I had a patient who was so caught up in playing God of War III that he rolled over his hand with his knee and broke two fingers. The radiograph is attached (with his information omitted and arrows that point to the fractures). First time I’ve seen such an extreme gaming injury.

But in all actuality, it’s probably just the first time someone admitted to such an extreme gaming injury.

Protip: If you ever break your hand doing something no sturdy person would break their hand doing, be sure to namedrop “bar fight” and “minotaur”.

The Mechatronics Lab at the Mie University in Japan subjected the ERS-110 and ERS-210 models under radiography to get a better understanding of how Sony created them. There’s a joke in there somewhere about a dog and a CAT scan, but I won’t stoop so low. [Mie University via PlasticPals]

Everyone knows light exposes film, but other forms of radiation do as well – a fact you can use to take pictures in some pretty unusual ways.

It’s also how radioactivity was first discovered. In 1896, French physicist Henri Becquerel stored some x-ray film in a drawer along with a uranium rock. He suspected that uranium might emit strange rays when exposed to sunlight, but this sample had been kept entirely in the dark, so he was surprised to find, on developing it, that the mineral had exposed the film. The discovery of natural radioactivity won him a Nobel Prize.

It’s not hard to repeat Becquerel’s experience at home with standard film. I took apart a 10-pack of Fujifilm ISO 3000 instant film and wrapped each piece in tinfoil. This must be done in absolute darkness because 3000-speed film is extremely sensitive. (I sacrificed the first pack practising in the light.)

Next I set a big, flat butterfly-shaped earring directly on top of the wrapped film. I suspended the most radioactive thing I have, a small radium puck from an old classroom set, several inches above the earring. This allowed the radiation to shine through it and onto the film, exposing it right through the foil wrapper. Then I developed the film by pulling it through the rollers of an old Polaroid camera (once again, in complete darkness).

This exposure took about 36 hours, determined by trial and lots of error. If you’re willing to wait longer, less-radioactive sources work too, even common salt substitute. Yes, sodium-free salt (potassium chloride) is sufficiently radioactive (from the isotope potassium-40) that after several months, a salt shaker-ful will form an image on film. Provided you don’t forget and eat the radioactive source on your breakfast.

Achtung! Stronger radiation sources such as radium watch hands, and any source that’s flaking off fine particles, should be handled with care to minimise exposure and avoid contamination.

Photo credit: Mike Walker

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[Hundertmark via BoingBoing]

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We can only assume that while some poor boy with an unconfirmed fractured tibia had to wait in excruciating pain for a hospital’s only x-ray room to open, Flickr member Reintji had locked the doors from the inside as he tossed forth a pile of vintage gaming equipment to be scanned despite its inherent and shameless lack of medical insurance.

Fast forward a few weeks, and an HMO lacky is approving the expenses of Mr. Play Station the Third. Then just for a moment, the little guy claims a victory over mega corporations…while an even littler guy nurses his still-broken leg. [Flickr via AcidMods via technabob]

Apparently the trials at 6 airports have gone so well that the TSA would like to have all passengers “go through the whole-body imager instead of the walk-through metal detector.” In other words, everyone who gets on a plane will be seen quasi-naked.

The TSA is quick to remind the public that the technician is “off-site” and unable to associate your grey naked body with your real, grey naked body.

Swapping all metal detectors to whole body scanners should make that 100ml liquid rule a thing of the past, but with each scanner running $US100,000 to $US170,000 apiece, the upgrade won’t exactly be free. And really, I think the TSA should be paying me if they expect to see my naked behind. At least then I’d know the money was worth it. [NYT and Budget Travel and Getty Images]

This X-Ray lamp, slightly different than the X-ray lamp we’ve seen before, seems to be a real product by Sture Pallarp customisable with your own medical records. But imagine the cocktail conversation, the ease with which it would initiate the opportunity to brag about what you’ve always considered your most charming feature, your lungs.

“Oh, these old things? Yeah. My doctor says they’re awesome and a miracle and stuff, but you know, just lungs to me. I still take things a breath at a time, like everyone else.”

[Sture Pallarp via bookofjoe]