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Anonymous - A Paper Cut… A Tree's Last Revenge

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“A Paper Cut… A Tree's Last Revenge”

— Anonymous

 

More Anonymous quotes on science >>

If you get a paper cut, you may wonder why such a small nick stings so much more than you might expect compared to a deeper wound, say, with a razor blade.

Looking around the web for answers, there are several theories that get parrotted. So let's stay with a dermatologists's answer: Forget about the microscopic nature of the paper, its chemicals, or bacteria on it. Yet, beyond those discreditted ideas, dermatologists are still not sure.

Before worrying about why, remember this first—seal the wound. Superficial cuts usually lack blood flow, so cover the wound with Vaseline or liquid bandage to do the job that scab formation would normally do. That also means the exposed raw nerves are no longer open to the air, and the pain signals are reduced.

Pain originates from the nociceptors which are especially plentiful in the fingers where the sense of touch is most important. The word “nociceptor” compounds “receptor” with the Latin stem from “nocere”—meaning “harm”—indicating the survival purpose of nerves. Messages about sensing something hot, sharp or crushing are sent to the brain to produce a motor response to withdraw from the danger.

The paper edge inflicts only superficial damage, affecting the most shallow nerves, which are the most sensitive, and respond with the feeling of stinging. Larger nerves, deeper in the flesh are the ones causing dull, aching pain. Also, under a microscope it is easy to see the paper edge is ragged compared to the metal edge of a razor blade. So the paper cut is more ripped than sliced, and more nerves are affected.

Of all this information, the part to remember most is, when you get a paper cut—promptly seal the wound.

As for the tree's revenge, don't forget those sneeky splinters, too!

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Same illustration captioned “a tree's last laugh.” >>

| Tree quotes | Paper quotes | Cut quotes | Revenge quotes | Laugh quotes |

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Nature bears long with those who wrong her. She is patient under abuse. But when abuse has gone too far, when the time of reckoning finally comes, she is equally slow to be appeased and to turn away her wrath. (1882) -- Nathaniel Egleston, who was writing then about deforestation, but speaks equally well about the danger of climate change today.

Carl Sagan: In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) ...(more by Sagan)

Albert Einstein: I used to wonder how it comes about that the electron is negative. Negative-positive—these are perfectly symmetric in physics. There is no reason whatever to prefer one to the other. Then why is the electron negative? I thought about this for a long time and at last all I could think was “It won the fight!” ...(more by Einstein)

Richard Feynman: It is the facts that matter, not the proofs. Physics can progress without the proofs, but we can't go on without the facts ... if the facts are right, then the proofs are a matter of playing around with the algebra correctly. ...(more by Feynman)

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