How To Improve The Human Gene Pool

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Did the tourist have to go for a midnight swim in the mouth of a river infamous for its aggressive saltwater crocodiles? Was it a good idea to urinate between the bars of a wrought-iron fence in a thunderstorm which via several cause and effect reactions resulted in the urinator’s penis to explode? He didn’t die, but he certainly removed himself from the gene pool with this action which is the pre-condition to be included in the Darwin Awards collection. In the mid 1980s such stories (bizarre deaths involving children aren‘t included) circulated the net and were discussed in usenet groups. Later several websites were created to collect them. The most well-known one was started in 1994. It's darwinawards.com (Put in front of the word. I tried adding the link here, but it doesn't work. It always turns into an error message) The motto of the site is: A Chronicle of Enterprising Demises Honoring those who improve the species . . . By Accidentally removing themselves from it! We find a list under the portrait of Darwin that leads us to the ‘Darwin Awards‘ back to the year 1995 mentioned according to their popularity, then to ‘Honorable Mentions‘, ‘The stupidity displayed by the participants in the following tales stops short of the ultimate Darwin Awards sacrifice. Nevertheless, we salute the spirit and innovation of their misadventures‘ and also ‘Urban Legends‘, apocryphal stories which have been included because of their popularity. The click on the item ‘Randomizers’ is perhaps the best way to get to know the site if you‘re not a systematically minded person who can only enjoy themselves if they start at the beginning and read through to the end. Click at random and if you feel attracted by the stories, you‘ll never be short of reading and lol material. If you‘ve got a boring job and need some fun or if you‘ve got a thrilling job but occasionally need some mental rest and recreation, save this site on your computer. Obviously, Bertrand Russell was right when he said, “Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." Wendy Northcutt, the publisher of the site, was asked how long she would laugh at death, "As long as I enjoy it," she says. "I don't have any plans to stop." Good news! A final thought for readers who don‘t feel so good laughing about stories on macabre demises, “One should not be ashamed of laughing over the misfortune of others. Humor is perceived by human brains alone, which sets us apart from all other beings. Jokes always involve the unexpected clash between reality and expectation.“ So be human and laugh! ----- Photo: RCS Libri & Grandi Opere SpA Milano/Il mondo degli animali