Norwegian researchers are calling for bold, non-hairy humans to bare their arms and be stung by jellyfish — in the name of science.
Testing a new sunscreen, aimed at protecting against jellyfish stings, the University of Oslo said it wants volunteers to be burned by jellyfish tentacles on both arms — one with ordinary sunblock, the other with anti-jellyfish sun lotion.
"You're supposed to get burned. If you're not, then the tests have been a waste of time," Torgrim Andersen, spokesman for the university's biology department, said Wednesday.
Only five people have registered for the test, to be held on Thursday, but Andersen said he was optimistic about getting a team of more than 10 people. "There's been a lot of interest in us doing this," he said.
Volunteers must be aged over 18, have hair-free inner arms, which means they get stung easier. Asthmatics, pregnant women or people with allergies or skin diseases will not be accepted, Andersen said.
The compensation? Three bottles of anti-jellyfish sun screen, of course — provided by the sponsor of the trial, the Norwegian sun cream company AC-SunCare.