HotAIR - Press Clips

Press Clips - 20th Century

What the press has to say about us

Scroll down to find separate sections for reports in languages other than English.

1999

"Grim legacy of technology's big blunders," Daily Telegraph (London), December 31, 1999
"A Century of Spectacular Failures", Wired News, December 29, 1999.
"'2000' may soon become a thing of the past for marketers", The Boston Globe, December 26, 1999.
"The Best of Annals of Improbable Research" [book review], Current Science [India], December 25, 1999
"Lipstick on the collar goes high-tech" and "Here's to you, Arvid," Canadian Medical Assn. Journal, December 14, 1999
"WINNERS: The Ig Nobel Prizes...," Discover, December 1999.
"Ig Nobels Honor Dubious Achievements" and "Can't Do Science in a Vacuum?", Chemical & Engineering News, November 29, 1999.
"The Snark Hunter Award: The Ig Nobel Prizes," Skeptic.net, 1999,
"Send in the Clones", HMS Beagle, November 26, 1999.
"Scientific nose for biscuits," South China Morning Post, November 10, 1999
"How milk takes the biscuit for taste," The Guardian, November 9, 1999.
"Cold Milk Takes the Biscuit", BBC, November 9, 1999.
"Ig Nobel Awards Recognize Eclectic Achievements", The Scientist, November 8, 1999.
"LETTER: Thanks to school board for basket of bananas", Rocky Mountain News, November 3, 1999.
"Nobelists celebrate the wild and wacky", Physician's Weekly, November 1, 1999.
"Excellence in Science", Internal Medicine News, November 1, 1999
"The IgNobel awards for eccentric research are going live on the web," Mail and Guardian [South Africa], October 27, 1999
"Proud to be Silly," New Scientist, October 23, 1999. [Letter from Ig winner Len Fisher]
"Kansas education chair refuses Ig Nobel Prize",Nature, October 21, 1999
"Saratoga Sampler," Saratoga News, October 20, 1999
"A CHILLY PEPPER -- Does the world really need a gentle jalapeno? Creators say yes; others ask, 'Why bother?'", Dallas Morning News, October 19, 1999.
"Mobile Phone Squelchers -- Register readers weigh in," The Register, October 18, 1999
"THE HOLE TRUTH\NOT ALL DOUGHNUTS CREATED EQUAL, COPS FIND", Toronto Sun, October 17, 1999.
"Krishnas Congratulate Kansas Board Of Education," Vaishnava News, October 16, 1999
"The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Harvard invited me back because...," Suck, October 16, 1999
"1999 Ig Profiles", HMS Beagle, October 15, 1999.
"And now for something completely different," Aerotech News and Review, October 15, 1999.
"Ig Nobel Prize [letter]", Kansas City Star, October 14, 1999.
"SA company wins Ig Nobel Peace Prize", Daily Mail&Guardian [Johannesburg], October 13, 1999.
"Many Nobel laureates were on hand...",Newsday, October 13, 1999.
"An Ig Nobel thought: Are they going bananas?",Boston Globe, October 13, 1999.
"Kansas educators to tackle wording of new science standards", CNN, October 12, 1999.
"Education board hears citizens / Professor, gorilla Hare Krishnas attend meeting" [with a photo], Daily Kansan, October 12, 1999.
"State board meeting evolves into a circus", Lawrence [Kansas] Journal-World, October 12, 1999.
"Decision Lampooned, Lauded",Topeka Capital Journal, October 12, 1999.
"Kansas board appears stuck with a monkey on its back", Deseret News, October 12, 1999.
"The conflict over evolution continues to simmer at Kansas Board of Education meeting in De Soto", Kansas City Star, October 11, 1999.
"Not So Noble Nobels", Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1999.
"What Do You Call a Guy...", US News & World Report, October 11, 1999.
"Feedback's Favorite Awards: The Ig Nobel Prizes", New Scientist, October 9, 1999.
"Journal Honors 'Ig Nobelists," A Taste for Mayhem, Wonderful World of Elevators," On-Line Journalism Review, October 8, 1999
"Science Spectacles", Times Literary Supplement, October 8, 1999.
"How Do You Get A Gaggle...", Science, October 8, 1999
"Ig Nobel Ceremony Honors Nutty 'Scientific' Research", Harvard Gazette, October 7, 1999.
"Education: Tales Out of School," The Independent (London), October 7, 2000
"Ig prizes spawn a new generation of Nobels", Nature, October 7, 1999.
"Evolution decision earns spoof award", Kansas City Star, October 5, 1999.
"Ig Nobel Winners Bring Research To MIT at First Ig Nobel Lectures", The Tech, October 5, 1999.
"Not-so-noble Prizes Amuse and Bemuse Audiences", The Tech, October 5, 1999.
"NO NOBEL? MAYBE YOU'LL WIN AN IG", The Wisconsin Journal, October 5, 1999.
"Harvard Humor Magazine Bestows Ig Nobel Prizes for 'Achievements'", Chronicle of Higher Education, October 4, 1999.
"Those nutty professors at Harvard are out with the Ig Nobel Prizes", San Diego Union-Tribune, October 4, 1999.
"Colorado's science standards earn (dis)honorable mention", Rocky Mountain News, October 3, 1999.
"Scientists should't take science so seriously", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 3, 1999.
"The Others of Invention", Washington Post, October 2, 1999.
"Cups run over for scientists who take a joke", The Times [London], October 2, 1999.
"One for the potty: how to make tea", Daily Telegraph, October 2, 1999.
"Fancy a Quick Cuppa -- in 5000 Words?", The Guardian, October 2, 1999.
"Watchdogs are waffle winners",The Herald [Glasgow], October 2, 1999.
"Why dunkin' doc is a prize boffin," Western Daily Press, October 2, 1999.
"Dunking, doughnuts win Ig Nobel prizes," South China Morning Post, October 2, 1999
"AN UNPOTTED GUIDE TO MAKING TEA", The Independent, October 2, 1999.
"The Ig Nobels: Alternative prizes awarded for some strange scientific 'advances'" Montreal Gazette, October 2, 1999.
"Homage to the Inconsequential", Newsweek, October 2, 1999.
"And now �ignoble� awards", The Tribune [India], October 2, 2000.
"Tea guidelines take the biscuit for waffle",Daily Mail [London], October 2, 1999.
"Truly tea-dious", The Journal [Newcastle], October 2, 1999.
"Brits Take the Biscuit", BBC, October 1, 1999.
"Dizzy breakthroughs honoured with improbable research awards. Lone Canadian takes dubious prize for doughnut study", National Post, October 1, 1999.
"The Boston Tea Party ", ScienceNow, October 1, 1999.
"IG NOBEL ART OF MAKING TEA HONOURED", Press Association, October 1, 1999.
"Ig Nobels honor Strange Science", ABC News (from AP), October 1, 1999.
"Ig Nobel Review", WMBR (MIT Radio), October 1, 1999.
"TEA BUT NO SYMPATHY FOR WORDY BREW", Birmingham Post [UK], October 1, 1999.
"Winners make noble effort to cop their Ig Nobel Prize ", Boston Herald, October 1, 1999
"The Most Ig Noble Of Prizes Awarded ", Yahoo (from Reuters), October 1, 1999.
"Mild chile peppers bring fame to N.M. biologist", Albuquerque Tribune, October 1, 1999.
"Wacky Inventions Win Ig Nobels ", Harvard Crimson, October 1, 1999.
"Rare spin on infant delivery `honored,'" and "Full Honors" San Jose Mercury News, October 1, 1999.
"State board receives not so noble award ", Daily Kansan, October 1, 1999.
ZDNET, October, 1999.
"Gong Site", Canberra Times, September 30, 1999.
"Awards Are Going Live on the Web ", The Guardian, September 30, 1999.
"Scientific Descendants Sought For Ig Nobels", Harvard Gazette, September 16, 1999.
"Hit and Run No. CLXXXVIII", Suck, September 16, 1999.
"The Best of Annals of Improbable Research", Journal of Chemical Education, September 1999. [book review]
"Ig Nobel event sure to transmit jokes right through air!",Nashua Telegraph, 1 September, 1999.
"Does a bear-proof suit protect you in the woods?", Panic Magazine, August, 1999.
"An Improbable Journal Sparks Non-Linear Humor", Chemistry, Summer, 1999. [click on the Summer 1999 issue]
"Improbable Researchers in Washington", Washington Post, July 6, 1999.
"A Grizzly Obsession Suits Him", Boston Globe, July 6, 1999.
"...Looking for descendants of famous scientists...", New Scientist, May 22, 1999
"Celebrating Scientific Silliness", APS News, May, 1999.
"Weird Science and Wild Wireless Times", Tele.Com Magazine, April 19, 1999
"Canadian suiting up for grizzly undertaking," American Metal Market, February 2, 1999
"REVIEW: ANNALS OF IMPROBABLE RESEARCH," LiP Magazine, February 1, 1999
"A Formula for Laughter", Jerusalem Post Magazine, 15 January, 1999
"The Improbable Science of Marc Abrahams", The Improper Bostonian, 13 January, 1999

Text - non-English

"Miskleunen van de eeuw", De Standaard [Belgium], December 30, 1999
"Gli oscar della risata alle follie della scienza," La Republica [Italy], December 16, 1999
"DE NOBELPRIJS VOOR ONZIN", KIJK magazine [The Netherlands], November, 1999
"Des prix Nobel de la dérision ," Le Journal de Saone-et-Loire [France], 1999
"IG NOBEL UN PREMIO DA RIDERE",Corriere del Ticino [Italy], October 28, 1999
"Buchrezension: Der Einfluß von Erdnußbutter auf die Erdanziehung," Benecke.com [Germany], October 26, 1999
"Interpretacion macanocuantica de la homopatia," El Esceptico [Spain], October 1999
"L'IG NOBEL AL CALZINO DEL PLAYBOY",La Stampa [Italy], October 20, 1999
"La formula del biscotto che non sbriciola," Panorama [Italy], October 15, 1999
"Noble Konkurrenz," Die Zeit [South Africa — Afrikaanz], October 14, 1999
"Nicht nur Tee ist eine Wissenschaft für sich," Wissenschaft-Online [Germany], October 10, 1999.
"Priser till forskning som helst bör glömmas", Dagens Nyheter [Sweden], October 9, 1999
"Sciences: une parodie de Nobel pour célébrer l'insolite ou l'ignoble,"Le Monde [France], October 7, 1999
"Nordmann vant Nobel-pris med uringlass", CNN Norge [Norway], October 5, 1999
"Norsk urinprovsstudie bel�nad med anti-nobelpriset," Aftonbladet [Sweden], October 2, 1999
"L'altra faccia della scienza," La Repubblica [Italy], September 30, 1999
"Annals of Improbable Research," Dumjahn [Germany], May 1999
"Reirse con la Ciencia", Planeta HUMANO [Spain], March 1999
"Scienza Bizzarra", Primavera [Italy], March 1999

Audio

National Public Radio's broadcast of the Ig Nobel prize ceremony, on Science Friday, 26 November 1999. (RealAudio\ File).

1998

"If you never liked science because you thought it was dry and humorless, you've got another think coming", Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 13 December, 1998.
"Ig Nobel Awards, 1998: Paper Airplanes, Duct Tape, and General Happiness", The Scientist, 23 November, 1998.
"All Duct Out in the Name of Science", The Skeptic, vol. 6, no. 4, 1998.
"Science that approaches the improbable", Kingston [Ontario] Whig-Standard, 16 November, 1998.
"Mensa Visits the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony" [with lots of photos], Boston Mensa, November, 1998
"The Sweet Smell of Success", The Philadelphia Daily News, 13 November, 1998.
"Ig Nobel Awards Mix Science and Humor", Boston Software News, November, 1998.
"The American science-humour magazine Annals of Improbable Research has also been investigating...", New Scientist, 31 October, 1998.
"Not all science prizes are equally noble", Tampa Tribune, 31 October, 1998.
"HAVING FUN IS IG NOBEL ENDEAVOR", Arizona Republic, 21 October, 1998.
"The Ig Nobels," The Dispatch [South Africa], October 15, 1998.
"A Fine Time at the Ig Nobels", and "RoboCop, Pseudotherapy, and Penile Length: The 1998 Ig Nobel Prizes", and "IgNobel Voyage: The Horror, the Horror", Netsurfer Digest, 20 October, 1998.
"The prizes that the scientific establishment await each year...", New Scientist, 17 October, 1998.
"Clams on Prozac, an Opera about Duct Tape...", Harvard Gazette, 15 October, 1998.
"Science gone mad," Telegraph, October 15, 1998.
"Smarter than your average bear-suit ", The Times (London), October 14, 1998
"Duct Tape Celebrated at Ig Nobel Ceremony", The [MIT] Tech, 13 October, 1998.
"Irreverence Key to Other 'Nobels," Arizona Republic, October 13, 1998
"Smelly finger research upholds British honour", and "A Lavish Presentation Ceremony", The Guardian (London), 12 October, 1998.
"BAD SCIENCE AND HUMOROUS RESEARCH SKEWERED AT THE IG NOBEL AWARDS", Skeptics List, October, 1998.
"Poking Fun at Science" [with lots of photos], ABC News, 10 October, 1998.
"Nobel prize spoofs given for weird science", WLVI-TV Channel 56, 9 October, 1998.
"Weird science earns Ig Nobel prizes," The Holland Sentinel, October 9, 1998.
"Bear Armor and Frisky Clams Win Ig Nobels ", Science Now, 9 October, 1998.
"French scientist shrugs off winning his second Ig Nobel prize", Nature, 8 October, 1998.
"For his efforts, Chopra takes Ig Nobel Prize", San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 October, 1998.
"Noble endeavor: Read of possible pain from eating your heart out", Nashua Telegraph, 7 October, 1998.
"Researcher Proves Scientists Are Funny. Some of Them.", New York Times, 6 October, 1998.
"Grizzlies Are his Strong Suit", Ottawa Citizen, 6 October,1998.
"Blindsided by Science", Wired News, 5 October, 1998.
"The IgNobel prize, awarded for genuine yet barmy ", Sunday Telegraph [London], 4 October,1998.
"From the Fast Track to the Laugh Track", Boston Software Newspaper, October, 1998.
"Annals of Improbable Litigation," Harvard Magazine, September-October 1998
"Lessons from Seat of Learning", The Scotsman [Glasgow], 27 September, 1998.
"Want to be Superman?: Inventor has the suit", The Montreal Gazette, 22 September, 1998.
"Nature is usually the first...", New Scientist, August 29, 1998.
"Presidents, Experts, and Asteroids," Science, June 5, 1998. [includes Arthur C. Clark's prediction about the Ig Nobel Prizes.]
BOOK REVIEW: The Best of Annals of Improbable Research, Journal of the American Medical Association, May 27, 1998.
"The Annals of Improbable Research -- on Tour!", SF Weekly, April 22, 1998.
"Theories of improbability: Gum-chewing Nobelists talk silly science", Stanford Report, April 15, 1998.
"BOOK REVIEW: The Best of Annals of Improbable Research", New Scientist, April 18, 1998.
"The Grub Gets a Drubbing at Institute", San Diego Union-Tribune, April 9, 1998.
"Is It Ig Nobler for Science...", Journal of the American Medical Association, April 1 1998.
"Boost or Boot or Just Ig Nored?", Journal of the American Medical Association, April 1 1998.
BOOK REVIEW: The Best of AIR, Discover Magazine, March 1998
"E-mailed antigens and Iridium's iridescence," Skeptical Inquirer, January-February 1998.
"The Most Expensive Chairs in the World", The Washington Post, February 8 1998.
"Get a (Past) Life -- While You Can", The Washington Post, January 11 1998.

Text - non-English

"Die Marx Brothers im Wissenschaftsbetrieb," Universum [Austria], 1998
"Bravo, meriti l'IgNobel", Il Mondo [in Italian], 30 October, 1998.
"Cozze felici e grizzly senz'armi",Tempo Medico[in Italian], 28 October, 1998.
"Ed ecco i premi Ig-Nobel Laureate le ricerche pi inutili e sciocche", La Stampa [in Italian], 21 October, 1998.
"AIR IgNobel Preise 1998: Im Zeichen der Ente", Die Zeit [in German], 15 October, 1998.
"Alternativ nobelpris for stinkende finger," Nettavisen [in Norwegian], October 12, 1998
"Die Nonsenss-Nobelpreise", Bild [in German], 10 October, 1998.
"Annals of Improbable Research," University of Amsterdam Biology Department News [in Dutch], October 1998
"Von friedlichen Zundungen zur Abwehr", Salzburger Nachrichten [in German], 10 October, 1998.
"Antinobelpreise in den USA", Rein Zeitung [in German], 9 October, 1998.
"Das Muttergluck der Muscheln", Die Welt [in German], 9 October, 1998.
"In der Jury sitzen auch Passanten", Die Welt [in German], 8 October, 1998.
"Fatterelli di cerniere e bambole gonfiabili", Tempo Medico [in Italian], June 3, 1998.

Audio

National Public Radio's broadcast of the Ig Nobel prize ceremony, on Science Friday, 27 November 1998. (RealAudio\ File).
AIR's Somewhat Serious Science is a regular feature on Science Friday

1997

BOOK REVIEW: "Having fun with science, but for a serious purpose" The Rocky Mountain Press, 7 December, 1997.
"Improbable Researchers Gather for 1997 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony" APS News, December 1997
BOOK REVIEW: "Those Wacky Scientists and their Silly Games", The Globe & Mail, 15 November, 1997.
"Prizes for the Rest of Us", The Why Files, November 1997.
"Unconventional Wisdom: New facts and hot stats from the social sciences", The Washington Post, 2 November, 1997.
"Chicken debunker wins a prize," Sunday Times [London], October 19, 1997
"'Ig Nobel Prizes' Awarded to 10 Scholars for Insect-Splat Finding and Other Feats," Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 October, 1997.
"Games: The Ignobel prizes ," The Independent (London), October 16, 1997
"Connected: Spammer's award," Daily Telegraph [London], October 14, 1997
"Bug splats identified," Augusta Chronicle, October 14, 1997.
"Masters of mediocrity also honoured," South China Morning Post, October 11, 1997
"Ig Nobels awarded at where else? Harvard University ," Baltimore Sun, October 11, 1997
The Whiteboard News, 10 October, 1997. (excerpt)
"Making a splat in the noble cause of science," The Times [London], October 10, 1997
"Noble winner mocks Blair's science chief," Daily Telegraph [London], October 10, 2000
"A Gala Night for Weird Science", Wired News, 10 October, 1997.
"'Ig Nobel' prizes awarded for mediocrity", Reuter, 9 October, 1997.
"Purple Haze: What Is Barney Anyway?", MADorRAD?, ABCNews.com, 16 August. (Text file)
"Annals of Improbable Research," LibraryJournal, August, 1997. [Review of the magazine]
"Is the Enlightenment out of fashion?," 21stC, Spring, 1997
"BARNEY'S BONE STRUCTURE BARELY RESEMBLES ANY KNOWN...", The New Republic, March 3, 1997.
"An Interview with Don Featherstone", On Stagnant Pond - A Cybersalute to the American Plastic Flamingo, February 27, 1997.
"Who's the Smartest of Them All?," Science, February 21, 2000
"As if!", Hoosier Times, 1997.
"Mastermind of Scientific Humor", Baltimore Sun, February 21, 1997.

Text - non-English

Werft bitte endlich eure Perlen unter die Sue!", Die Weltwoche [Switzerland], October 1997.
""Ig Nobel" premia mediocridade", O Estado de Sao Paulo [Brazil], October 11, 1997.
"Annals of Improbable Research," Tempo Medico [Italy], May 21, 1997
"L'autre visage de la science", Quebec Science, April 1997.

Audio

National Public Radio's broadcast of the Ig Nobel prize ceremony, on Science Friday, 28 November 1997. (RealAudio\ File).

Internet Media

HotAIR was one of the cool sites reviewed on Pat and Mike's Audio Show (July 21, 1997).
Screens from HotAIR and SharewAIR (as well as the WebMaster) were featured on The Internet Cafe during the third and fourth weeks of February. The show's theme was "Weird Science".

1996

"The Victors Go Despoiled", Scientific American, December 1996. (Gif of the magazine page).
"Creators of zany projects honored," Detroit News, November 04, 1996
"Sorting Out This Case Could Take The Wisdom of a Learned Hand", The Wall Street Journal, 11 November, 1996.
"Ig-niting Controversy", The Scientist, 28 October, 1996.
"Twitting Science," Science, October 18, 1996
The Guardian, 12 October, 1996.
"Ig Noble Ceremony Honors Hilarious Experiments", The Tech (MIT), 11 October, 1996.
"Poking Fun at Science an Ig Nobel Job," Arizona Republic 10 October, 1996.
"We are amused", Chemistry & Industry Magazine, 7 October, 1996.
"Ig Nobel Flames", Chemistry & Industry Magazine, 7 October, 1996
"UB RESEARCHER 'HONORED' WITH SPOOF AWARD," Buffalo News, October 6, 1996
"Presenting the IgNobels, UnPrizes Satirizing Weak Science," New York Times, October 5, 2000.
"Physicist is toast of irreverent alternative award", The Times (London), 4 October, 1996.
Scripps Howard News Wire 20 Feb, 1996.

Text - non-English

"Ad Harvard assegnati i premi Ig Nobel", Nautilus [Italy], October, 1996.
"'Nobelprijs' voor beschuitje", De Standaard [Belgium], 5 October ,1996
"GONORESMITTET AV DUKKE", Verdens Gang [Norway], 4 October, 1996.

Audio and Video

National Public Radio's broadcast of the Ig Nobel prize ceremony, on Science Friday, 29 November 1996. (RealAudio File).
BBC World Service News, October 4, 1996. (960 Kb .wav file).
C-SPAN (VIDEO of the entire ceremony), October 2, 2006

Other Sources (you'll have to search)

"When Apple Meets Orange," The Washington Post, 17 November, 1996.
"Science writer is the toast of spoof Nobels", The Daily Telegraph, 4 October, 1996.
Many other news stories about AIR and the Ig Nobels are not available in electronic format. For some gifs and audio files, see George Gobel's home page.
Articles appearing in The Scientist can be found by searching their website for the words "improbable research".

1995

"You May Already be a Wiener," Scientific American, December 1995.
"Rel rond weke cornflakes,"De Standaard [Belgian],13 November 1995.
"TODAY'S STOP: THE ANNALS OF IMPROBABLE RESEARCH," Tourbus, October 19, 1995
"Science Humor Magazine, Comic Awards Improbably Change Location,"The Scientist, 2 October 1995.
"The Annals of Improbable Research",RAGEMagazine, 1995.
"The private side of publishing on the Net," The Globe and Mail, 15 September 1995.
Articles from The Scientist may be found on their site in the following gopher files (scroll down or search for "improbable research"):

"Parse Analysis," New England Journal of Medicine, August 31, 1995
"Kartoffelchips im Windkanal," Die Zeit, 20 August, 1995.

1994

"The Anual Ig Nobel Prizes,"Scientific American, December 1994.
The Ig's on Science Friday, 25 November 1994 (Audio file)
"Mutiny on the Joke Journal,"Science Vol. 264, 24 June 1994.
"'Irreproducible' Team Clones a Rival", Nature, Vol. 369 - 9 June 1994.
"Mind and Matter - A 12-month electronic gestation leads to an old-fashoned paper birth,"The Toronto Globe and Mail, 1994.