In Search Of Smart… natural selection deems that some individuals serve as a warning to others. Who are we to disagree?
March 2013, Newcastle, England) Investigative journalism reaches a new “low” when a reporter freezes to death in an effort to get inside the lives of those who sleep rough…
Thinking he was drinking alcohol, Gary picked up a salsa jar and took a swig of gasoline. After spitting it up onto his clothing, he recovered from the shock by lighting a cigarette…
Loser of Darwin Award Wins Roach-Eating Contest.
(October 2012, Florida) Police say that Edward A., 32, died after winning a roach-eating contest (and losing a worm-eating contest) at a reptile store. By some reports, he ate a plate full of superworms, a handful of mealworms, and half a bucket of roaches. Nominated for a Darwin Award, Mr. Roach Man loses the prize because–surprising but true–roaches and worms are considered edible. Entymologists say that an all-you-can-eat insect buffet is not normally deadly, just silly.
The cause of death was not officially disclosed, yet educated guessers finger a dormant food allergy waiting for the right trigger. Contestants were disallowed if they were allergic to shellfish, and roach allergies can develop in people living in infested tenements.
So was it Darwin-Award-Winning-dumb for Edward to overindulge in roaches? No, just weird. Our nominee is a few twigs short of an award, yet deserves a mention for memorable exits. A lingering question is, were the roaches raw or cooked?
QUOTABLE FACTOID: “Very few human cultures tend to eat cockroaches [due to] high levels of uric acid and nitrogenous waste.”