Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum

Yes, it's a real thing. Right here:

http://www.improbable.com/hair/

Isaac Newton is an historical honorary member:



Here's a 2004 British news thing from the Times Higher Education Supplement about its early days

http://www.improbable.com/airchives/pres...-02-27.pdf

It seems to have gotten its original inspiration from Steven Pinker:

Hmm…I wonder why they didn’t mention the chemicals that were found in Newton’s hair.
 
"During exhumation the hair from Newton's dead body was found to contain high levels of mercury, remains of desiccated hair were later found to contain four times the lead, arsenic and antimony and fifteen times mercury than in normal range samples. Two hairs contained mercury and separately lead at levels indicating chronic poisoning (Spargo & Pounds 1979).Symptoms of mercury poisoning exhibited by Newton were apparently tremor, severe insomnia, delusions of persecution or paranoid ideas, problems with memory, mental confusion, and withdrawal or decline from personal friendships, significant in the period of time, the deterioration of his relations with his protégé Nicholas Fatio de Duillier." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Later_life...aac_Newton