Comedian Steven Wright once said that he planned to leave his body to science fiction. Today though, many Americans are opting not to wait until they're dead; and they aren't leaving it for free either. Rising unemployment has more Americans looking for odd jobs to scrape together a living, and university experiments and plasma donations are one way to do that.

The Detroit News reports on one Kalamazoo College student who sold her hair for $1,000. Across the country, students are offering up parts of their body to help defray the soaring cost of college. For older people, $50 per week for plasma donations can help put food on the table or save up for a down payment on a car.




While the big bucks come from giving up parts of your body, it's also possible to earn a nice little side income from participating in non-invasive projects. Harvard University's psychology department pays $10 per hour for participation in its experiments. Of course there's the off-chance that you could end up scarred for life by a modern-day Stanford Prison Experiment but hey: $10 is $10, and there's always the chance of hitting the class-action jackpot if something goes wrong.

If you're looking for a quick buck by participating in research, here are some links to help get you started:

• The cleverly-named ClinicalTrials.gov offers the definitive searchable database of clinical trials.
• TheHairTrader.com is the place to sell your hair online.
• BloodBanker.com (which is, I'm told, different from Countrywide Financial) has a searchable listing of plasma donation sites.

If you live near a local research university (community colleges and liberal arts colleges may have limited opportunities too) check the web sites of various departments -- psychology, linguistics, kinesiology, etc. -- to find listings of experiments and find out how much you'll get paid.

Finally, a call to action for a future story: If you've paid for college or some other major expense by selling body parts or participating in research, WalletPop wants to hear from YOU. Please contact me at ZBissonnette@gmail.com