Japanese doctors named a heart condition after the octopus: Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy or “broken-heart syndrome.”
The condition, in which a part of the heart suddenly enlarges, is often caused by emotional stress like the sudden death or disappearance someone you love. According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is fatal in 3.6 percent of the cases.
It got its name from either the clay jars used by Japanese fishermen to catch octopus (which resembles the shape of the heart enlargement) or after a story about a Japanese fisherman who fell in love with an octopus who didn’t care for her captor.
In any case, it is medically possible to die of a broken heart.
(An octopus, by the way, has three hearts. Also, some people make tako-tsubo speakers.)
So the death of amidala in that last star wars movie might have been possible. Fanboys rejoice.
Not to be all sad sack but that reminds me of the video for Andrew Bird’s “Lull.”
I love that episode of Scrubs where JD imagines curing broken heart syndrome with a box full of kittens…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbn75LITt…
That’s the one.
@1,
I guess there weren’t many fanboys at my screening, but the audience laughed at that scene, and booed at the end.
Maria Callas.
@4 Yes it was pretty laughable. Sadly I think it was the best of the (new) lot.
Silly researchers… Kurt Vonnegut described this a long time ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duprass
Sounds like an unwritten Sarah Ruhl play.
This ‘being human’ buisiness is pretty rough stuff.