Fun_People Archive
18 Dec
Non-lethal Weaponry

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 97 00:08:42 -0800
To: Fun_People
Precedence: bulk
Subject: Non-lethal Weaponry

Forwarded-by: Nick Caruso <NCaruso@gensym.com>
Forwarded-by: Travis J.I. Corcoran <tjic@technologist.com>

http://www.boston.com/globe/latest/daily/17/cartoon.htm

Hundreds of Japanese children fall ill after watching cartoon

Symptoms similar to those of epilepsy

By Janet Snyder, Reuters, 12/17/97

TOKYO - A Japanese television network on Wednesday called in doctors,
psychologists and animation experts to find out why a cartoon based on video
game ''Pocket Monsters" triggered convulsions among hundreds of children
nationwide.

TV Tokyo programming division manager Hironari Mori told reporters more than
700 mainly schoolchildren were rushed to hospitals after watching the
program on Tuesday night.

The Home Affairs Ministry said 208 people, aged from three upwards,
including a man aged 58, were still in hospital with epilepsy-type symptoms
more than 24 hours after the showing.

''We are investigating the cause of the incident using outside experts, Mori
said.

The seizures began about 20 minutes into the 30-minute program, which airs
on Tuesdays at 6.30 p.m.

The blame was put on a scene depicting an explosion followed by five seconds
of flashing red lights from the eyes of the most popular character,
''Pikachu, a rat-like creature.

[ ... ]

© 1997 Peter Langston