As I remember, there was an athelete suspected of “blood doping” awhile back, but it was later determined that he just had a genetic condition that caused his body to produce much higher levels of red blood cells than most humans.
— I did read Charles Berlitz’s “Tales of the Awesome” (I think thats what it was called) and there was an apparently factual account of an autopsy performed where they did not find a brain.
This may say more about Charles Berlitz, author of such gems as The Bermuda Triangle, The Philadelphia Experiment - Project Invisibility, and The Roswell Incident, than it does about mutations.
an apparently factual account of an autopsy performed where they did not find a brain.
I don’t know of the Berltiz account, but this is more or less true. Some cases of hydrocephalus produce a fully-functioning thin skin of brain tissue lining the inside the skull. See:
Is a brain really necessary?
Ultrasounds (they were checking her ovaries, and became puzzled at the absence of the appendix). Either it’s not there at all, or it’s very well hidden.
A simple mutation to one gene on chromosome 2 prevents the shutting off of the manufacture of lactase enzyme at weaning.
This allows children and adults to digest the milk sugar lactose all their lives.
Unless you’re a militant vegan, this is not only pretty “cool” but arguably the most noticeable and important mutation to occur during modern human history.
Well, you can.
The 100% RDA of iron that you see on breakfast cereal containers is provided in the form of actual small iron flakes. They’re small enough that you’ll never notice them, but not microscopic.
By way of anecdote, my appendix was hidden entirely by my bladder and did not show up on an ultra sound, but it was definitely there when it burst 4 months ago. The doctors were convinced it was my appendix, even though they couldn’t find it, because the rest of my organs were intact and my white bloodcell count was very very high.
That is the most revolting thing I’ve read this week.
IANAD and I haven’t seen the scans (and wouldn’t necessarily know what I was looking at even if I had). All I can say is that two different sets of doctors have insisted that my wife’s appendix is not there, and that tapes of her ultrasounds are being used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of London for instructional purposes. If it’s there but hidden behind something else, I will be very disappointed indeed in the medical profession, as you’d think they might have conisdered that option.
However, the tonsils are definitely not there. Lucky her.
These “mutations” are likely due to her brief in-utero exposure to DES. Let us be thankful it wasn’t Thalidomide.
Having blue skin might be cool: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980724.html
Well, that sounds pretty thorough!
Back to the OP: my wife’s sister’s boyfriend has a weird fingernail, which is hereditary amongst men in his family. It grows sideways from his index finger, pointing down like a knife’s edge, and is very hard (he uses it to open beer bottles).
Not quite retractable claws like Wolverine in the X-men, but he thinks its cool.
That is cool. Built-in bottle cap opener! 
Those no-brain guys, however, are beyond wierd. Can you imagine going to the doctor one day, and having him tell you that your brain is a millimeter-thick coating on the inside of your skull, and the rest of your head is just a big ball of fluid :eek:
Both my wife’s pinkies are bent about 45 degrees inward at the last knuckle.
You wouldn’t think this would be useful, but then you probably never pick your nose.
Um, I think that the Jeff Rense site is pretty out there. It’s all about UFOs and crap like that, so I’d take it with a grain of salt.
I already have three arms.
The third is baby-sized, though. I use it to hold apples.
My wife has the same thing. Thankfully I’ve never seen them “in use”.
You guys might like this book.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670031100/qid=1072257658/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-6711052-2542554
Opposable thumbs are pretty cool.