Skwerls

During one of our classes today, we talked about the possible causes of Parkinson’s disease. One of the lecturers mentioned that in Kentucky, researchers thought they’d found a possible link between eating squirrel brains and Parkinson’s; 12 out of 42 people they surveyed with Parkinson’s ate squirrel brains, leading them to think that perhaps Parkinson’s was caused by a prion, similar to CJD.

However, when they did a control survey and looked at the general population in the area (rural Kentucky) they found that 27 out of 100 people also ate squirrel brains. So there’s probably no link, but eating squirrel brains? What the hell? Apparently they way it’s done is that they’ll run over a squirrel in the car, and then go and pick it up afterwards. Highly bizarre.