The July issue of mini-AIR just went out. Topics include: A Fly Based on a Theory; Apology to Professor Lester; Many Say “Mono”; A Computer Science Approach to the Problem; Ant-Crowding Poets; Self-Compatible Daffodil Competition; What’s Hot in Shoes; Octopus faith, dirty elections; and snake and rice (and sweet itch). (If you would like to […]
Month: July 2007
Three ant crowding limericks
Here are three ant crowding limericks, runners up in the Ant Crowding Competition Limerick Competition that was announced in mini-AIR 2007-06. The winning limerick — not amongst the trio shown here — will be announced in mini-AIR 2007-07. The competition asked for a limerick to honor the following study: “Optimal Traffic Organization in Ants Under […]
The forceful adventures of Dr. Bane
I’m far from home at my annual conference. Dr. Bane is here, and worse than ever before. While he didn’t crash the board meetings, he has serially violated the graduate students: he forces them to listen to his grand delusions about his role in the creation of the universe for hours at a time. The […]
A wee note from the Wii doctor
I would like to nominate myself (in order to exercise my egolatry) to the IgNobel 2007 edition. After playing with my new Wii video console for 10 hours I suffered from a tendinitis in my shoulder. I decided to report my personal case to the New England Journal of Medicine. Surprisely they published it! You […]
William Morris, finger tip authority
Hello to all of the members of the Fingerprint Society. My name is William Morris, I?m from Leicestershire Constabulary Fingerprint Bureau and I?m taking over from David Charlton as the editor of Fingerprint Whorld. So writes William Morris about his ascension to the helm of the Fingerprint Society.
Octopus faith
Biologists, as a group, are ignorant about Octopus Faith. Here is a capsule description of Octopus Faith: Octopus Faith? is a faith that is too big for the box. It’s a faith that calls you to the deep things of God, keeps you connected to your Oxygen Line, and assures you can handle the underwater […]
A hard look in quasi-darkness
Investigator Roderick D.K. Watt alerts us to a newly published study about the interaction of Viagra and dim lighting. The study is: “The Effect of Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra?) on Visual Sensitivity,” Andrew Stockman, Lindsay T. Sharpe, Adnan Tufail, Philip D. Kell, Caterina Ripamonti and Glen Jeffery, Journal of Vision, vol. 7, no. 8, 2007, pp. […]
Hooray for New Math: Global warming
One new approach to teaching mathematics downplays the importance of exact or even approximate numbers. These are said to be less important than understanding broad patterns. A distinguished authority figure apparently agrees: Global warming is taking place… And the fact is there is probably little to worry about. The increased temperatures will almost certainly be […]
Lips-Wiersma, sought and found
The question: “Where is Dr. Lips-Wiersma?” writes Investigator Tenley T. Jake in a note we received yesterday, specifying that by Dr. Lips-Wiersma she means the co-author of the study “Furthering Management and Spirituality Education through the Use of Paradox (published in the Journal of Management Education, vol. 28, no. 1, 2004, pp. 119-33.) The answer: […]
Leading economists (video)
Many economists say economics is a science. Many others say it’s an art. Still others don’t like to discuss the matter. A fourth group of economists made an instructional music video that bears this description: “Columbia Business School’s Dean Glenn Hubbard sings about wanting Alan Greenspan‘s job that went instead to New Fed Chair Ben […]