# Did the Beatles fund the CAT scanner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662 "2001-02-15T23:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeffro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jeffro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffro)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/1 "2001-02-15T23:36:16Z")
My friend (a Beatles fan) just told me the following story: The original CAT scan (a medical diagnostic tool) was called an EMI SCANNER, this is because the research was funded by the EMI record label . And EMI was not just feeling generous, it was paid for by THE BEATLES , seems they were making so much $$$ they didn’t know what to do with it all. I read this when I was MUCH younger, but as I recall The Beatles were looking to do some good with this money and EMI ( who had electronic interests also ) had this MAD scientist walk in one day with this crazy idea, and The Beatles chose his research specifically. Is this true? It sounds kinda urban mythy to me but let me know if anyone has heard this before. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/2 "2001-02-15T23:58:11Z")
wow, how quickly whisper down the lane works its wonders! the beatles story has a nugget of truth. The CAT scan was originally called the MONKEE scan, invented by dapper british chap Davy Jones. Who then went on to found Wings. Or something. jb p.s.- EMI Labs invented the cat scan. It was an offshoot of the original company Electrical and Musical Industries. The beatles were under contract with EMI’s music label. That’s the connection. But no, the Fab Four neither funder nor invented nor had any contact the the CAT scan. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/3 "2001-02-16T00:48:21Z")
No, EMI didn’t invent the CAT scan, it was invented by Allan MacLeod Cormack of South Africa and Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield of the UK. They shared the Nobel Prize for this invention. The groundwork for the CAT scan goes back to about 1957. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/4 "2001-02-16T00:57:16Z")
dammit. watch your back, **Chas** , cuz I’m keeping my eye on you. jb dammit ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/5 "2001-02-16T02:10:01Z")
_ **Oh, well.** _ And, as far as I can tell, they hardly ever use it to scan cats, either. ~~Baloo ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/6 "2001-02-16T02:25:34Z")
If the fool on the hill can see the sun going down and the world spinning round, why can’t he see the pancreas? ---
**Author:** ![Jeffro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jeffro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/7 "2001-02-16T02:42:45Z")
Marcus, you lied to me!!!☹ ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/8 "2001-02-16T02:50:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \* > \*\*No, EMI didn’t invent the CAT scan, it was invented by Allan MacLeod Cormack of South Africa and Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield of the UK. > \*\* Actually, Hounsfield was working for EMI when he invented the CAT scanner. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/9 "2001-02-16T03:23:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baloo \* > \*\*_ **Oh, well.** _ > > And, as far as I can tell, they hardly ever use it to scan cats, either. > > ~~Baloo \*\* No, no, I believe they use a **cat** to scan **you**! I understand that tabbies work best. Sorry, old cheesy joke! R-n-R ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-beatles-fund-the-cat-scanner/54662/10 "2001-02-16T04:38:32Z")
For further information on this subject, consult: [http://www.cat-scan.com/](http://www.cat-scan.com/)