If you think a shouted cussword helps the pain after you hit your thumb with a hammer, you may be right.
A new scientific study suggests that swearing makes it easier to tolerate pain. Researchers at Keele University in England had volunteers submerge their hands in ice water while repeating a swear word of their choice, then compared it to how long they could perform the same task while repeating a regular word. Turns out the volunteers could stand the pain longer while swearing.
“Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon,” said Richard Stephens, one of the authors of the new study. “It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain.”
The researchers theorize that swearing activates the body’s natural flight-or-fight response.
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- Speaking of swearing, California’s state budget woes continue. Two Redding officials are joining hundreds of other city, county and school officials in Sacramento later this week at a summit to discuss ways to reform the state’s budget process. Attending from Redding will be Mayor Rick Bosetti and City Councilor Dick Dickerson.
- On Wednesday, Redding firefighters are holding a fundraiser at Logan’s Roadhouse, with the proceeds going to buy new TVs and DVD players for the pediatric unit at Mercy Medical Center. Tip-A-Firefighter Night will run from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Firefighters will volunteer as waiters and bartenders with the goal of raising $3,500 in “tips.” KRCR-TV’s Chita Johnson will emceee the event, which will include a raffle and other fun activities.
- Dino Night: On Thursday, the Turtle Bay museum will host a special evening event to show off Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Doors (the ones next to the cafe) open at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., dinosaur expert Dick Hilton will talk about different dinosaurs that roamed California, and he’ll take questions from the audience. Admission is $3 for Turtle Bay members and $9 for non-members.
- Spam of the Day: I don’t know what they were selling. All I know is that the unpunctuated subject line said “eye opening,” which sounds like it could be an extremely painful service.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
