Freaks Of The World Rejoice

While we're on the topic of "creepy shit," I thought I'd bring this to your attention.

This weekend, the U of Pennsylvania claimed they had come up with the cause, and the beginnings of a possble cure, for a rare disease called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (or FOP, for short). FOP causes the body to produce an extra skeleton (!!) inside the effected person. (The picture to the left is a CAT scan of an effected person.) Basically, your muscles, tendons, and ligaments turn into bone. Any damage to a muscle (like a bruise) or a ligament (like blowing out your ACL) will cause it to turn to bone. Almost all fiberous tissue damage does not heal, but turns to bone. Operations to remove said bones cause more bones to grow.

Yikes. Just looking at that picture gives me the creeps. Freak Show City, man.