Improbable Research

The video of a cat adjusting to zero gravity recalls the article “Does a Cat Always Land on Its Feet?” which was published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Improbable Research (and which was featured on the cover).

(Thanks to Mark Dionne and Boing-Boing — which also spotlighted the Ig Nobel Prize-winning frog levitation work — for bringing this to our attention.)

PS. Anyone with an abiding interest in cats might also want to glance at the Special Cats Issue of AIR.

The juicy phrase “corruption in sumo wrestling” seems doubly delicious when you see it in the title of an economics research report….

So begins this week’s Improbable Research column in The Guardian. Read it here.

It is time, once again, to celebrate one of academia’s most memorable courses:

“Frankenstein in America: Science, Technology, and Values in the United States,” American Studies Program, Indiana University (1997).

A202, Section 0343, Spring 1997
Kenneth D. Pimple, Ph.D.
Tuesday-Thursday 8:00-9:15 am, Ballantine Hall 333

Description

The name “Frankenstein” evokes the very clear image of a monster created by a mad scientist. But the title character of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, is not the monster, but the scientist. The novel is a touchstone for attitudes toward science and technology in the modern era, exploring the wondrous promise of science as well as its potential dangers, including its significant moral dangers.

Science and technology have a pervasive and intimate impact on American life, and no one course can hope to touch on all aspects of the topic. In this course, we will examine a few intriguing texts to explore the intersection between values, science, and technology.
Objectives

Students who take this course will (a) learn about the relationship between science, technology, and values as expressed in a number of works of American literature and folklore; (b) explore their own attitudes toward science and values, and the place of science and technology in their own lives; (c) improve their ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team; (d) improve their critical thinking skills; and (e) improve their writing skills.

Having in recent days saluted Doctor Nurse, Doctor Student, and Doctor Modest, we now salute a Modest discovery about piercing and lactation. And a special salute to the modest doctor who made the discovery.

A reminder: next month the World Toilet Summit will convene in Beijing. It’s a three-day affari, on November 17-19, held under the auspices of the World Toilet Organization. Last year’s event proved to be photogenic.

(You may want to start a toilet association in your area. If so, the WTO is willing and eager to help.)

This year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration welcomed back not just leeches, but also maggots. In January the FDA, in case number K033391, approved maggots for use as a medical device.

(Thanks to John Bradley for bringing this to our attention.)

AIR editorial board member Mark Benecke is a devotee of maggots. He has posted on his web site a plethora of useful information and photos about the lovable little critters.