#phobia phriday

[scienceofscary]

Phobia Phriday

Just another reason not to trust a mall Santa....

This week we look at Pogonophobia: the fear of facial hair. Yeah. Seriously.

Beards, although not immediately associated with terror, actually have proven to be scary in a historical context. A history lecturer by the name of Christopher Oldstone-Moore has written an entire book, The Beard Movement in Victorian Britain. In a university lecture in 2013, Oldstone-Moore explained, "Facial hair for the past century has been thought to reflect a suspicious streak of individuality and defiance... Politicians, public servants and businessmen – and apparently journalists – risk their reputations if they abandon the razor."

Bottom line: our mental picture of the dastardly villain with the mustache and goatee, or many other incarnations of this image in human history, corrupts our perception of anyone with whiskers.

In different cultures facial hair has different connotations. It can range in meaning from freedom to wisdom to wealth. However, in the modern western-dominated cultures, that subconscious association exists, however subtle it may be.

Moral of the story: Santa needs a shave! He's scaring the children!

[scienceofscary]

Phobia Phriday

Quassophobia is a particularly obscure fear. There’s not much information readily available in regards to its specifics. All we have to offer is its definition and a fairly transparent commentary with regards to it.

According to our fearful friend Figaro Pho, quassophobia is the fear of vibrating so violently you shatter to pieces. However, other definitions describe it more broadly as a fear of fierce and violent shaking.

This could be a blanket term used to describe a fear of seizures but encompasses other shaking-related examples. Seizures are indeed a terrifying prospect, worthy of its own phobia. The idea of your brain malfunctioning in such a way that your own muscle movements are not under your own control is a very real anxiety, especially for individuals afflicted with a condition or have a family history of this illness that causes chronic seizures.

Haunt applications for this fear might include spasming victims, vibrating floor plates, or maybe even a porcelain doll makeup on the verge of shattering. Be sure to think out the box with these bizarre phobias. Even the most out there fear can be fuel for the creative fire.

[scienceofscary]

This Phobia Phriday, the calls are coming from inside the house.

Yep, Telephonophobia is a real thing. But while the initial concept of the fear of telephones may inspire mental imagery of clips from "When a Stranger Calls", the actual science behind this phobia is less Freddy and more Freud.

Telephonophobia is in fact a social anxiety related to talking on the phone rather than fear of the actual appliance. It's often associated with glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. There are a plethora of communication-based fears that all follow in this vein.

This happens to be a social anxiety I am personally afflicted with - close friends of mine can testify that when I give out my number, I pointedly ask them to text me rather than call - and I can attest that this social anxiety seriously messes with living a normal life. Making appointments, interviews, ordering food, and even checking in with relatives is a difficult encounter for me.

Thankfully for me, as well as others around the world, as we enter an increasingly digital age, telephonophobia as we know it is becoming a thing of the past. I recently read somewhere that more and more households are getting rid of landlines and instead use their mobile devices as main contact sources. Even more so, us young'ns are texting more and more instead of calling by voice.

So while the big bad beasts of yesterday may be heading for greener pastures, inevitably a new monster will take its place. I am, of course, talking about Telephonophobia 2.0.

In the age of smart phones we have a new demon to deal with. Almost every week we hear about a new security breach in a phone company, antivirus corporation, or cloud storage service. We are always being warned about what we post, share, download, etc. Perhaps the future of Telephonophobia will shift from phone calls to mobile banking. Maybe the apprehension towards phones will come full circle and we'll stop using them altogether. That's one way to get rid of Candy Crush...

Additionally, the new age has brought with it the advent of Nomophobia, the fear of not having a mobile phone with you at all times. This can be a result from fear of safety (needing to call the police, etc), need for familiarity, or a dependence on social interaction. Whatever the cause, this is definitely a 21st century malady.

So there's the 411 (pun intended) on telephonophobia. Whether it's the legitimate crippling social anxiety held by 2.5 million young adults in the United Kingdom, or just a lame plot device in the next movie in the Chucky franchise, remember folks: the scariest monsters always call right as you're sitting down to dinner.

[scienceofscary]

Happy Phobia Phriday, all! Today, with the help of a fantastic animated shorts series called Figaro Pho, we spotlight another oddball fear: Zemmiphobia.

As a kid, my all time favorite cartoon was Kim Possible. I wanted to color my hair orange, wear black crop tops and cargo pants, and be a secret agent when I grew up. But despite this idol worship, my favorite character was a little pink ball of skin by the name of Rufus.

Anyone who watched this show knows how frickin' awesome this little guy is. Although he technically didn't speak, Rufus's human best friend Ron, along with all of us at home, always knew what he was saying. With a love for Mexican fast food and deep pants pockets, Rufus was a badass member of the Kim Possible team.

Rufus also happens to be a naked mole rat. And if you've ever seen one of those bad boys in reality, they can be a bit... unnerving. In the real world, a world where anvils don't fall from the sky on a regular basis, naked mole rats are, quite frankly, bloody creepy.

Yep. A face only a mother could love.

You can now understand why Zemmiphobia, the fear the mole rat, is a legitimate thing.

Human beings have a history of fearing rodents. Our aversion towards swarming animals, from rats to bugs to bats, play a significant role in the root of Zemmiphobia.

They are also known far and wide as carriers of disease. Rodent-related phobias skyrocketed during the infamous Black Death of the 14th century, was bolstered during the Great Plague of London in the 1660's, and has stuck with societies worldwide ever since. (This apprehension is actually incorrect, seeing as how it was the insects and parasites on the rodents that carried the plague).

As far as the mole rat is concerned, what it lacks in beauty (and we all know its a fugly creature. Hell, National Geographic likens it to "a bratwurst with teeth") it makes up for in awesomeness.

The naked mole rat lives in a society similar to that of some insect colonies. Like ants, bees, and termites, mole rats live in matriarchal societies where one alpha female, the "queen", sires young for the entire colony. No other female in the group can breed. Also like some insects, naked mole rats live in complex underground tunnel systems where specific members of the colony, the workers, dig the burrows and gather food. The other rats, meanwhile, tend to the queen and the young.

Other breeds of mole rats live all across Afro-Eurasia.

Now, this is a science blog, so I'd be pretty negligent in my duties if I didn't mention the badass science that comes packed in this ugly little pink sack of skin. These dudes have the longest lifespans of any rodent of the planet. Imagine you hamster living up to 30 years. I sure as hell can't.

That not cool enough for you? Try this on for size: mole rats have crazy teeth skills. Their massive incisors, which are actually located on the outside of their mouth, are free of each other. This means each of their four buck teeth on steroids can be independently controlled. They can even do some crazy chopstick-like action with two of them, if need be.

Okay. I can see you still need convincing. So here's where I break out the big guns. You ready for this?

NAKED MOLE RATS DON'T GET CANCER.

Yep, not a single mole rat in history has even been found with any form of cancer. Here's what the eggheads at the University of Haifa have to say:

"Scientists have discovered the naked mole rat's unique mechanism to staying cancer free -- a super sugar called high-molecular-mass Hyaluronan (HMM-HA). When secreted by the naked mole rat's cells, this molecule prevents cells from overcrowding and forming tumors. Researchers now say using naked mole-rat HMM-HA in the clinic could open up new avenues for cancer prevention and life extension in humans."

If that doesn't get these rodents on your good side, I don't know what will.

So don't fear our friends underground. When the mole people rise up and take control, at least we know they'll be family friendly, dentally dextrous, and tumor-free!

If you want to learn more about the naked mole rat, check out zefrank1's hilarious and informative video, True Facts About The Naked Mole Rat

Until next time, scareologists, go enjoy a naco on me!

[scienceofscary]

It's photos like these that make Ovinophobia, the fear of sheep, a little more plausible. People with this week's Phobia Phriday spotlight fear have usually had a negative experience with sheep in the past, typically in childhood.

Considering that our ancestors domesticated sheep nine to eleven thousand years ago, it's unlikely that there is any hereditary, anthropological, or evolutionary cause behind this one.

Of course, lovers of symbolism and socio-psychology may argue that ovinophobia is the human psyche's aversion to the concept of "following the herd" and loss of originality and free thinking. Metaphor or not, this is an odd fear to say the least...

Oh well, who am I to judge the fears of others? See you next week, scareologists! Until then, may your mutton never be rancid and your fleece always warm. Scare on, my friends.

[scienceofscary]

Phobia Phriday

When hinges creak

In doorless chambers

And strange and frightening sounds

Echo through the halls

Whenever candlelights flicker

When the air is deathly still

That is the time when ghosts are present

Practicing their terror with ghoulish delight

From Ghostbusters to Ghost Hunters, our society has been continuously obsessed with life after death. The concept of something that can't even be eradicated by death is a frightening one, so it's no wonder that Spectrophobia, the fear of ghosts, exists.

One in five people in the United States believe in ghosts, and 22% of Americans claim to have seen one. I myself believe in them, and there is even a family legend about ghosts and me. Apparently as an infant, I had a phantom babysitter. An ethereal figure of a woman who used to stand in my bedroom and watch me sleep has been seen by many women in my family, including my mother, cousin, and godmother.

Ghosts not only scare us, but give us hope: hope in the existence of something after death. Some may wish to see loved ones lost once more. Others might devote their lives to documenting proof of them. Whatever the motivation, there are countless people around the world who are fascinated, faithful, and fearful of the idea of something beyond the world as we know it.

[scienceofscary]

It's Phobia Phriday, and this week, we're gonna tip our hats to My Chemical Romance, to celebrate Ephebiphobia, the fear of teenagers.

Beyond just cleaning up your looks and sleeping with guns, teenagers are fairly terrifying creatures. If you look at things from a hormonal perspective, the teenage brain is probably the closest current evidence we possess to that of a rabid zombie. (And those who have read last week's Phobia of zombies, we don't have to repeat the reasons why we need to be afraid) Consider the testosterone, estrogen, adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine raging through the average adolescent mind. How flipping freaky is that?

And what about driving? All those sixteen and seventeen year old maniacs with those crazy high insurance premiums and all but zero experience behind the wheel? Terrifying, if you ask me.

But perhaps the most disconcerting thing about the teenage monster is that they are the future of humanity. We may scoff and laugh at the new generation, that is until we remember that these funny little apes are the voters, teachers, parents, and politicians of tomorrow. It's all fun and games until someone uses a hashtag in a presidential debate.

So learn from our maestros of malice. When it comes to teenagers, be afraid. be very afraid.