziklagz at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2002

Kinda takes doin' it on the photocopier to a whole new level. Not that I'd know.
I know somebody out there wants to make a stupid "What is this, metafark?" comment. Please to restrain yourselves.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 1:05 PM on August 9, 2002

hee hee! ahh, thanks patrickje. this was just the thing to put a smile on my face for the weekend.

Pek suggested it should be just something for us, we are slim and because of our background as acrobats.
posted by mooseindian at 1:06 PM on August 9, 2002

Fark, meet Nova. Nova, meet Fark.
posted by insomnyuk at 1:16 PM on August 9, 2002

And I thought having an MRI of my brain as a keepsake was cool. Also I can't imagine how hard it must have been for the participants to stay still during imaging.
posted by Modem Ovary at 1:18 PM on August 9, 2002

It took years, a lobby, undesired publicity, and a godsend (two tablets of sildenafil 25 mg) to obtain our images ...
We did not foresee that the men would have more problems with sexual performance (maintaining their erection) than the women in the scanner.

Priceless.

Only the first couple was able to perform coitus adequately without sildenafil (experiments 1 and 2). The reason might be that they were the only participants in the real sense: involved in the research right from the beginning because of their scientific curiosity, knowledge of the body, and artistic commitment. And as amateur street acrobats they are trained and used to performing under stress.

Even better.
posted by yhbc at 1:23 PM on August 9, 2002

whoaaa !!!
posted by adnanbwp at 2:05 PM on August 9, 2002

As one who occasionally wears a white coat during his day job, I must say that this is fascinating. There's some really interesting science here. A number of "everyone knows" assumptions about the mechanisms of intercourse were shown to be incorrect, and some valuable data were obtained.

Also, does anyone really find cross-sectional images sexy? I think they're beautiful in an abstract way, but I'm not titillated by them.
posted by bonehead at 2:39 PM on August 9, 2002

From the .pdf: "I expose to men the origin of their first, and perhaps second, reason for existing." Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) wrote these words above his drawing "The Copulation" in about 1493.

Oh yeah. Leo knew what it's all about. Heh..
posted by slipperywhenwet at 3:06 PM on August 9, 2002

Haha. I have friend who goes and gets MRI's done on her for money. I really don't think she's participated in any of THESE studies though. The thing is that you have to sit pretty still for like 3 hours in those things, or so she tells me. So maintaining erection would be a real challenge. The couple that didn't need viagra must have a pretty exciting romantic life.....
posted by mogwai at 3:24 PM on August 9, 2002

Column where it came from?
posted by geoff. at 5:08 PM on August 9, 2002

MRI's are soo hot.
posted by untuckedshirts at 5:44 PM on August 9, 2002

Drats, busted!
posted by patrickje at 5:57 PM on August 9, 2002

Two neuroscientists used their own MRI (brain) photos on their wedding invitation cards a few years ago. They don't have any children yet - I wonder why. Maybe this research could give them some inspiration, although the news itself surfaced in the Press in 1999 first.
posted by neu at 10:00 PM on August 9, 2002

I'm glad none of the women used an IUD-- that would have gotten pretty ugly with the 1.5 Tesla (15,000 gauss) magnets used in a MRI.
posted by LimePi at 10:58 PM on August 9, 2002

Did anyone get to the bottom of the article and read the heading of the next article?

"Shaken, not stirred: bioanalytical study of the antioxidant activities of Martinis"

They probably don't even have to pay for study subjects.
posted by whatever at 3:31 AM on August 10, 2002

Did anyone read the first comment saying the exact same thing? I'm blaming the Martinis...
posted by whatever at 3:33 AM on August 10, 2002

I believe it's traditional for the Christmas issue of the BMJ to feature more light-hearted material.

The Dutch are so cool about these things.
posted by BinkyF at 4:41 AM on August 10, 2002

slipperywhenwet, Leonardo knew nothing of the sort, he happened to be a homosexual.
posted by banished at 11:18 AM on August 10, 2002