# Scientist Discover Cause of Hangovers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901 "2010-05-10T12:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/1 "2010-05-10T12:59:46Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100510/sc\_livescience/hangovermoleculeinbrainfound](http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100510/sc_livescience/hangovermoleculeinbrainfound) How does one tell if a worm is “irritated”? And it sounds as if “hair of the dog” might be the best treatment (if you don’t mind the risk of dependency). At least it makes your worms less irritated. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/2 "2010-05-10T13:36:25Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > [http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100510/sc\_livescience/hangovermoleculeinbrainfound](http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100510/sc_livescience/hangovermoleculeinbrainfound) > > How does one tell if a worm is “irritated”? > > And it sounds as if “hair of the dog” might be the best treatment (if you don’t mind the risk of dependency). At least it makes your worms less irritated. Specifically, it seems like good tequila would be the ideal treatment. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/3 "2010-05-10T15:07:49Z")
Yahoo! missed a trick with the headline – it should have been along the lines of **Southampton scientists paid to get worms drunk**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/4 "2010-05-10T15:21:12Z")
Oops, didn’t fully read for comprehension before responding! Asked the same question as Cal! So, yah, how _does_ one tell if a worm is irritable? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/5 "2010-05-10T15:38:06Z")
It’s easy to tell because worms are usually such happy-go-lucky creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/6 "2010-05-10T16:31:32Z")
Know how to avoid a hangover? Never stop drinking. Seriously, drunk worms. Adorable. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/7 "2010-05-11T22:17:25Z")
Boy I would have loved to be in on this research study… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/8 "2010-05-12T01:34:24Z")
There’s a Far Side cartoon in this story somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientist-discover-cause-of-hangovers/538901/9 "2010-05-12T07:04:34Z")
This seems quite similar to what happens in benzodiazepine withdrawal. In fact, since benzos and alcohol are similar in how they affect the brain, I’m surprised scientists didn’t already know this. Perhaps the information in the article was overly simplified.