Annals of Improbable Research

MAY | JUNE 2010 (volume 16, number 3))

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Special Issue: Orgy & Handwashing

How to Cater a Roman Orgy,
The Dirt on Handwashing,
Toilets: Where Do You Stand?

Contents

The features marked with a star (*) are based entirely on material taken straight from standard research (and other Official and Therefore Always Correct) literature. Many of the other articles are genuine, too, but we don’t know which ones.

Special Section: Orgy and Handwashing

How to Cater a Roman Orgy* — Corky White
Hand Sanitizing—Another Look* — John Trinkaus
Handwashing Research Review* — Alice Shirell Kaswell

Improbable Research

To Sit or Not to Sit — John Gamel

The Sound-ness of Tree Falls — Martin Melchior

Improbable Research Reviews*

Ptak: Tea Tasting in Mincing Lane* — John Ptak
Improbable Research Review* — Dirk Manley
Improbable Medical Review* — Bertha Vanatian
Ig® and Beyond* — Nan Swift
May We Recommend* — Stephen Drew
Soft Is Hard* — Alice Shirrell Kaswell and Bissell Mango
Boys Will Be Boys* — Katherine Lee
Icky Cutesy Research Review* — Alice Shirrell Kaswell

News & Notes

AIR Vents (letters from our readers)
Dr. Unger’s Knuckle-Cracking Adventure* — Donald Unger
KIM CARTOON: “Evolutionary Function of the Mustache” — Nick Kim
Teachers’ Guide
HMO-NO News: Lemon Eye Surprise!
AIR Books
XKCD: “Seismic Waves” — Randall Munroe
Editorial Board
Puzzling Solutions — Emil Filterbag
Back Issues
Ig® Nobel Limericks: Gono’s Numbers — Martin Eiger
Unclassified Ads

On the Front Cover

A round, tiny chunk of a recipe for one sliver of an orgy (see page 7), and a boxy invention for handwashing (see page 8).

On the Back Cover

Three green frogs (two resident males in a small pond, and a visiting female) in apparent collective amplexus, which lasted uninterrupted for a number of hours. Photo: Robert and Monika Wood, Roseland, Virginia.