Slacker or Sick

dancpsu writes "Researchers at Temple University's College of Health Professions found that early nerve damage caused by repetitive strain injuries can trigger "sick worker" syndrome -- often mistaken for poor performance. They discovered that nerve injuries caused by low-force, highly repetitive work can be blamed on an onslaught of cytokines -- proteins that help start inflammation. Unexpectedly, the researchers also found that the cytokines affected the rats' psychosocial responses. At three weeks, even before the rats experienced pain from their wrist injuries, they began to self-regulate their work behavior. By five weeks to eight weeks, when cytokine production reached "peak" levels, some rats curled up in a ball and slept in between tasks."

Comments

I'm confused

[confused philosopher]

When did employers ACTUALLY start hiring real rats for the rat race?

Oh, sorry, I read the story a bit more carefully now. Never mind.

Re:I'm confused

[Anonymous Coward]

When did employers ACTUALLY start hiring real rats for the rat race?

Since they realized it was cheaper than outsourcing to India.

That explains it!

[Matt Perry]

No wonder I've been nodding off at wo...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Re:That explains it!

[grammar fascist]

No wonder I've been nodding off at wo...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Amazing! Your head hit just the 'z' key, and held down the SHIFT key simultaneously for the first one! And then, somehow, your computer submitted your comment. How do you do that?

I wish I could do that.

Anyway, more seriously: Why is this story tagged as humor? I read the article, and there's really nothing funny in it.

Not that that stops us from taking it lightly, of course.

Re:That explains it!

[BorgHunter]

MAYNARD: It reads, 'Here may be found the last words of Matt Perry. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail in the Castle of Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'.
ARTHUR: What?
MAYNARD: '... the Castle of Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'.
BEDEVERE: What is that?
MAYNARD: He must have fallen asleep while typing it.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, come on!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what it says.
ARTHUR: Look, if he was falling asleep, he wouldn't bother to type 'Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'. He'd just snore it!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what's written in the post!
GALAHAD: Perhaps he was dictating.
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up.

Re:That explains it!

[vertinox]

Amazing! Your head hit just the 'z' key, and held down the SHIFT key simultaneously for the first one! And then, somehow, your computer submitted your comment. How do you do that?

King Arthur: [about the slashdot post] What does it say, Brother Maynard?
Brother Maynard: It reads, "No wonder I've been nodding off at wo...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
King Arthur: What?
Brother Maynard: "at wo...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
Sir Bedevere: What is that?
Brother Maynard: He must have feel asleep while posting it.
King Arthur: Oh come on!
Brother Maynard: Well, that's what it says.
King Arthur: Look, if he was falling a sleep, he wouldn't have bothered to type 'Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'. He'd just say it.
Sir Galahad: Maybe he was dictating it.
King Arthur: Oh shut up!

How did they cause these injuries?

[maxarturo]

What kind of exercises give rats "wrist injuries"? Did they get little rat-sized keyboards?

Re:How did they cause these injuries?

[Nefarious Wheel]

What kind of exercises give rats "wrist injuries"? Did they get little rat-sized keyboards?

Generally, typing up disclaimers, authoring EULA's, looking up court settlements, writing very large bills, initiating and responding to litigation, in no particular order.

Re:How did they cause these injuries?

[drinkypoo]

Maybe they gave them little rat-sized TV/VCR combos and some rat porn?

Re:How did they cause these injuries?

[Zordak]

I thought that was sharks' work.

Re:How did they cause these injuries?

[Kjella]

Generally, typing up disclaimers, authoring EULA's, looking up court settlements, writing very large bills, initiating and responding to litigation, in no particular order.

The rats don't deserve that comparison.

Re:A good reason to stop reading Slashdot tonight

[jefe7777]

....must

(heavy breathing) ....turn

(straining reaching) ....off

(eyes watering) ....the

(millimeters from powerbutton) ....inter...net

(hand shaking violently) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! my precious! evil hobitses!

/me quickly opens 12 more firefox tabs

Re:slacker or sick

[Jozer99]

Not only were the rats sleepy, but their code was buggy as hell.

"low-force, highly repetitive work"

[BocaJuniors]

Hello, Peter. We need to talk about your TPS reports.

I hve a simple solution.

[Bob Cat - NYMPHS]

I do not allow my rat to use a mouse.

Two words:

[StandardDeviant]

Middle.

Management.

*shrug* If they didn't hire rats, there'd be unemployed MBAs and JDs clogging up the gutters. It's as much a public health issue as anything else.

Re:Am i the only one...

[softweyr]

who felt just like the rats?

Re:Strange

[JustOK]

No, but its a good start.

Re:Sounds like me during Exams!

[lahvak]

Your hand is so sore you can barely write with it; your fingers seem permanently dented where your pencil resides.. in fact, every muscle in your body aches. Theyve been aching for so long you cant remember.. painkillers do nothing now. Youve had 8 strong coffees, your mind is numb and throbbs... Your neck is so stiff and sore... not a wink of sleep in days, yet you just couldnt fully fall asleep if you tried. Social interaction is futile - you can barely manage to utter coherent language, and most of such encounters are awkward and embarassing. All you can do is calculation, logic - the world around you seems etherally mechanical, filled with logical/mathematical portent. Youve been sitting on your bed for 12 hours straight, listening to the same song over and over, its 4AM, and nothing makes any sense anymore.

I agree, I am at a University too, and I feel just like that when grading exams.

Possible failure looms, watches you like a hawk - it forces you onward, mercilissly. Theres over 20 hours more material to study. The exam starts in 4 hours.

Oh. Never mind.

Re:Rats?

[rebelcan]

What, you're afraid of the most popular response being "Meet girls"?