PLEASE FORWARD/POST AS APPROPRIATE ================================================================ mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR") Issue Number 2002-10 October, 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 ================================================================ ----------------------------- 2002-10-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2002-10-01 Table of Contents 2002-10-02 What's New in the Magazine 2002-10-03 The 2002 Ig Nobel Prize Winners 2002-10-05 Smelly Limerick Winners 2002-10-06 Bleb Limericks? 2002-10-07 Hair Club Rock Star Scientist 2002-10-08 Reality and the Ig Book 2002-10-09 Broken Egg Math 2002-10-10 Of Prizes and Prizes 2002-10-11 CAVALCADE OF HotAIR: Silent Whistle, Jargon, HMO-NO 2002-10-12 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Halloween Reading 2002-10-13 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Pink Teeth and Chubby Cheeks 2002-10-14 AIRhead Events 2002-10-15 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) 2002-10-16 Our Address (*) 2002-10-17 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) 2002-10-18 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 ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-02 What's New in the Magazine AIR 8:5 (September/October 2002) is the special SMELLY ISSUE. Highlights include: <> "BODY OF WORK: Mel Rosenberg's Bad Breath," by Alice Shirrell Kaswell and Stephen Drew. Selected highlights from the published works of the world's most celebrated halitosis researcher. <> "Putrescine Scratch 'N Sniff ," by Lilly Duval. A fun demonstration item. <> "Ask Symmetra: How to Say? (Cheese)," by scientist/supermodel Symmetra. AIR's advice columnist dispenses further wisdom. <> "Dante's Hair, Buddha's Teeth, and Tutankhamun's Breasts: Intimate Celebrity Gleanings From the Medical Literature," by Christopher D. McManus. A guide to published medical reports concerning celebrated persons. ...and much, much more. The entire table of contents and a few of the articles are on-line at (What you are reading at this moment is mini-AIR, a small, monthly e-mail supplement to the print magazine.) ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-03 The 2002 Ig Nobel Prize Winners The 12th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony was held on October 3 before a capacity crowd of 1200 enraptured spectators at Harvard's Sanders Theatre. Seven of the ten winners traveled to the ceremony at their own expense, and an eighth sent a tape- recorded acceptance speech from his office in Kerala, India. Nobel Laureates Richard Roberts, William Lipscomb, and Dudley Herschbach personally handed the winners their Ig Nobel Prizes, and other Laureates sent tape-recorded nods of acknowledgement. David King, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the British Government, stopped by the ceremony to wish the winners good luck; and the world's most prominent scientist, Stephen Wolfram, dropped by the intimate party afterwards to personally congratulate them. All the new winners, like all their predecessors, have done things that first make people LAUGH, then make them THINK. Here are the 2002 Ig Nobellians: BIOLOGY Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, Phil Bowers, and D. Charles Deeming of the United Kingdom, for their report "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain." [REFERENCE: "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches (Struthio camelus) Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain," Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, P. Bowers, D.C. Deeming, British Poultry Science, vol. 39, no. 4, September 1998, pp. 477- 481.] PHYSICS Arnd Leike of the University of Munich, for demonstrating that beer froth obeys the mathematical Law of Exponential Decay. [REFERENCE: "Demonstration of the Exponential Decay Law Using Beer Froth," Arnd Leike, European Journal of Physics, vol. 23, January 2002, pp. 21-26.] INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH Karl Kruszelnicki of The University of Sydney, for performing a comprehensive survey of human belly button lint -- who gets it, when, what color, and how much. CHEMISTRY Theodore Gray of Wolfram Research, in Champaign, Illinois, for gathering many elements of the periodic table, and assembling them into the form of a four-legged periodic table table. MATHEMATICS K.P. Sreekumar and the late G. Nirmalan of Kerala Agricultural University, India, for their analytical report "Estimation of the Total Surface Area in Indian Elephants." [REFERENCE: "Estimation of the Total Surface Area in Indian Elephants (Elephas maximus indicus)," K.P. Sreekumar and G. Nirmalan, Veterinary Research Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 1990, pp. 5-17.] LITERATURE Vicki L. Silvers of the University of Nevada-Reno and David S. Kreiner of Central Missouri State University, for their colorful report "The Effects of Pre-Existing Inappropriate Highlighting on Reading Comprehension." [PUBLISHED IN: Reading Research and Instruction, vol. 36, no. 3, 1997, pp. 217-23.] PEACE Keita Sato, President of Takara Co., Dr. Matsumi Suzuki, President of Japan Acoustic Lab, and Dr. Norio Kogure, Executive Director, Kogure Veterinary Hospital, for promoting peace and harmony between the species by inventing Bow-Lingual, a computer-based automatic dog-to-human language translation device. HYGIENE Eduardo Segura, of Lavakan de Aste, in Tarragona, Spain, for inventing a washing machine for cats and dogs. ECONOMICS The executives, corporate directors, and auditors of Enron, Lernaut & Hauspie [Belgium], Adelphia, Bank of Commerce and Credit International [Pakistan], Cendant, CMS Energy, Duke Energy, Dynegy, Gazprom [Russia], Global Crossing, HIH Insurance [Australia], Informix, Kmart, Maxwell Communications [UK], McKessonHBOC, Merrill Lynch, Merck, Peregrine Systems, Qwest Communications, Reliant Resources, Rent-Way, Rite Aid, Sunbeam, Tyco, Waste Management, WorldCom, Xerox, and Arthur Andersen, for adapting the mathematical concept of imaginary numbers for use in the business world. [NOTE: all companies are U.S.-based unless otherwise noted.] MEDICINE Chris McManus of University College London, for his excruciatingly balanced report, "Scrotal Asymmetry in Man and in Ancient Sculpture." [PUBLISHED IN: Nature, vol. 259, February 5, 1976, p. 426.] Links to the winners' home pages and/or supporting documentation are at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-05 Smelly Limerick Winners Here are the winners of our SMELLY LIMERICK COMPETITION, in which each competitor composed, or at least tried to compose, a limerick that elucidates this research report: "Characterization of Emissions From Burning Incense," J.J. Jetter, Z. Guo, J.A. McBrian, M.R. Flynn, The Science of the Total Environment, vol. 295, nos. 1-3, August 5, 2002, pp 51-67. INVESTIGATOR GRAHAM DE VAHL DAVIS: When Jetter and Guo and McBrian And Flynn started particles fryin', The smells that they made Exceeded the grade Set by NAAQS, and left everyone cryin'. [EDITOR'S NOTE: "NAAQS," pronounced "NACKS" by those who are so inclined or who want to make Professor de Vahl Davis's limerick scan, is an acronym for the US Environmental Protection Agency's "National Ambient Air Quality Standards."] INVESTIGATOR CARL WITTHOFT: Some burning incense smells better When described in a technical letter It's science? May be. But it seems to me That this is a joke by J. Jetter INVESTIGATOR ANGIE FINLEY: With emissions finally admitted, The scholarly four submitted That, true to their test, Fresh air is still best, And incense is best left omitted! The winning smelly limerick authors will each receive a free, odor-enhanced copy of the Annals of Improbable Research. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-06 Bleb Limericks? We invite you to enter the first and last annual BLEB LIMERICK COMPETITION, in for the best (NEWLY composed!) limerick that elucidates this research report: "A Case of a 360 Degree Exuberant Trabeculectomy Bleb," J.D Rossiter, S.J. Godfrey, K.G. Claridge, Eye, vol. 13, part 3a, June 1999, pp. 369-70. Please make sure your rhymes actually do, and that your limerick at least pretends to adhere to classic limerick form. The winning author will receive a free, completely visible copy of AIR. Send entries (one entry per entrant) to: BLEB LIMERICK CONTEST c/o ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-07 Hair Club Rock Star Scientist The Luxurious Flowing Hair Club for Scientists is proud to announce the induction into its ranks of a genuine Italian rock star scientist who is, of course, endowed with luxurious flowing hair. We speak of none other than Dr. Piero Paravidino. You can see Dr. P's photograph at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-08 Reality and the Ig Book We are most pleased to announce the publication, by Orion Books, in London, of the new book "The Ig Nobel Prizes" (ISBN 0752851500). For details see The book is available in the UK; elsewhere it can be obtained from on-line booksellers. Amazon.co.uk began listing it several weeks ago, and in so doing they illustrated the most common misunderstanding about the Igs. Amazon classified the book as "FICTION." Despite pleas from the publisher to correct that listing, Amazon persisted. After several weeks, the author stepped in and used Amazon's "I am the author and I want to comment on my book" facility, posting this message: The most difficult thing about organizing the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony all these years has been getting people to realize that the winners -- and their achievements -- are real. Want some evidence of how difficult it can be for people to accept reality as reality? AMAZON.CO.UK PERSISTS IN CLASSIFYING THE BOOK AS "FICTION." Two weeks later, Amazon did, at last, remove its classification of the book as "FICTION." They classified it instead as "AUDIO." A week later, after a round of highly audible pleading by the book's publisher, Amazon finally settled on a classification of "HARDCOVER - 224 pages." And so it stands, at least for the moment. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-09 Broken Egg Math Investigator Ron Josephson alerted us to the following mathematics-related dispatch, which appeared in the October 11, 2002 issue of "The Salt Lake Tribune": The menu at the Coffee Garden at 900 East and 900 South in Salt Lake City has included a scrumptious selection of quiche for about 10 years. The recipe calls for four fresh eggs for each quiche. A Salt Lake County Health Department inspector paid a visit recently and pointed out that research by the Food and Drug Administration indicates that one in four eggs carries salmonella bacterium, so restaurants should never use more than three eggs when preparing quiche. The manager on duty wondered aloud if simply throwing out three eggs from each dozen and using the remaining nine in four- egg-quiches would serve the same purpose. The inspector wasn't sure, but she said she would research it. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-10 Of Prizes and Prizes Close readers of mini-AIR will recall that on September 21 Nobel there was a festive 70th birthday celebration for Nobel Laureate (and AIR editorial board member) Dudley Herschbach. AIR played a tiny role in the celebration, helping to organize an informal, light-hearted competition for the very-first-ever Dudley Herschbach Prize. Competitors were invited to give three minute talks on scientific topics "so imaginative they could one day win either a Nobel or an Ig Nobel Prize." The Dudley Herschbach Prize was awarded to four co-winners: Pete Siska John Fenn Felix Smith John Briggs Less than three weeks later, John Fenn was announced as one of this year's Nobel Prize winners. Thus it appears that the Dudley Herschbach Prize is a powerful predictor of who will win a Nobel Prize. The next Dudley Herschbach Prize competition will be held on the occasion of Dudley Herschbach's 140th birthday. By that time we will probably know whether the destinies of Pete Siska, Felix Smith, and/or John Briggs have further added to the predictive power of the Dudley Herschbach Prize. No matter what further honors the coming years may hold for them, our congratulations, cheers, and hurrahs go to Pete Siska, John Fenn, Felix Smith, and John Briggs! ---------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-11 CAVALCADE OF HotAIR: Silent Whistle, Jargon, HMO-NO 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: ==> The Pleasures of the Silent Whistle ==> The words to "The Jargon Opera" (which premiered at this year's Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony) ==> Research to Sniff At (from AIR 8:5) ==> HMO-No News: Like-Treats-Like! (from AIR 8:5) ==> Plausible Statistics (from AIR 8:5) THESE, AND MORE, ARE ON HOTAIR AT ----------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-12 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Halloween Reading 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: "Disgust and Fear in Response to Spiders," Laura L. Vernon and Howard Berenbaum, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 16, no. 6, November 1, 2002, pp. 809-30. (Thanks to Kristine Danowski for bringing this to our attention.) The authors report that: We examined disgust and fear responses to spiders.... [Pa]rticipants completed questionnaires concerning responses to spiders... In addition, we obtained self-report and facial expressions of disgust and fear while participants were exposed to a live tarantula.... The results of this study provide evidence that spiders have a specific disgust-evoking status in both distressed and nondistressed populations. ----------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-13 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Pink Teeth and Chubby Cheeks MOUTH OFF "Pink Teeth of the Dead: II. Minor Variations," C.W. van Wyk, Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology, vol. 6, no. 2, December 1988, pp. 35-42. (Thanks to B.K. Wilderblad for bringing this to our attention.) EXPANSIVE ANALYSIS "Relation Between Chubby Cheeks and Visceral Fat," J.A. Levine, A. Ray, and M.D. Jensen, New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 339, no. 26, December 24, 1998, pp. 1946-7. A UNIFIED THEORY OF EVERYTHING "Antiadhesive Effect of Green and Roasted Coffee on Streptococcus Mutans' Adhesive Properties on Saliva-Coated Hydroxyapatite Beads," M. Daglia, et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 50, 2002, pp. 1225-9. (Thanks to Andreas Bohne for bringing this to our attention.) ------------------------------------------------------------ 2002-10-14 AIRhead Events ==> For details and updates see ==> Want to host an event? 617-491-4437 NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO -- FRI, NOV. 29, 2002 Broadcast of specially edited highlights from this year's Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, on NPR's "Talk of the Nation / Science Friday with Ira Flatow" program. Simulcast on the web at WWW.SCIENCEFRIDAY.COM (consult WWW.NPR.ORG for times and radio stations) COAST GUARD ACADEMY -- TUES, DEC. 3, 2002 AIR editor MARC ABRAHAMS will present a public talk about Advances in Improbable Research. AAAS ANNUAL MEETING, DENVER -- FEBRUARY, 2003 Special Annals of Improbable Research session at the Annual Meeting of the American Assn for the Advancement of Science. Featuring: * AIR Editor MARC ABRAHAMS * 2001 Ig Nobel Biology Prize winner BUCK WEIMER * 1994 Ig Nobel Medicine Prize co-winner RICHARD DART and others TBA MICHIGAN TECH, HOUGHTON, MI -- APRIL 8, 2003 8:00 PM, Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts INFO: Valerie Pegg, vepegg@mtu.edu, 906-487-2844 http://www.greatevents.mtu.edu/main.html -------------------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-15 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/$29 2 yrs/$53 Canada/Mexico 1 yr/$33 US 2 yrs/$57 US Overseas 1 yr/$45 US 2 yrs/$82 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 ----------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-16 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: --------------------------- 2002-10-17 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 ----------------------------------------------------- 2002-10-18 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 ============================================================