Fruit MRIs
July 17, 2010 7:26 AM   Subscribe

Fruit MRIs. Do not click this link if you are intoxicated.

Bananas look like the faces of children crying out in fear. Watermelons, on the other hand, are rather trippy.
posted by Joe in Australia (78 comments total) 99 users marked this as a favorite
 
Corn is so jaunty!
posted by something something at 7:30 AM on July 17, 2010


Wow, I didn't know watermelons had that fractally-spirally distribution of seeds. And I love the corn; it looks so happy.
posted by pyrex at 7:30 AM on July 17, 2010


Meet Durian, gibbering horror from deep space, devourer of dreams.
posted by oulipian at 7:37 AM on July 17, 2010 [22 favorites]


I think I just started tripping looking at the kiwi. It's been a looooong time since I said anything remotely like that.
posted by ob at 7:39 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


At last we can study fruit anatomy ethically. Until now the only alternative was studying fruit cadavers. Horrific cases of live dissections are not unknown.
posted by CaseyB at 7:41 AM on July 17, 2010 [31 favorites]


I could watch broccoli and artichoke all day.

Anybody know where to get cheap digital photoframes?
posted by notyou at 7:42 AM on July 17, 2010


"Sorry if it takes a second to load"? Try two minutes before I gave up and clicked away. Very cool animations each, but do they all need to load on the same page?
posted by cribcage at 7:42 AM on July 17, 2010 [4 favorites]


Ob, you're right. I'll never be able to look at a kiwi without thinking Sarlac lives inside it.

Something something dentata!
posted by pyrex at 7:43 AM on July 17, 2010


The cantaloupe looks like a mouth. It's talking to me. It's taunting me.
posted by amethysts at 7:43 AM on July 17, 2010


The artichoke is the least terrifying; considering that it's a flower that makes sense, but the cantaloupe is my favorite. It's like some sort of benign sparkly jellyfish in the 3d view, but the slices seem like some kind of horrifying nightmare worm with a 3-beaked mouth trying to pluck out an eyeball. Oh, that melon in my fridge is gonna get it.
posted by Mizu at 7:45 AM on July 17, 2010


Also, this particular fMRI conclusively showed that fruit enjoy being handled. Except for the artichoke. We had like ... n = fourteen, guys! That's enough, right?
posted by adipocere at 7:47 AM on July 17, 2010 [4 favorites]


I would pay money for a screensaver of these. Really.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:51 AM on July 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


artichoke, many-petaled whore

cantelope, slowly rotating in splendid isolation

bell pepper, strangely empty inside

+the mushrooms are ethereal :P and the dragon fruit wispy!
posted by kliuless at 7:52 AM on July 17, 2010


I did not expect that to be so compelling, or so beautiful.
posted by workerant at 7:54 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]




I came in here to make a Lovecraft joke but it looks like oulipian already beat me to the punch.
posted by kbanas at 7:59 AM on July 17, 2010


Fun fact: "Metroid" is an Anglicization of the Japanese word for "cantaloupe".
posted by cortex at 8:00 AM on July 17, 2010 [3 favorites]


Whoa... maaaaan... happ'nin' visuals, man...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:01 AM on July 17, 2010


Broccoli really ARE fractal-tastic. Amazing.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:02 AM on July 17, 2010


So familiar and yet so alien.
posted by bitslayer at 8:04 AM on July 17, 2010


broccoli is the old Dr. Who intro.
posted by komara at 8:14 AM on July 17, 2010 [3 favorites]


The artichoke looks like a star going nova and collapsing into a singularity.

Also, did you ever really get into your hand? All the lines are like little highways. And your thumb is an offramp.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:17 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


I want to make the rotating pineapple my avatar for EVERYTHING.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:34 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


The broccoli looks like fireworks, and the corn like some kind of rotors. Watermelon spirals may be my favorite though; should have been at the bottom for the big finish.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:42 AM on July 17, 2010


Awesome! But I really want them to scan a pomegranate.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 8:45 AM on July 17, 2010


The dragonfruit one is pretty much exactly what I expect to see every time one of my pregnant friends asks if I want to see their ultrasound.

I blame Alien.
posted by elizardbits at 8:47 AM on July 17, 2010 [7 favorites]


They should start rolling these out in produce stands across the country. It would take the guess work out of shopping for fruit.
posted by sswiller at 8:55 AM on July 17, 2010


Whose idea was this, because this is amazing.
posted by empath at 9:01 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


People look cooler inside. Me!
posted by cjorgensen at 9:02 AM on July 17, 2010


Amazing! Anyone else have a sudden urge to set these babies to an all The Orb soundtrack?
posted by Lisitasan at 9:11 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


Am I the only one who thought... "yep, this is why health care is so expensive, somebody is using an expensive resource like an MRI machine to do fruit!!!!! And I'll pay for this next time I have an appointment..." ?

Or am I just a crabby old guy?

don't answer that
posted by HuronBob at 9:27 AM on July 17, 2010


Yes, they should totally do crabs!

I've had several full-body MRIs, which take forever to run; as a result, I hear MRI and I think: nap. Just seeing these images triggers a yawn. My insides weren't nearly as cute as the corn.
posted by heyho at 9:36 AM on July 17, 2010



Didn't I see this on a episode of House?
posted by Wuggie Norple at 9:37 AM on July 17, 2010


I thought about health care costs, too, HuronBob. But then, I'm just a crabby young person.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 9:37 AM on July 17, 2010


Am I the only one who thought... "yep, this is why health care is so expensive, somebody is using an expensive resource like an MRI machine to do fruit!!!!!

I thought about that, and then I remembered that all instrumentation needs testing and tuning, and that this is often the sort of thing scientists do to test their instruments.
posted by grouse at 9:40 AM on July 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


I suppose there's the question of what the actual marginal cost of activating an MRI machine is; getting an MRI is obviously a good chunk of change for the patient, but is that really a reflection of the per-use cost of the machine or just a fixed price intended to recoup the sunk cost of the initial purchase?
posted by cortex at 9:41 AM on July 17, 2010


the mushroom one looks like a pair of sandworms devouring some food. and then a third one comes out of NOWHERE and eats the shit out of that stem.
posted by lisawin at 9:43 AM on July 17, 2010


[delete long rant about MRI and health care costs]

Cool pics!
posted by Xoebe at 9:47 AM on July 17, 2010


It is EXTREMELY unlikely that these were taken at a hospital. A quick google search indicates that food scientists use MRI to study the impact of transport on produce. The food industry appears to use MRI for a variety of uses.
posted by jeoc at 9:57 AM on July 17, 2010 [5 favorites]


Do not click this link if you are intoxicated.

FIFY
posted by jeoc at 9:58 AM on July 17, 2010


I sm currently drunk and I cliked on it sand all I can say is THEY DO THAT TO PEOPLE wtf
posted by GilloD at 9:58 AM on July 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


What is really cool about the banana scans is that the three parts that make up each single fruit body are clearly visible. Usually you can impress people who don't know about this by splitting a banana lengthwise into three easily separable pieces, but here the underlying geometry that makes that trick possible can be seen.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 10:00 AM on July 17, 2010


I'm pretty sure that MRI's have a very low per-use cost. As in, they're expensive as all get out, but it doesn't cost much for an individual scan after the machine is there and on. The superconducting magnets in them are cooled with the Helium at all times. So they are always 'on'. The extra costs involved would be using the computers to process the results. I can't imagine the change in electrical costs is much compared to just keeping the magnet functional.

This is based on my meager knowledge on MRI's and from many of my close friends being MRI techs.
posted by Phantomx at 10:05 AM on July 17, 2010


grouse, my own guess is that an MRI staff party got a little out of hand, and (after a midnight grocery run) this was the result.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:09 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


I suppose there's the question of what the actual marginal cost of activating an MRI machine is;...

I think you're on it; probably fairly marginal. This similar page indicates that these sorts of tests are used for calibration purposes. Still, those costs are built into the lifespan of the machine - it was built, transported, installed, will be used, dismantled and replaced. Meantime its gotta be staffed, maintained, etc. Presumably the calibrator theirself is not poorly compensated, nor are any of the operators who must be kept on staff. While the marginal cost is probably fairly trivial (e.g. electricity), the ginormous investment is reflected in these images and our bills. Even otherwise idle tests reflect a huge daily cost for the thing's existence.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 10:14 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


This is what I watch when I get high on my YouTube drugs.
posted by Chichibio at 10:16 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


Well, sir, we have good news and bad news.

The good news is...you're not a vegetable...
posted by louche mustachio at 10:29 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]




yep, this is why health care is so expensive, somebody is using an expensive resource like an MRI machine to do fruit!!!!! And I'll pay for this next time I have an appointment...

Beyond the fact that they need to test and calibrate these things - which is what I suspect these may be from - not all MRI machines are used for health care. Some MRI and fMRI machines are used specifically for scientific research, in departments or institutions not connected to hospitals or medical schools. Such machines won't ever be used for scanning patients.

Speaking of MRIs of odd things, I highly recommend this:
Neural correlates of interspecies perspective taking in the post-mortem Atlantic Salmon: An argument for multiple comparisons correction
(This research was done to point out some common math/stats problems in many fMRI studies.)
posted by ubersturm at 10:44 AM on July 17, 2010 [5 favorites]


The per-use cost of MRI scans isn't too high, but the maintenance costs can be substantial. You've got to have trained personnel to operate the machines and keep them running correctly.

And previous posters are right about non-medical MRIs. In fact, micro MRIs are used a lot in research related to mouse test subjects. Those machines can get high resolution data for small animals, but a human patient wouldn't even fit in the machine.
posted by demiurge at 10:52 AM on July 17, 2010


The mushroom MRI confirms everything I've ever suspected and feared about mushrooms.

The artichoke MRI is just beautiful.
posted by lekvar at 11:05 AM on July 17, 2010


This is absolutely amazing. I now want to buy my own MRI just so I can do this.

This is the same feeling I always have after the Texas State Fair, in that after that, I always want to buy a deep fryer and experiment.
posted by SNWidget at 11:06 AM on July 17, 2010


As someone who quite literally had his first MRI done just last night, this is eerily well-timed.

Watermelons, on the other hand, are rather trippy.

Indeed.

Yes, I am that guy who scours YouTube for clips of horrific MRI incidents the night before his first MRI, that is how I roll: terrified of fucking magnets. How do they work?
posted by joe lisboa at 11:25 AM on July 17, 2010 [3 favorites]


That's a naval orange. I can see its naval. Ooooooooh!
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 11:34 AM on July 17, 2010


^dude i just posted that dude

Mr. Mustachio did the same thing the night before his MRI.
posted by louche mustachio at 11:35 AM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


I know what you mean, SNWidget; after I go to the state fair, I always want to buy a ferris wheel for the back yard.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:49 AM on July 17, 2010


oh, shiitake! they did not say what kind of mushrooms those are.
posted by Cranberry at 11:59 AM on July 17, 2010


I love the artichoke and the mushrooms look like jellyfish.

The durian appears to be some sort of monstrously painful exercise in cell division, while the dragonfruit resembles what I'd imagine to be the heart of some alien species.

In other words, these are cool.
posted by cmgonzalez at 12:01 PM on July 17, 2010



The durian appears to be some sort of monstrously painful exercise in cell division


In real life, the durian is a monstrous culinary horror that everyone swears is delicious but really tastes like someone farted in a melon.
posted by louche mustachio at 12:24 PM on July 17, 2010 [6 favorites]


This is why health care is so expensive, somebody is using an expensive resource like an MRI machine to do fruit!!!!!

Ignoring all the logic about cost of running the machine vs. cost of just having the machine in the building, think of it this way: Next time you get an MRI and don't die when someone accidentally quenches the magnet and it explodes, thank whatever god you believe in that they do hands on training with equipment like this by having them scan shit like fruit!
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 12:57 PM on July 17, 2010 [4 favorites]


Deliciously trippy.
posted by edguardo at 1:11 PM on July 17, 2010


Banana cross-sections reminded me of Bill Plimpton cartoons.

Can we do fMRI and like - apply electrodes and shit to them?
posted by symbioid at 1:19 PM on July 17, 2010


"In fact, micro MRIs are used a lot in research related to mouse test subjects. Those machines can get high resolution data for small animals, but a human patient wouldn't even fit in the machine.
posted by demiurge at 12:52 PM on July 17 [+] [!]"

Ah, but my penis just might! Let the experiments begin!
posted by symbioid at 1:21 PM on July 17, 2010


Metafilter: Ah, but my penis just might! Let the experiments begin!
posted by joe lisboa at 1:37 PM on July 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


Sorry if it takes a second to load? Try two minutes before I gave up and clicked away.

You should be thankful it wasn't tumour.
posted by hal9k at 2:56 PM on July 17, 2010


I don't know how these people got their produce wedged in their MRI machines, or why.
posted by jocelmeow at 3:37 PM on July 17, 2010 [6 favorites]


One of my favorite posts here in a long time!
posted by Wolfdog at 4:16 PM on July 17, 2010


Fun fact: "Metroid" is an Anglicization of the Japanese word for "cantaloupe".
posted by cortex at 1:00 AM on 7/18
[2 favorites +] [!]


Wait, did I miss a HAMBURGER or something? Because the Japanese word for a cantaloupe (actually a musk melon unless you're living on mainland Europe, where they grow actual cantaloupes) is basically "musk melon" with a Japanese accent. I fear, however, that I am being Too Obtuse to Get the Joke Because He's Overeducated in the Subject Guy.

That said, sounds like it's time to check out that particular MRI...
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:32 PM on July 17, 2010




I fear, however, that I am being Too Obtuse to Get the Joke Because He's Overeducated in the Subject Guy

You are. A Metroid is a creature from the video game series. One example.
posted by cmgonzalez at 5:10 PM on July 17, 2010


This is my favorite post in a long time. These pictures are a marriage of natural and technological beauty.
posted by sunnichka at 6:43 PM on July 17, 2010


These are so freakin' cool looking. One of my favorite posts, ever. :)
posted by zarq at 7:36 PM on July 17, 2010


I don't know how these people got their bananas trapped in the Phantom Zone, or why.
posted by oulipian at 9:20 PM on July 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


But it was $20, same as in town.
posted by arto at 10:48 PM on July 17, 2010


This made my day. Thanks for posting it!
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 11:05 PM on July 17, 2010


I pay major bucks to get MRIs. Now they're used on food. Seems a waste. A cool waste, but a waste.
posted by Hasai at 11:47 PM on July 17, 2010


Hasia: you're paying for the purchase of the equipment. I don't think they're displacing patients in order to MRI fruit.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:33 AM on July 18, 2010




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