Improbable Research

Earle Spamer (co-author of the classic research report "The Taxonomy of Barney") wrote (several months ago):

Ah, the price of 15 minutes of fame is going up.  See the last two paragraphs in this column.

Dr. Paul Stevenson of the University of Surrey conducted research of a sort about the optimal height of tango dancers’ heels.

(Thanks to John S. Howe for bringing this to our attention.)

Investigator Julia Lunetta writes to warn us that understanding pornography is not as straightforward as one might expect, and to warn that some people (especially those under 18 years of age or over the age of 17) might want to simply avoid the bother of trying.

The Geneticus people claim:

With over 500,000 collisions between cars and deer every year, the cost in lives and money is staggering. While insurers pay over a billion dollars in claims annually, over 200 people are killed. Countless other drivers and passengers suffer injuries and other serious medical complications. Many deer and their young suffer the same fate. By implanting the gene of a special jellyfish into deer, the transgenic NIGHTSAVE deer produced by GENETIATE (patent pending) have fluorescing hair and skin when illuminated by car headlights. The implanted gene has no other effect on the deer, who appear normal in daylight. The NIGHTSAVE project aims to reduce the number of night time deer/auto collisions,  saving the lives of both deer and people.

(Thanks to Wm. Maloney for bringing this to our attention.)

In this era of stun guns, 2000lb bombs, and too-advanced-to-be-tested strategic missile defence systems, few individuals understand the effect of knife-handle shape on stabbing performance. Ian Horsfall and his colleagues are among the proud, happy band of brothers and sisters. Their new report, The Effect of Knife-Handle Shape on Stabbing Performance, makes it easy for all of us to share in this knowledge….

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

[NOTE: We are travelling this week -- in Tasmania -- and may not be able to put in the direct link to the column. BUT DO NOT BE DISMAYED! Just follow the link to the Guardian Education Weekly and scroll down the page to find the current Improbable Research column.]