Improbable Research

A new computer peripheral device, manufactured by Uni-Creation Electronic (Xi’an) Co.,Ltd., is claimed to be easy on the eyes.

(Thanks to Peter Langston for bringing this to our attention.)

"Engineer Ruled Expert Witness in Flaming Pop-Tart Case" reads the headline. It is an accurate description of what the news report reports.

(Thanks to Mark Waldstein and other investigators for bringing this to our attention.)

People say "There is only one Einstein", but of course that is not so. In this, the official Einstein Year, when everyone celebrates Albert Einstein, let us not forget some of the other Einsteins…

So begins this week’s Improbable Research column in The Guardian

Investigator Robert Bendesky writes:

An editorial in the Winter 2004 Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons reports that a toad provided more correct responses to Medicare policy questions than Medicare customer service representatives.

A 2004 GAO study found that 96 percent of the time, customer reps gave the wrong answer to physicians asking how to bill Medicare. In response, Journal editor Lawrence Huntoon MD, PhD asked a toad a series of Medicare questions. A left jump meant a yes answer, a right jump meant no.

The toad scored 50 percent.

If you are (A) a scientist who (B) follows a good ritual for preparing either tea or coffee and you  (C) are in Britain or (D) will be in Britain during the Ig Nobel Tour of the UK during March, and (E) you would enjoy BRIEFLY demonstrating that ritual onstage at one of the shows in the tour, then please email us ASAP (and please include the phrase "PROJECT CUPPA" in your email subject header).

Details of the Ig tour are at http://education.guardian.co.uk/conferences/story/0,14077,1410884,00.html

Ps. If you are (F) a friend of somebody who fulfills conditions A-E inclusive, please pass this message on to that person.

Look at this uranium web site, suggested investigator John Bell, and check out the photo at the bottom of the page. We followed his suggestion.