PLEASE FORWARD/POST AS APPROPRIATE ================================================================ mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR") Issue Number 2002-01 January, 2002 ISSN 1076-500X Key words: improbable research, science humor, Ig Nobel, AIR, the ---------------------------------------------------------------- A free newsletter of tidbits too tiny to fit in the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), the journal of inflated research and personalities ================================================================ ----------------------------- 2002-01-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2002-01-01 Table of Contents 2002-01-02 Soon 2002-01-03 What's New in the Magazine 2002-01-03 New Year's Bureaucracy 2002-01-04 Pink Flamingo Villainy 2002-01-05 Troy and the: 1) Bear; 2) Terrorists; 3) Oil 2002-01-06 Name Question 2002-01-07 Answer to the Name Question 2002-01-08 Art Favorites 2002-01-09 Mathematicians + Applesauce 2002-01-10 Perplexing Question of the Month 2002-01-11 Rhetorical Question of the Month: Belch and Flicker 2002-01-12 Euro Physics Calamity 2002-01-13 Rotated Readers 2002-01-14 Pointless Pictures 2002-01-15 Matt Carr Wants to Know 2002-01-16 CAVALCADE OF HotAIR: Boxing Cats, Blob, Ultra 2002-01-17 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Seized With and Without Delight 2002-01-18 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Hypochondriac, Plate, Woof Woof 2002-01-19 AIRhead Events 2002-01-20 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) 2002-01-21 Our Address (*) 2002-01-22 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) 2002-01-23 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) Items marked (*) are reprinted in every issue. mini-AIR is a free monthly *e-supplement* to AIR, the print magazine ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-02 Soon Please bring friends to the AIR events in: * New York City on Feb 3 * Boston Feb 15 For details see section 2002-01-19 below. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-03 What's New in the Magazine AIR 8:1 (Jan/Feb 2002) will be a special IG NOBEL ISSUE. It will be appearing in your mailbox (if you are a subscriber) in a very few weeks. Here are some highlights: <> Full coverage, with lots and lots of photos -- of the Eleventh 1st Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony -- the winners, the wedding, the 24/7 Seminars, the mini-opera, the whole shebang. <> Heaping bowlsful of new citations in the "AIRhead Research Review," "AIRhead Medical Review," "Boys Will Be Boys," and "Soft is Hard" columns. <> More about Mel, the little bearded man who keeps apppearing in the letters column, with two intriguing and conflicting reader interpretations of Mel's place in a crowd. These and many other articles appear in the magazine. (What you are reading at this moment is mini-AIR, a small, monthly e-mail supplement to the print magazine.) ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-03 New Year's Bureaucracy We extend a hearty congratulations and welcome to the newest chapter of the Bureaucracy Club -- the Bureaucracy Club of San Diego. Their home page is at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-04 Pink Flamingo Villainy Something sinister has been done to the world's preeminent icon of the art and science of bad taste -- the plastic pink flamingo. Don Featherstone designed the plastic pink flamingo in 1957 -- an achievement for which he was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize some 39 years later. Recently the manufacturer, Union Products of Leominster, Massachusetts, altered the flamingo mold to remove the Don Featherstone signature that has graced the rump of every genuine Featherstone-designed flamingo manufactured since 1986. They have been refused to answer inquiries from the public or the press. On the scale of world events this is not important, but it is wrong. The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) has teamed up with the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) to call for a boycott. Before you buy a new plastic pink flamingo, peer at its butt. If you don't see Don Featherstone's signature, go buy a used bird instead. To see photos of (1) a good flamingo and (2) a mangled, de- Featherstoned flamingo -- and for basic info about the boycott -- see Please join the boycott! Please spread the word! ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-05 Troy and the: 1) Bear; 2) Terrorists; 3) Oil What happened when Troy Hurtubise and his home-built suit of armor finally went up against a Kodiak bear? Last month we alerted you to the what was about to happen. Little could we have predicted what actually DID transpire. See what happened: 1. When Troy met the Kodiak bear: 2. When Troy met the hijackers: 3. When Troy made his fateful discovery about oil, and in so doing quite possibly began to alter the international balance of power: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-06 Name Question Investigator Alistair McCulloch, who is Head of Research at Edge Hill College of Higher Education, poses a simple question: Idly wandering through the Science Citation Index this lunchtime, I came across the following citation which I would propose as a leading contender for the longest ever author list in the history of academe. My question, as a social scientist: Is this the longest ever? The paper to which investigator McCullogh refers is: "Effects of Ramipril on Cardiovascular and Microvascular Outcomes in People with Diabetes Mellitus: Results of the HOPE Study and MICRO-HOPE Substudy," Lancet, vol. 355, no. 9200, January 22, 2000, pp. 253-259. The authors are: Gerstein HC, Yusuf S, Mann JFE, Hoogwerf B, Zinman B, Held C, Fisher M, Wolffenbuttel B, Bosch J, Richardson L, Pogue J, Halle JP, Yusuf S, Sleight P, Dagenais G, Montague T, Bosch J, Pogue J, Taylor W, Sardo L, Arnold M, Baigrie R, Davies R, Gerstein H, Jha P, Johnstone D, Joyner C, Kuritzky R, Lonn E, Mitchell B, Morris A, Sussex B, Teo K, Tsuyuki R, Zinman B, Probstfield J, Young J, Diaz R, Paolasso E, Avezum A, Piegas L, Mann J, Wolffenbuttel B, Ostergren J, Meaney E, Aprile M, Bedard D, Cossett J, Ewart G, Harris L, Kellen J, LaForge D, Magi A, Skanes J, Squires P, Stevens K, Bosch J, Cherian F, Holadyk-Gris I, Kalkbrenner P, Lonn E, Mazur F, McQueen M, Micks M, Monti S, Pogue J, Sardo L, Thompson K, Westfall L, Yusuf S, Richardson L, Raw N, Genisans M, Diaz R, Paolasso E, Avezum A, Piegas L, Gerstein H, Zinman B, Dagenais G, Arnold M, Auger P, Avezum A, Bata I, Bernstein V, Bourassa M, Diaz R, Fisher B, Gerstein H, Grover J, Gun C, Gupta M, Held C, Hoeschen R, Kouz S, Lonn E, Mann J, Mathew J, Meaney E, Meldrum D, Pilon C, Ramos R, Roccaforte R, Starra R, Trivi M, Davies R, Johnstone D, Lonn E, Probstfield J, McQueen M, Sackett D, Collins R, Davis E, Furberg C, Hennekens C, Pitt B, Turner R, Braver J, Cuneo C, Diaz M, Dizeo C, Guzman L, Lipshitz S, Llanos S, Lopez J, Lorenzatti A, Machado R, Mackey C, Mancini M, Marino M, Martinez F, Matrone A, Nordaby R, Orlandini A, Romero G, Ruiz M, Rusculleda M, Saavedra S, San Damaso J, Serra J, Tuero E, Zapata G, Zavala A, Grisold M, Klein W, Brosch E, Baumans P, Brusselmans H, Bodson A, Boland J, Cano J, Chaudron JM, Degaute JP, Duprez D, Heyndrickx G, Krzentowski G, Mockel J, Wautrecht J, Alexandre E, Amodeo C, Armaganijan D, Ayub J, Bertolami M, Bodanese L, Borges J, Caramelli B, Carvalho A, Coelho O, Dioguardi G, Faludi A, Brage JF, Fichino M, Franken R, Ghorayeb N, de Souza MG, Greque G, Guedes A, Kadri T, Kawamura T, Labrunie A, Malheiros F, Marafon L, Nakamura M, Nonohay N, Ogawa C, Pavanello R, Puech- Leao P, Ramires F, Ramires L, Sampaio M, Saraiva L, Tanajura L, Ueti O, Vitola D, Armstrong F, Armstrong W, Baptie B, Basinger M, Bell N, Beresford P, Black W, Brass N, Browne M, Browne K, Brownoff R, Chaytors G, Cottier W, Donnelly R, Dzavik V, Edwards A, Felker P, Giannoccaro P, Goeres M, Greenwood P, Grose M, Grossman L, Gulamhusein S, Hui W, Hutchison F, Irving A, Kasian L, Kasza L, Korner L, Kvill L, Lakhani Z, Lam S, Lesoway R, Ma P, Martinez V, Meldrum D, Mitchell B, Mitchell D, Montague T, Musseau A, Muzyka T, Neffgen C, Neffgen J, Nichol R, O'Beirne M, Paradis J, Paterson D, Plesko A, Prosser A, Radomsky N, Roth D, Ryan E, Senaratne M, Simon M, Stenerson P, Stone J, Talibi T, Wedel R, Wyse D, Altwasser F, Ashton T, Askew J, Bernstein V, Bishop W, Bloomberg G, Boone J, Breakwell L, Buller L, Calvert K, Carere G, Dahl M, Dawson K, Dodek A, Dufton J, Geddis R, Ghosh S, Heath J, Hilton D, Imrie J, Jay D, Kiess M, Klinke P, Kornder J, Lee P, Leong W, Lewis J, Lounsbury N, MacDonald L, MacDonald K, MacNeil A, MacRitchie D, McGee L, Mitchell L, Mulcahy K, O'Donoghue S, Pearce A, Perreault L, Polasek P, Rabkin S, Reilly M, Richardson P, Scoffield E, Sweeney R, Terwiel M, Thompson C, Wagner K, Webb J, Wedding K, Woo K, Wright M, Zutz A, Briol L, Hoeschen R, Mehta P, Mohammed I, Ong A, Ong G, Bessoudo R, O'Brien L, McLellan L, Milton J, Elgar F, Joyce C, O'Keefe D, Parsons M, Ravalia M, Sherman G, Smith R, Worrall G, Atkinson A, Barnhill S, Bata I, Crossman L, Folkins D, Hatheway R, Johnson B, MacFarlane M, Machel T, Morash J, Sheridan W, Shirley M, Anderson I, Arnold M, Baigrie R, Baird M, Baitz T, Barnie A, Basta M, Blakely J, Bozek B, Bradley W, Brown K, Burnham G, Cameron W, Cann M, Carroll S, Carter R, Chan N, Chan Y, Charles J, Cheung M, Cina C, Cleghorn L, Curnew G, Currado P, Davies R, DeGagne S, DeYoung P, Dhaliwal R, Dowell H, Drobac M, Dubbin J, Duffield K, Edmonds M, Fallen E, Feldman D, Fell D, Ferguson C, Finkelstein L, Fong G, Fowlis R, Fraser M, Frenette L, Fulop J, Glanz A, Goode E, Gupta M, Hanna A, Harris K, Hess A, Hierlihy P, Houlden R, Hramiak I, Hrycyshyn B, Iwanochko R, Janzen I, Kannampuzha P, Keely E, Kennedy R, Kenshole A, Kent E, Khan S, Kostuk W, Kowaleski M, Krupa M, Kumar G, Kuruvilla G, Kwok K, Lai C, Langer A, Laor J, Lau D, LaVallee T, Lent B, Liu P, Lochnan H, Lovell M, Lowe D, Mabb T, Maclean S, Man K, Marois L, Massel D, Matthews E, McManus R, McPhee E, McQueen M, McSherry J, Millar D, Miller F, Miners L, Misterski J, Moe G, Mulaisho C, Munoz C, Nawaz S, Noseworthy C, O'Keefe H, Oosterveld L, Panju A, Paquette H, Parkovnick M, Paterson R, Pflugfelder P, Powers S, Rebane T, Redda A, Reeves E, Ricci J, Sasson Z, Sayles M, Scott M, Sibbick M, Singh N, Southern R, Spence D, Sternberg L, Stewart J, Styling S, Sulllivan B, Sullivan H, Sullivan M, Swan J, Taichman J, Tan K, Tanser P, Tartaglia C, Taylor K, Thomson D, Turek M, Vakani T, vanWalraven A, Varey M, Vexler R, Walters J, Weeks A, Weingert M, Wetmore S, Whitsitt P, Willing J, Wilson C, Wilson J, Wisenberg G, Wolfe M, Wolter B, Yao L, Costain G, Hickey E, MacMillan E, Aris-Jilwan N, Auger P, Banville P, Beaudoin J, Belanger A, Belanger N, Belleville L, Bilodeau N, Bogaty P, Boulianne M, Bourassa M, Brophy J, BrouilletteM, Buithieu J, Calve C, Campeau J, Carmichael P, Carrier S, Chiasson J, Coutu B, Coutu D, Croteau S, D'Amours G, Dagenais N, Delage F, Deschamps J, Dion D, Douville Y, Dumont F, Dupuis R, Frechette L, Gauthier S, Gervais P, Giguere G, Giroux R, Gossard D, Gosselin G, Goulet G, Grondin F, Halle J, Henri L, Houde G, Joyal M, Kandalaft N, Karabatsos A, Kiwan G, Kouz S, Labbe R, Langlais M, Lauzon C, LeBlanc M, Lenis J, Leroux S, Loisel R, MacLellan K, Morissette A, Noel H, Ouimet F, Pedneault L, Piche J, Pilon C, Plourde P, Poirier C, Poisson D, Roberge B, Robert M, Rodrique M, Roy C, Roy L, Ruel M, Samson M, Saulnier D, Savard D, Serpa A, Sestier F, Smilovitch M, Starra R, St-Hilaire R, Theroux P, Toupin-Halle A, Tremblay J, Truchen H, Turcotte J, Vachon S, Vienneau R, Wilson P, Habib M, Habib N, Ahmed S, Hart M, Walker J, Walker M, Thomasse G, Meunier L, Sayeed Z, Juhl H, Kolendorf K, Hamalainen T, Gin H, Rigellau V, Bohm M, Erdmann E, Forst P, Gordalla A, Hampel R, Hartmann C, Hasslacher G, Henrichs H, Hensen J, Hopf R, Kromer E, Martin T, Maus J, Mayer B, Miedlich S, Moeller A, Nast H, Oehmen-Britsch R, Paschke R, Prehn B, Riegger G, Riel R, Rosak C, Schroeder C, Schulze-Schleppinghoff B, Schunkert H, Schweda R, Stablein A, Stein U, Truchon H, Unger H, Wetzel H, Crean P, White U, Aina F, Balzan C, Barbaresi F, Brancaleoni R, Brunazzi M, Brunelli C, Cambiano A, Caponnetto S, Casaccia M, Centofante P, Cernigliaro C, Goi AC, Cicciarello C, Cotogni A, DeJoannon U, Dellavesa P, di Gerogio L, Di Luzio S, Fava A, Frigeni G, Gatto E, Giani P, Giorgi-Pierfranceschi D, Imparato C, Landoni M, Magnani B, Manicardi E, Mantovani B, Marini M, Martini U, Mazzantini S, Merni M, Miglierina E, Marini M, Molinari G, Nanni D, Paciaroni E, Pareschi P, Pasqualini M, Perazzoli F, Polese A, Poletti F, Portioli I, Provasoli S, Repetto S, Rigatelli G, Roccaforte R, Romano E, Rossi E, Rugolotto M, Rusticali F, Saccomanno G, Simoni C, Stucci N, Terranova P, Tortul C, Velussi M, Vincenzi M, Vincenzi P, Zavaroni D, Cardona-Munoz E, Elizondo L, Fausto M, Galindo R, Gloria-Breceda F, Hernandez- Garcia H, Ibarra-Flores M, Illescas-Diaz J, Lopez-Alvarado A, Meaney E, Olvera-Ruiz R, Rivera-Capello J, Romero-Soltero M, Samaniego-Mendez V, Vidrio-Velazquez M, Kruseman A, Mulder H, Sels J, van Doorn L, Vogel N, Hjerkinn E, Reikvam A, Albert X, Alvarez A, Cardona M, Cosio FG, Gilabert R, Karoni A, Lopez-Bescos L, Masia R, Saenz L, Sanz G, Ahnberg K, Andersson D, Andersson O, Astrom L, Bergsten L, Bjorkman H, Borgman C, Cervin P, Dalhgren C, Ekholm L, Ericsson UB, Eriksson C, Fagher B, Gertow O, Gillberg P, Hagg A, Hallberg A, Hansson B, Hansson P, Held C, Heinonen M, Henning R, Jacobsson L, Jagren C, Jonasson T, Kahan T, Katzman P, Kristensson B, Krogager K, Leijd B, Lennerhagen P, Ljungdahl L, Menyes H, Ohman P, Olsson PO, Rosenqvist U, Ryden L, Sartor G, Sjostedt P, Smith L, Stahl L, Svensson A, Svensson K, Taghavi A, Thulin T, Torebo E, Weber P, Wysocki M, Anesini A, Boman P, Cozzi R, Gerber P, Honegger R, Kick A, Kiowski W, Lehmann R, Lull B, Moccetti T, Pasotti E, Rojas J, Rossi A, Rossi M, Safwan E, Schindler R, Sessa F, Spinas G, Allan B, Cumming L, Fisher B, Heller S, Kennedy J, Kesson C, Lochiel R, Manns J, McGroarty E, Raeburn K, Small M, Struthers S, Wilkinson I, Brown E, Holt J, Perry G, Singh B, Szlachcic Y, Vlachou M, Yee F, Clegg L, Horwitz L, St John M, Anderson J, Rashkow A, Schwartz K, Abercrombie L, Cintron G, Garrett D, McHale J, Miller A, Sullebarger J, Tripp G, Zoble R, Orander P, Sridharan M, Sridharan V, Berger S, Davidson M, Geohas J, Islam N, Rajanahally R, Seikel K, Susmano A, Wentworth M, Advani S, Rough R, Wickemeyer W, Young N, Goldstein M, Dinneen S, Farkouh M, Helgemoe P, Miller T, Parkulo M, Pierpont G, Weigenant J, Rich M, Schmidt P, Abrams J, Robbins D, Bonora M, Cohen G, Constantinou M, Dimova A, Fitzpatrick P, Gage L, Graham S, Kohn R, Lader E, Powers J, Reiter P, Witt N, Buchsbaum R, Donese B, Gupta S, Hoogwerf B, Suhan P, Suryaprasad A, Williams D, Danisa K, Lowery M, Lyon K, Rae C, Gandara B, Gramberg M, Grover J, Amidi M, Bell M, DiTommaso M, Day J, Durand J, Farmer J, Torre G, Vooletich M, Gorham J, Gowing B, Kingry C, Lehmann K, Letterer R, Lorch G, Lwai S, Mack R, Nemanich J, Primm R, Utley R, Vaughn L, Bergentoft A, Borgman C, Brosch E, Engbers A, Flores M, Forst P, Frisenda L, Gerle S, Huber D, La Tour F, Lehtonen R, Luca C, Keays JS, Masterson N, Moore R, Morales-Virgen J, Penson, Persson C, Pina C, Plouffe D, Reglier JC, Riley J, Rolstad T, Ronsted P, Spinewine P, Styner L, van den Boom N, and Yuki-Miyakoshi S. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-07 Answer to the Name Question The answer to investigator McCulloch's question is: No, it is not the longest. So far as we know, the academic paper with the greatest number of co-authors is a medical report by Topol, Califf, Van de Werf, Armstrong, and their 972 co-authors, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 329, no. 10, September 2, 1993, pp. 673- 82. Their report has one hundred times as many authors as pages. These co-authors shared the 1993 Ig Nobel Prize in literature. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-08 Art Favorites A quick survey of Bohemian science cafes shows a new name at the top of the "Favorite Item for Dramatic Readings Accompanied by Bongo Drums" list. Yes, it's Klimcak, Camparo, Cook, and Frueholz's "Subnatural Optical Pumping Dips" (Phys Rev A., vol. 34, no. 2, August 1986, pp. 1575-7). And what leads the "Favorite New Lyrics Source for Rappers" list? Chatellier and Audic's "Mass Balance For On-Line Alphakla Estimation in Activated Sludge Oxidation Ditch" (Water Science and Technology, vol. 44, nos. 2-3, 2001, pp. 197-202). ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-09 Mathematicians + Applesauce Investigator Tab Doherty is compiling a list of math professors who eat applesauce. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-10 Perplexing Question of the Month This month's Perplexing Question comes from investigator Kim Willoughby, who was stirred by the "CHEMISTRY LESSON -- TODAY'S WATER" feature on the AIR web site [that feature can be found at ] Your article explores the question 'How large is an 8 oz. glass?' I encountered a much more puzzling case than the one you describe. There is a glass of water on a shelf halfway up a wall in Liverpool's Tate Gallery which is an oak tree. Because the artist says it is. Art and science working on the same problems here. Could this 'oak tree' be getting larger every year? Or does evaporation make sure it shrinks? ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-11 Rhetorical Question of the Month: Belch and Flicker This month's rhetorical question was sent in by investigator Chris Corich: I have noticed an interesting phenomenon and wonder if it happens to other people. Whenever I belch loudly while looking at TV or computer monitor (but not as much with laptop screens; well, actually, I don't know about laptop screens, and I don't really want to wake up the fellow in the next cube right at this moment) ANYWAY, under these conditions, the screen seems to shake and flicker. Is this normal? ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-12 Euro Physics Calamity The introduction of the Euro is a terrible blow to the hopes and dreams of physicists-on-money (POM) collectors. POM collectors collect currency that has pictures of physicists on it. By wiping out the currencies of entire nations, the Euro has diminished the prospects for common citizens who want to carry physicists in their pockets. The definitive display of "Physicists on the Money" can be seen at . (Thanks to Peter Melvoin for bringing it to our attention.) ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-13 Rotated Readers Several readers sent notes informing us that taught themselves to read technical publications upside down, and now habitually read everything that way. We do not know what to make of this, nor do we want to know what to make of this. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-14 Pointless Pictures We are pleased to announce the beginning of PROJECT POINTLESS TEXTBOOK PHOTOS. The concept was suggested by investigator Neil Martin: I was browsing through a leading textbook on abnormal Psychology. In all my many years as a reader and investigator of the truth I have never seen such a collection of gratuitously pointless photos. So, I suggest that AIR starts a new competition: to detect the more gratuitously pointless photographic illustration in a student textbook. There are about 200 in my eighth edition of Davison & Neale so, admittedly, I have a head-start. If you know of a sterling example of gratuitously pointless photos in a textbook, please send a BRIEF (but complete! but still brief!) description to: PROJECT POINTLESS TEXTBOOK PHOTOS c/o ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-15 Matt Carr Wants to Know Investigator Matt Carr wants to know if there is much published research about the efficacy of acupuncture on porcupines. So do we. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-16 CAVALCADE OF HotAIR: Boxing Cats, Blob, Ultra Here are concise, incomplete, flighty mentions of some of the features we've posted on HotAIR since last month's mini-AIR came out. See them by clicking "WHAT'S NEW" at the web site, or go to: ==> Adult Human Male Reactions to Boxing Felines (VIDEO) ==> The Mystery Blob ==> The Second-Hand Effects of Bitching [from AIR 7:6] ==> Who Is Most Likely to Be Awarded a MacArthur Fellowship? ==> Eye-Catching Eye Movements ==> Ultra Testing ==> Our Favorite Pharmacistical/Medical/Scientifical Calendars ==> How To Welcome a New Lab Member (VIDEO) ==> Still more comely new Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club members THESE, AND MORE, ARE ON HOTAIR AT ----------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-17 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Seized With and Without Delight Each month we select for your special attention a research report that seems especially worth a close read. Your librarian will enjoy being asked for a copy. Here is this month's Pick of the Month: THE POWER OF MUSIC "A Case of Musicogenic Epilepsy Induced by Listening to an American Pop Music" [article in Japanese], M. Nakano, Y. Takase, and C. Tatsumi, Rinsho Shinkeigaku, vol. 38, no. 12, December 1998, pp. 1067-9. The authors report: A 23-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to the musicogenic epilepsy. She had four generalized tonic clonic seizures at 18 and 19 years old. Since 19, she had had complex partial seizures lasting for about 20 seconds which was easily evoked by listening to an American pops particularly "Dreamlover" song by Mariah Carey. ----------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-18 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Hypochondriac, Plate, Woof Woof LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT "Management of Grief in the Hypochondriac," L.E. Jennings and R.D. France, Journal of Family Practice, vol. 8, no. 5, May 1979, pp. 957-60. SEVERE UNDERBITE "Perforation of the Sigmoid Colon Following Ingestion of a Dental Plate," B. Peison, B. Benisch B, and E. Lim, New Jersey Medicine, vol. 92, no. 7, July 1995, pp. 452-3. (Thanks to Beatrice Tallos for bringing this to our attention.) The authors are at Rahway Hospital, Rahway, New Jersey. WOOFER RATIO "The Harmonic-to-Noise Ratio Applied to Dog Barks," T. Riede, H. Herzel, K. Hammerschmidt, L. Brunnberg, and G.Tembrock, Journal of the Acoustics Society of America, vol. 110, no. 4, October 2001, pp. 2191-7. (Thanks to Simon Richardson for bringing this to our attention.) ------------------------------------------------------------ 2002-01-19 AIRhead Events ==> For details and updates see ==> Want to host an event? 617-491-4437 CORNELIA STREET CAFE, NEW YORK CITY SUN, FEB 3, 2002 6 PM. 29 Cornelia Street (between Bleecker and W. 4th) An evening of funny science organized by Nobel chemist ROALD HOFFMANN, with: * Scientific American humor columnist STEVE MIRSKY * humor scholar JIM LYTTLE * physics chanteuse LYNDA WILLIAMS * AIR editor MARC ABRAHAMS DIRECTIONS: NASW, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON WED, FEB 13, 2002 Evening -- Special Ig Nobel presentation for members of the National Assn. of Science Writers AAAS ANNUAL MEETING, BOSTON FRI, FEB 15, 2002 Evening. Exact time and location TBA. AIR's annual special session at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Details TBA. -------------------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-20 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) Here's how to subscribe to the magnificent bi-monthly print journal The Annals of Improbable Research (the real thing, not just the little bits of overflow material you've been reading in this newsletter). ................................................................ Name: Address: Address: City and State: Zip or postal code: Country Phone: FAX: E-mail: ................................................................ SUBSCRIPTIONS (6 issues per year): USA 1 yr/$24.95 2 yrs/$44.95 Canada/Mexico 1 yr/$28.95 US 2 yrs/$49.95 US Overseas 1 yr/$41.95 US 2 yrs/$71.95 US ................................................................ BACK ISSUES are available, too: First issue: $8 USA, $11 Canada/Mex, $16 overseas Add'l issues purchased at same time: $6 each ................................................................ Send payment (US bank check, or international money order, or Visa, Mastercard or Discover info) to: Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 ----------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-21 Our Address (*) Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 EDITORIAL: marca@chem2.harvard.edu SUBSCRIPTIONS: air@improbable.com WEB SITE: --------------------------- 2002-01-22 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) Please distribute copies of mini-AIR (or excerpts!) wherever appropriate. The only limitations are: A) Please indicate that the material comes from mini-AIR. B) You may NOT distribute mini-AIR for commercial purposes. ------------- mini-AIRheads ------------- EDITOR: Marc Abrahams (marca@chem2.harvard.edu) MINI-PROOFREADER AND PICKER OF NITS (before we introduce the last few at the last moment): Wendy Mattson WWW EDITOR/GLOBAL VILLAGE IDIOT: Amy Gorin (airmaster@improbable.com) COMMUTATIVE EDITOR: Stanley Eigen (eigen@neu.edu) ASSOCIATIVE EDITOR: Mark Dionne DISTRIBUTIVE EDITOR: Robin Pearce CO-CONSPIRATORS: Alice Shirrell Kaswell, Gary Dryfoos, Ernest Ersatz, S. Drew MAITRE DE COMPUTATION: Jerry Lotto AUTHORITY FIGURES: Nobel Laureates Dudley Herschbach, Sheldon Glashow, William Lipscomb, Richard Roberts (c) copyright 2002, Annals of Improbable Research ----------------------------------------------------- 2002-01-23 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) What you are reading right now is mini-AIR. Mini-AIR is a (free!) tiny monthly *supplement* to the bi-monthly print magazine. To subscribe, send a brief E-mail message to: LISTPROC@AIR.HARVARD.EDU The body of your message should contain ONLY the words SUBSCRIBE MINI-AIR MARIE CURIE (You may substitute your own name for that of Madame Curie.) ---------------------------- To stop subscribing, send the following message: SIGNOFF MINI-AIR ============================================================