RETCH
[verb]
1. to make efforts to vomit.
2. to vomit.
[noun]
3. the act or an instance of retching.
Etymology: variant of reach, Old English hrǣc - to clear the throat, derivative of hrāca - a clearing of the throat; compare Old Norse hrǣkja - to hawk, spit.
Gutai Card on Flickr.
Klaus Weber - The Big Giving
from the source:
“Klaus Weber’s unusual (to say the least) fountain installation titled “The Big Giving” is at least eco-friendly: the water is continually recycled and the cocoon-like encrustations that envelope the statuesque sculptures are made from waste stone and industrial waste. This most unusual fountain was set up at the Southbank Centre in London, UK, and the images depicted here date from the autumn of 2007.
Though the vomiting individual is usually featured in reports on Weber’s creation, it actually includes a group of different figures displaying a variety of human bodily functions including sweating copiously from the armpits, urinating, and one poor fellow who suffers from the world’s worst post-nasal drip. The statues were modeled on Weber himself and a few selected friends.”
Photo by Jeff Hui
![starsaremymuse:
This Robot Vomits So You Won’t Have To
Larry the humanoid vomiting simulator is not the most glamorous robot we’ve covered.
Sometimes inventions, even the important ones, aren’t pretty. Case in point: this vomiting robot. It could help us understand, and then battle, an illness that no one’s found a cure for in 40 years. Even if it’s not the cutest ‘bot out there.
The unfortunately but appropriately named Vomiting Larry is an anatomically correct model of a freshman at a frat party and, more importantly, an anatomically correct model of someone vomiting after contracting norovirus, a nasty bug that causes puking and diarrhea. It spreads fast—less than 20 virus particles can infect someone—and it’s been a higher-than-expected year for infections.
For the most part, the virus isn’t especially serious; people usually kick it in a few days. But for a lot of reasons, including the fact that we’re unable to grow human norovirus in a controlled environment, we have to study the spread of the virus in other ways. That’s where good ol’ Larry comes in, helping us to model how puking could spread the illness. The spray can travel nearly 10 feet (!), and when even a tiny bit of the stuff can be enough to pass the disease on, it’s important to get a grasp on exactly how the virus travels. It’s widespread, too: 21 million cases are estimated in the U.S. annually, and the only virus more commonly reported is the common cold.
BBC has some video, and Larry comes in at around 2:43. (Spoiler alert: it’s kind of disgusting.)
[BBC]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/f61a92e06d68c0455d8bc9f867dea403/tumblr_mg27faNRPU1r7ljg1o1_1280.jpg)
This Robot Vomits So You Won’t Have To
Larry the humanoid vomiting simulator is not the most glamorous robot we’ve covered.
Sometimes inventions, even the important ones, aren’t pretty. Case in point: this vomiting robot. It could help us understand, and then battle, an illness that no one’s found a cure for in 40 years. Even if it’s not the cutest ‘bot out there.
The unfortunately but appropriately named Vomiting Larry is an anatomically correct model of a freshman at a frat party and, more importantly, an anatomically correct model of someone vomiting after contracting norovirus, a nasty bug that causes puking and diarrhea. It spreads fast—less than 20 virus particles can infect someone—and it’s been a higher-than-expected year for infections.
For the most part, the virus isn’t especially serious; people usually kick it in a few days. But for a lot of reasons, including the fact that we’re unable to grow human norovirus in a controlled environment, we have to study the spread of the virus in other ways. That’s where good ol’ Larry comes in, helping us to model how puking could spread the illness. The spray can travel nearly 10 feet (!), and when even a tiny bit of the stuff can be enough to pass the disease on, it’s important to get a grasp on exactly how the virus travels. It’s widespread, too: 21 million cases are estimated in the U.S. annually, and the only virus more commonly reported is the common cold.
BBC has some video, and Larry comes in at around 2:43. (Spoiler alert: it’s kind of disgusting.)
[BBC]
Here’s the Jaffee original, which was recently produced in his 2010 authorized biography. It’s probably the most iconic Mad picture ever - I’ve never forgotten it, and in fact I bought Jaffee’s book just so I could have a copy of it again.
Please note that the image is copyright, but your fine blog deserves to have access to it, and you can decide whether to publish it or not.
