Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?

[ambitious_wench]

To Boil a Frog: Cooking Instructions

TO BOIL a frog, do not put it in boiling water. It will jump out immediately.

Put the live frog in cold water in a pan. Put the pan over a low fire. The water heats up slowly. As it gets to boiling point, notice the frog does not move at all. It is dead. You have successfully cooked the frog by boiling.


Explanation

I am told the above instructions work because frogs are cold-blooded. This means its body temperature is the same as the surroundings, unlike us human beings. We are warm-blooded, meaning our body temperature is kept more or less constant, and does not follow that of our surroundings. We shiver in cold weather to keep up our body temperature. We sweat in warm weather to cool ourselves down.

The frog’s body temperature follows its surroundings. If you put the frog directly in boiling water, it will sense the heat immediately and jump out. But when you heat the water slowly, the frog keeps adjusting to the rising temperature. When the heat is too much for the frog to take, it is too late. The frog collapses and dies.  

from: http://www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge/issues/2001_07july/pg01_alineforyou.htm

Comments

[lilithraevyn.livejournal.com]

When I first learned that, I found it funny in a morbid-fascination-yet-abhored way.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

I think it has some pretty important political parallels. Have you checked the political temp of our grand old US of A lately?

Ribbit.

[lilithraevyn.livejournal.com]

Yup.

[djfiggy.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but I don't think I'll be boiling amphibians any time soon...
*shudder*

[shadow-5tails.livejournal.com]

This is indeed a very powerful metaphor.

It's also, much to the relief of frogs everywhere, NOT in any way true, as both of those articles demonstrate.

asagwe sent me a beautiful article on this a while back, but I've not idea, unfortunately, where to find it now.

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

I especially liked this comment:

We placed Frog A into a pot of cold water and applied moderate heat. At 4.20 seconds, it safely exited the pot with a leap of 24 centimeters. We then placed Frog B into a pot of lukewarm water and applied moderate heat. At 1.57 seconds, it safely exited the pot with a leap of 57 centimeters.

How did our expert interpret this triumph of science? "There are certain cases where gradual change is almost preferred," Hofman commented. "The change myth assumes a very narrow view of people. If frogs can do it, people definitely can."

So, are we dummer than frogs?

When are we gonna start leaping from the pot, so to speak? Isn't it time we asked our president "Hey! who the hell are you to be turning up the heat under my pot, dammit!"?

Take back America.
Edie