Death is always a tragedy to those who have lost someone close to them. Sometimes, though, it’s hard for the rest of us to keep a straight face, particularly when people die in a ridiculous way. And there’s no shortage of ridiculous deaths through history.

The Victorians, who took death so seriously, must have struggled even harder. Their sense of propriety and strict decorum combined with their morbid obsession with death must have made attending any funeral difficult. On that note, attending any of the following people’s funerals must have been extremely challenging.

10 The Man Who Swallowed A Mouse

Factories in Victorian England were not hygienic places. Mills especially attracted a large number of vermin. So it should not really have come as too much of a surprise when a mouse ran across the work table of one young factory girl in 1875.

Perhaps, however, the girl was taken by surprise, for she let out a piercing scream, and one of her colleagues dashed across to help her. He managed to catch the mouse, but it soon wriggled out of his hand and disappeared up his sleeve. The gallant young man gasped in surprise as the mouse suddenly reappeared from under his collar, and the mouse, seeking a dark hole in which to hide, promptly jumped into his open mouth and down his throat.

The Manchester Evening News reported that “a mouse can exist for a considerable time without much air [ . . . ] the mouse began to tear and bite inside the man’s throat and chest, and the result was that the unfortunate fellow died after a little time in horrible agony.”^[1]

9 The Man Killed By His Alarm Clock

Sam Wardell was a lamplighter in Flatbush (part of Brooklyn in New York City) in the mid-1880s. Lamplighters would take ladders around to light the gas-powered street lamps at dusk and return at dawn to extinguish them. They also sometimes served the additional role of waking the local inhabitants to tell them it was time to get up.

Perhaps Sam Wardell was one of those people who had trouble waking up in the mornings. To ensure that he wouldn’t sleep through his alarm, he took his alarm clock and added some, shall we say, modifications. He fixed a wire to the clock and attached the other end to a shelf. Then he placed a 4.5-kilogram (10 lb) stone on top of the shelf. Then he rigged the shelf so that every time the alarm went off, the shelf collapsed and the stone would crash to the floor and wake him up. Presumably, he had solid floors and no neighbors.

The system worked perfectly until Christmas Eve 1885, when he invited some friends to his one-room apartment for a party. In order to make room for them to dance, Wardell pushed his furniture to the walls.

It must have been a good party, because Wardell climbed into bed afterward without replacing the furniture.

The following morning, his alarm went off. His shelf fell. And the stone dropped straight onto his head, killing him, well, stone dead.^[2]

8 The Man Killed By A Coffin

Pallbearing is not known for being a particularly dangerous occupation. However, for Henry Taylor of London, it was the death of him.

In 1872, he was performing his duties at the graveside on a wet day. The ground was slippery, so to avoid embarrassing accidents, mourners were requested to access the grave on foot to lighten the load on the funeral carriage. The coffin was removed from the hearse and was being carried gingerly by six pallbearers in solemn fashion. As they approached the grave, the pallbearers were ordered to turn so that the coffin would be facing the right way when it was lowered into the ground.

As the six men shuffled around in a circle carrying the coffin, a rather heavy one by all accounts, Taylor slipped on the muddy ground, upsetting the other pallbearers in the process. To prevent themselves from falling, the others let go of their burden, and the coffin fell full-force on top of Henry Taylor, killing him.^[3]

7 The Woman Who Killed herself With Color

People have always been willing to suffer to be fashionable, but for the Victorians, there were few lengths to which people would not go in order to look their best. After Empress Eugenie wore a stunning green dress to the Paris Opera in 1864, green was in. Everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen in the same emerald green shade as the princess.

It was unfortunate that that particular shade of green was created by mixing copper with arsenic. The color became so popular that it was used in fabrics everywhere. Deaths soon followed.

In 1861, Matilda Scheurer, a maker of artificial flowers, died of accidental poisoning after dusting the flower petals with “green powder.” Though her death and its cause were described in grisly detail in newspaper articles, the fashion for Paris green continued.

As its lethal properties were public knowledge, it is not, perhaps, surprising that when Louisa Cruikshank decided to kill herself, she thought of the colorful substance. In 1882, at just 18 years old, Miss Cruikshank purchased the poison without any difficulty from an art supplies shop and died swiftly but painfully soon afterward.^[4]

6 The Man Who Swallowed A Billiard Ball

The Victorians, alas, did not have the monopoly on stupid people. And stupid drunk people are apt to behave in the same way today as they did then. But, in an age when people had to make their own amusements, some found greater scope for doing ridiculous things. Take Londoner Walter Cowle, for instance.

In 1893, while enjoying a night out, he bet his friends that he could put a billiard ball in his mouth and close his lips around it. At the subsequent inquest, the landlord of the Carlisle Arms Tavern maintained that when he provided Cowle with a billiard ball, it was on the understanding that he would not actually put the ball in his mouth but only appear to do so, while using sleight of hand to palm the ball in his pocket.

For some reason, however, perhaps in some way connected to the large number of drinks that the landlord at the tavern had served, Cowle did indeed put the ball in his mouth, whereupon he immediately began to choke. Both his drinking companion and the landlord tried to remove the billiard ball, even holding Cowle upside down and slapping him on the back, but nothing worked.^[5]

Though, at the inquest, his friends maintained that they had seen Cowle perform this trick several times, the landlord of the tavern had nothing else to say on the matter. And neither, of course, did Cowle.

5 The Lady Who Danced In Her Shroud

When Mrs. Marion Hillitz died in 1878 after a long, entirely normal illness, her friends and relatives gathered to pay their respects ahead of the funeral. Her body was laid out in her coffin, and mourners sat around the corpse praying or talking in subdued voices.

So it must have come as something of a shock when Mrs. Hillitz suddenly sat up in her coffin and addressed the company. She surveyed her family and friends, soberly attired in black, and announced, “I am not dead yet, but I will die soon.”

According to newspaper reports, Mrs. Hillitz then climbed out of her coffin and “danced around the room, sang, and shouted in a loud, ringing voice” as the mourners presumably stared in disbelief—and probably a fair amount of terror.

However, the miracle was not long-lasting. Her nurses, once they had gotten over the shock, put the old lady to bed, where she died, for real, later that night.^[6]

4 The Man Stabbed As Part Of The Act

In 1896, while performing in a new play at the Novelty Theatre in London, Temple Edgecumbe Crozier (his real name, apparently) was killed when a fellow actor stabbed him during his debut performance of The Sins of the Night.^[7]

For some reason, the prop dagger had been replaced with a real one. As a result, when his fellow actor uttered the words, “Die villain, die,” and stabbed him enthusiastically during the final scene, the blade pierced Crozier’s heart and killed him.

For obvious reasons, The Sins of The Night was not a success, and its run was an extremely short one.

3 The Servant Who Died Reenacting A Death

In October 1881, a man asked his servant to collect a gun that he intended to give someone as a gift. The servant, a dim-witted chap called Hague, went to collect the revolver and, while there, decided to examine it closely. For reasons best known to himself, Hague lifted the gun up to his face to examine the trigger mechanism and somehow managed to shoot himself in the mouth. The wound was instantly fatal.

Another servant, witnessing the accident, called the police. After their arrival, she picked up the gun to demonstrate to the officers just how the incident had occurred.

As Hague had done, she lifted the gun to her face to examine it, and, just like Hague, she managed to pull the trigger. The bullet went through her mouth, and she, too, died, which must have made things a lot clearer for the police.^[8]

2 The First Motor Vehicle Fatality

Today, traffic accidents are, unfortunately, a daily occurrence. In 1869, there had never been a death by motor vehicle, until August 31, when Mary Ward became the first-ever casualty of the automobile. At that time, automobiles were called “road locomotives” and were little more than steam trains with rubber tires attached, weighing approximately 1.5 metric tons.

Mary Ward was a remarkable woman who had done pioneering work in the fields of science and astronomy. She must have had a curious mind, because she jumped at the chance to ride in her husband’s new car.

Though the car was only traveling at 6.4 kilometers per hour (4 mph), Mary fell from the passenger seat as the vehicle took a sharp bend, and the enormous back wheel ran straight over her. Newspaper reports that said she died of “dislocation of the neck” were no doubt being discreet.^[9]

1 The People Who Died Of A Sweet Tooth

Sugar has long been known to be an addictive substance. And, as with all addictive substances, demand sometimes outstrips supply. In Victorian Britain, the price of “white gold” was very high, and so, enterprising grocers often cut their products with cheaper substances. How times have changed.

The cheap powder used to cut sugar was known as “daft” or “daff” and usually consisted of substances such as plaster of Paris or powdered limestone.

In 1858, one sweet seller, known to all as “Humbug Billy,” operated a sweet stall in Bradford in the north of England. His suppliers, when purchasing the daft with which to cut their product, had accidentally bought 5.4 kilograms (12 lb) of arsenic and not the plaster of Paris that they thought they were getting.^[10]

Unaware of the mistake, Humbug Billy sold the sweets from his stall. He sampled the sweets and was ill himself, but rather than destroying the stock, he negotiated a discount and carried on with the sale. Enough sweets were sold to have killed 2,000 people, but, thanks to the quick work of the town crier, who alerted the locals as soon as the source of the illness was known, only 21 people died, though another 200 had to be treated for arsenic poisoning.

Ward Hazell is a writer who travels, and an occasional travel writer.

Horses can no longer be described purely as beasts of burden. These days, they are athletes, pets, and subjects of unusual studies. Researchers have found that horses can talk in symbols and hold grudges against people they have never met.

The hoofed wonders also wore zebra blankets for science and inspired the birth of movies. Even more surprisingly, their clones can now compete in the Olympic Games.

10 Frankfurt’s Roaming Mare

Frankfurt’s police are used to something very unusual—phone calls about an animal loose in the city. To be fair, the creature is a large Arabian horse and pedestrians often worry that she is lost or might bolt into traffic. The police never do anything and with good reason. They know Jenny well. In fact, the Arabian mare has taken her morning stroll through Frankfurt’s Fechenheim district for the past 14 years—without incident.

Many find it upsetting that she is by herself. However, those who dare to go close enough can read a card attached to her halter. It explains, “I’m called Jenny, not a runaway, just taking a walk. Thanks.”^[1]

Despite the police assuring callers that the horse is a regular feature in the neighborhood, the owner faces a slew of criticism. Werner Weischedel often hears from strangers on social media that he is being negligent. However, an entire veterinarians union stands behind the owner and police. They dismiss the criticism, saying that the Arabian knows her way, walks leisurely, and appears very satisfied.

9 Reilly And Trooper

They may not be all that peculiar, but this pair deserves special mention. Detective John Reilly and his horse, Trooper, were Central Park’s only mounted team. In 2019, Reilly reached 63 years old, the mandatory retirement limit.

Had it been up to Reilly, he clearly would have patrolled Central Park for a few more years. He and his faithful mount were a favorite of selfie-seeking tourists and those needing directions. Reilly had been with New York’s mounted unit for 24 years, but he rode Trooper alone in Central Park during the last decade.

The horse is part quarter horse, part Belgian, and around 15 years old. Trooper logged 10 years on duty, sporting his own department blanket and larger-than-normal police shield.

Coincidentally, Trooper had also reached retirement age. The patient creature went to a special farm that provides lifelong care for retired police horses, and officers can visit. There are no plans to assign the Central Park route to another single officer. Instead, Reilly’s spot will likely be taken by a group of mounted officers.^[2]

8 The Ice Age Foal

Late in 2018, a mummified foal was found in Siberia. It died around 40,000 years ago during the last ice age.

A team of scientists in Siberia wants to use the remains to resurrect the species. It could take a while, if ever, to succeed. However, the foal represents more than just having another species back on the planet. It could help scientists develop the technology to return more difficult extinct animals, notably the woolly mammoth.

The theory is that a living surrogate mare can carry a cloned foal to term without the need for genetic adaptation.^[3] For now, a mammoth must be an elephant-mammoth hybrid to complete the pregnancy inside an elephant cow.

Unlike horses, mammoths and elephants are not closely related. The Siberian team, which boasts international scientists, claims that they only need a single living cell from the foal. It can be multiplied to create countless embryos.

The rest of the scientific community is not forthcoming with support. Ice age DNA is normally broken beyond repair into millions of bits. Also, finding a cell with a complete genetic code is close to impossible.

7 They Get Dressed As Zebras

There are theories about why zebras need lines. Camouflage is an obvious pick—a herd of stripes makes individual zebras harder to spot by predators. Other theories suggest that the stripes aid social interactions or regulate their temperature. Another idea involved flies. For a while now, scientists have known that flies bother horses more than zebras for some reason.

In 2019, three groups of horses got new blankets. One group wore white, another donned black, and the third got saddled with stripy frocks. Researchers watched horse flies in action and gathered hours of data. The study found that the insects swarmed around horses and zebras without prejudice.

Even though the flies approached both species in roughly equal attempts, they landed three times as often on horses. Around zebras and the striped horses, flies seemed a little drunk. They bumped into the animals or just flew away. It would appear that one purpose of the striped hide is to confuse the bloodsucking pests.^[4]

6 The Blanket Board

In Norway, some horses do not wait for two-legged wonders to decide when they should wear blankets. In 2016, a small herd of 23 showed when they wanted a blanket put on or removed or whether they wanted to keep wearing one.

It was not always this way. Researchers designed a board with three signs. Using carrots as a reward, the horses were taught the meanings behind the signs. A horizontal stripe meant “I want my blanket,” a vertical bar denoted “take this thing off me,” and a blank symbol signified “I want to keep wearing my blanket.”

The animals were encouraged to touch the board with their muzzles. Amazingly, it took just two weeks of daily training lasting 15 minutes each at most. All 23 horses made their choices when asked to do so. They did not just thump their snoots at the board to get carrots. Every time, their answers sensibly matched with the weather. (When wet or cold, they wanted their blankets.)^[5]

5 Psychologists Show Them Photos

In 2018, the Universities of Sussex and Portsmouth showed images to horses. This was not an inkblot test but photos of people who looked happy or angry. Horse lovers know that the animals can read human body language very well. The photos not only proved it but also that horses can hold an angry expression against somebody—even when that person did nothing upsetting.

The study took 24 horses and monitored their responses to the photos. Interestingly, the scowling faces increase heart rates and sparked negative reactions from the horses. Most of the animals also viewed the threatening pictures with their left eye.

A few hours later, the models arrived but kept their expressions neutral. When meeting the “angry” humans, the horses experienced faster heartbeats and turned their heads to keep the person in view with the left eye.

The animal ability to recognize a particular person’s emotions hours later has never been recorded before. Even more striking, they prejudged strangers from their photos, which altered the animal’s behavior when they met for the first time.^[6]

4 The First GIF

During the 1800s, the horse was the main way to get around. For this reason, one debate was alive and well: At any point, did a galloping horse lift all four hooves off the ground?

Leland Stanford, the founder of Stanford University, had racehorses himself. To settle the debate and understand equestrian locomotion (he wanted to make his animals faster), he hired a brilliant photographer. Eadweard Muybridge was tasked with the impossible—take photographs of a galloping horse.

The problem? The era’s exposure time was so long that a person having his photograph taken had to stand really still or risk being seen as a blur. Incredibly, to do the assignment, Muybridge invented a shutter that snapped shut within one-thousandth of a second.^[7]

In 1878, he rigged a racetrack with cameras. A horse ran over trip wires and triggered a sequence of photographs. One of them proved that horses were completely airborne at one point. Muybridge took it further and created a device that allowed the images to be viewed in motion—essentially, the world’s first GIF and the inspiration for movies today.

3 Illegal Frog Juice

When a lot of money can be won, an injured racehorse is a bother. Illegal painkillers are nothing new in the racing industry, but regulators actively fight the practice. Meant to keep injured animals running, this inhumane treatment ends with the horse breaking down.

An unusual rumor started circulating around 2012. There was a painkiller being used by trainers that was 40 times more powerful than morphine—and it came from a frog. It took months before samples were confiscated and analyzed.^[8]

Called dermorphin, it was made from the secretions of the waxy monkey tree frog. However, its widespread availability suggested that most was likely produced synthetically. The substance made horses euphoric, hyper, and unable to feel pain.

Dermorphin was also a performance booster. Several horses that tested positive had won large sums in recent races. Due to its potency, dermorphin was outed as one of the industry’s worst and weirdest drug violations.

2 Britain’s First Guide Horse

Mohammed Salim Patel turns heads wherever he goes. Patel, who is visually impaired, cannot see people’s reactions. However, he can hear the stir that he and his guide horse create on the streets of Blackburn in Lancashire.

As he traversed the marketplace one day, he heard cell phones snapping photos of Digby, his American miniature horse. The unusual choice did not come from the desire to stand out. Patel suffers from a fear of dogs. Not having a guide dog made the 23-year-old reliant on people for assistance. Digby was raised at a pony therapy farm in North Yorkshire and is Britain’s first guide horse for the blind.

In 2018, the pair started training together and should complete the program in 2020. After graduation, the tiny creature is bound for his own miniature stable at Patel’s home. Although the choice of species seems unusual, there are perks. Besides being capable of guiding, miniatures live around 45 years—a lot longer than dogs—and have no problem doubling as a shopping carrier.^[9]

1 Clones At The Olympics

Horses have been cloned since 2003. Around four years later, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) banned cloned horses and their offspring from the Olympic Games. Since most would be cloned from high-level champions, FEI believed that the replicas had an unfair advantage in competition.

In 2012, the governing body reviewed the issue. They found that clones were 98 percent identical to the original horse. While the margin was small, it overturned the ban. Other factors also helped. Just because the donor animal shattered records does not mean that the clone is guaranteed to inherit its performance ability.

The rider, training, environment, and nutrition all influence competing skills. In other words, 10 clones from the same horse raised differently in all ways will not turn out the same. Genetic copies must also go through the same channels as natural-born horses to reach the Games. Since roughly 300 animals make it to each Olympics, a clone must really prove itself to qualify.^[10]

Cringeworthy paper cuts aside, the realm of pain is packed with freaky facts. There is the horror of the world’s most noxious bush, why flesh-destroying bacteria really hurt, and the family that cannot be hurt. Agony has a sweet side, too. Some pain feels good, and then there is a walk more popular (and crippling) than fire walking.

Things can also get exceptionally weird. There are people who experience the suffering of others, experiments that produce fake agony, and the robots taught to feel pain.

10 Financial Stress Causes Pain

In recent years, researchers noticed a curious thing. As economic insecurity rose, so did complaints of physical discomfort. To see if there was a link, several studies were gathered and analyzed. The umbrella project was thorough: Researchers looked at the lives, worries, and pain levels of thousands of people.

They were divided into six studies that used different methods, but all arrived at the same conclusion. It physically hurts to be financially insecure. Online surveys, consumer panels, and laboratory volunteers faced questions about finances, unemployment, and consumption of painkillers. Some even endured painful tests.

In 2016, the results showed that stress kicked in when income was too low or people feared an insecure future or a lack of control in their lives. Anxiety has similar neural mechanisms to those responsible for pain. This could explain why cash-strapped volunteers reported buying more painkillers during hard times than those who felt financially secure.^[1]

9 Why Pain Feels Good

Some people enjoy eating chilies so hot that it sets their sinuses on fire. Others love painful sex. In 2013, researchers wanted to know why agony can feel good. They found 18 volunteers willing to suffer. The participants were given two tests plus a warning before having their arms burned.

The first test only zapped them with two degrees—no pain and heat equal to holding an uncomfortably hot mug. During the second test, they were mildly stung (the hot mug level) or given very painful burns. The volunteers rated the “mug” as worse during the first session but pleasurable during the second.

To understand this change, researchers studied MRI scans. Throughout both experiments, the participants’ brain activity had been recorded. Surprisingly, when volunteers knew they had avoided something worse (like the painful burn), the brain dulled its pain region and heightened the areas for pain relief and pleasure.

That was why a bad experience from the first test felt good in the second. Somehow, after expecting the worst, feeling emotional relief made the weaker burn pleasurable.^[2]

8 Hijacked Pain Receptors

Several strains of bacteria cause the terrifying “flesh-eating disease,” but Streptococcus pyogenes is the most rampant. Technically called necrotizing fasciitis, the deadly disease comes with a high mortality rate. One would expect a gruesome condition like fasciitis to hurt. In fact, it is excruciating. The real reason behind the agony was found in 2018, and it was scary.

With a freaky intelligence, the bacteria hijacks the victim’s pain receptors to escape their immune system. It starts during the early stages of infection when S. pyogenes releases a poison. The toxin manipulates neurons to unleash pain and a peptide that stops the immune system from attacking the bacteria. This allows the disease to flourish.

Oddly, a beauty fad might help. Scientists turned to Botox (Botulinum toxin), a protein injection that smooths out wrinkles. In infected mice, Botox blocked the hijacked nerve signals from interfering with the immune system.^[3]

7 Swearing Is A Painkiller

All languages have one thing in common—scarlet words. Cussing is as old as the mountains, and there might be an interesting reason behind its longevity. Swearing, which is a common response to injuries, boosts pain tolerance.

In 2009, scientists warily considered the possibility. Since sailor-speak often exaggerates pain, they thought it would lower tolerance instead. Around 64 volunteers agreed to find out the truth. All they had to do was hold their hands in ice water for as long as possible.

The first time, they swore until the room’s paint peeled. During the second time, they had to repeat one word with which they would describe a table. Something normal, like “wooden” or “furniture.” To the surprise of the researchers, cussing kept the participants’ agonized hands underwater for longer.^[4]

A plausible theory suggested that cursing is an aggressive act. This could activate the fight-or-flight response, a survival mechanism that allows greater pain resistance.

6 Thermal Grill Illusion Twist

The thermal grill illusion is a pain experiment. A volunteer’s middle finger is chilled to around 20 degrees Celsius (68 °F). At the same time, the ring and index fingers are warmed to 40 degrees Celsius (104 °F).

This combination produces a burning heat in the middle finger. This illusion happens as the brain tries to understand three fingers simultaneously sending signals about pain and different temperatures. The “heat” in the cold finger happens when the outer fingers with their real heat block the skin’s cooling receptors. These receptors usually lessen pain. But thus overwhelmed, the brain thinks the cold middle finger is burning.

In 2015, scientists found that the brain also became confused when volunteers crossed their fingers. When the middle finger crossed over the index finger, the burning subsided. When the index finger was cooled down, the middle and ring fingers received heat, and the middle once again crossed over the index, the burning became worse.^[5]

5 Mirror-Touch Synesthesia

Human senses can overlap. This phenomenon is known as synesthesia. Some people taste words. Others experience color with sound or when reading words.

A pain-related version is called mirror-touch synesthesia. Physical contact ignites certain brain regions. When observing another person being touched, the viewer’s brain activates similar areas. This is normal for everybody. In those with mirror-touch synesthesia, this mechanism is overactive. They actually feel what they see.^[6]

When seeing a couple kiss, their lips might tingle. While pleasant sensations are part of this sensory overlap, it must be the most painful type of synesthesia. Even watching violent movies can be a difficult experience.

In 2007, a study discovered something interesting. Researchers asked a group of mirror-touch people to fill out a questionnaire specifically designed to measure empathy. Not only did they score higher than those without the condition, but they were almost super-empathetic. For some reason, they have an unusually intense ability to put themselves in others’ shoes.

4 World’s Most Painful Plant

Forget about taking a gympie bush home. This is no pot plant. Found in the Australian rain forests, this shrub is taller than a man and grows furry leaves soft enough to invite a touch.

Bad idea. The hairs are filled with a mysterious poison. Once touched, they unleash excruciating agony.

A man stung in 1941 had to be restrained for three weeks in the hospital. Another killed himself to escape the pain. A scientist who got stung likened the experience to simultaneously being burned by acid and getting electrocuted.^[7]

The sadistic shrub can torture a victim for up to six months, which is how long the hairs can stay under the skin. When the area is pressed or washed, the pain flares up again. Even museum workers have to be careful. Samples stored well over 100 years ago can still cause burns.

Merely standing near a gympie is asking for trouble. After 20 minutes, something causes violent sneezing, nosebleeds, and possible respiratory trauma. It is so noxious that scientists working in close proximity to the bush must regularly replace their face masks. Although never proven, a likely theory suggests that the hairs can become airborne.

3 Family With No Pain

For years, scientists were dumbfounded by the Marsili family from Italy. They do not experience pain like the rest of humanity. Broken bone? Seconds later, they feel fine. Fractures go unnoticed. For at least three generations, the Marsilis felt neither pain when burned nor discomfort when sick.

There was a downside. Sometimes, they never realized a serious injury had taken place. The person would continue with his daily life, which delayed treatment and aggravated the condition.

In 2017, blood samples revealed the cause. A gene called ZFHX2 carried a mysterious mutation. To test the gene, two groups of mice were bred to either have the mutation or lack ZFHX2 completely. Those with the missing gene had a higher pain tolerance, but the mice with the mutation felt no pain at all.

The mutation remains poorly understood but could play a role in the disruption of pain signaling. Scientists aim to unravel this mystery and use the information to develop relief for patients with chronic pain. Speaking of being cured, the Marsilis said that they would refuse the offer to experience pain like everyone else if researchers find a way to reverse the rare syndrome.^[8]

2 LEGO Walking vs. Fire Walking

A recent craze is LEGO walking. Similar to fire walking or strolling over glass, a person must walk barefoot over a bunch of toy bricks. The colorful challenge is highly popular at events, workshops, and entertainment outlets. This is odd considering that walking over the blocks hurts more than doing a fire, glass, or ice walk. Russell Cassevah found this out the hard way.

In 2018, he entered the Guinness World Records after completing the world’s longest LEGO walk. After limping an incredible 834 meters (2,737 ft), Cassevah received a certificate and a medic for his bleeding feet. Nobody has tried to break the record since.

Toy bricks may sound safer, but hot coals cannot burn when properly prepared and the walker moves at a quick pace. Similarly, glass walks are designed to avoid cuts. The shards are small and strewn in a thin layer, allowing walkers to flatten them safely.

However, a LEGO walk cannot flatten out. The bricks shift under a walker’s weight, stabbing exceptionally hard edges into the 200,000 receptors found in the foot. This unhappy combination is the reason why stepping on even a single LEGO brick can be excruciating.^[9]

1 Robots That Feel Pain

In 2016, scientists crossed another threshold in robotics. The development—robots capable of experiencing pain—could save human lives. Robots that recognize sources of pain can warn people who are nearby that they might be in danger.

Agony-weary equipment could also minimize repair costs. Pain is a warning system. (Hey person, stop running, you just broke your leg.) This same response can tell a robot to stop working when there is a threat to its system, preventing the costly damage from blundering on.

To do the job, researchers developed an artificial nervous system capable of sensing and reacting to things that cause pain. Robots that experience pain exactly like humans are still a distant dream.

However, the 2016 prototype was impressive. It was a robot arm fitted with a fingertip. The latter had a sensor modeled on human skin and could recognize pressure and temperature.

Based on the extremity of each (originating from sharp or hot objects), the arm made decisions. Slight pain made the arm retract until the feeling disappeared. Then the robot returned to its original task. Severe pain forced the arm into lockdown mode to await human assistance.^[10]