This book originated as a by-product. During my time as the head of the science section of a now-defunct Swiss news magazine, I accumulated a stack of research studies about weird experiments. Unfortunately my editor had no desire to see these in print, because they violated all the basic journalistic criteria: they were utterly inconsequential, […]
Month: November 2008
Kids, keep away from chemistry: Bob Glasgow
“To criminalize the necessary materials of discovery is one of the worst things you can do in a free society,” says Shawn Carlson, a 1999 MacArthur fellow and founder of the Society for Amateur Scientists. “The Mr. Coffee machine that every Texas legislator has near his desk has three violations of the law built into […]
Iggy twitter
Click here to see the twitter stream about the Ig Nobel radio broadcast.
Andrei Alexandrescu joins LFHCfS
Andrei Alexandrescu has joined the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists. Robyn Croke, who nominated him, says: I proudly nominate my PI, Andrei Alexandrescu. He is a biophysicist at UCONN. Andrei Alexandrescu, Ph.D., LFHCfS Associate Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut, USA
Ig Nobel radio/web audiocast Friday
This Friday listen to the annual Ig Nobel Prize special (an hour of specially edited hightlights from the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony) on National Public Radio’s “Science Friday with Ira Flatow” program. Listen on the radio or on the web (The Science Friday web site has details about radio stations and times.) For we who […]
Guéguen’s big bust experiments
Professor Nicolas Guéguen finds significance, or at least fascination, in what might be called voyeuristic microscopy, watching how people react to mundanely noticeable sights and sounds. Many of his experiments involve young female confederates who are shaped or perfumed or who lay a hand upon strangers in particular ways. Generally, the test subjects who respond […]
Adventures of a new museum director
An acquaintance writes from the American midwest: You ask how is my new life as a science museum director? Let me pitch you an idea for a sitcom. It’s about a guy who’s hired to become director of a museum that’s already peopled with a cast of cartoonish characters. In the sitcom, the museum director […]
Romance stinks, and their uses
The DNA analysis at ScientificMatch helps you find a partner with physical chemistry. When you share the magic of chemistry with someone, you’ll realize some amazing effects — which, admittedly, often sound fantastical. We’ve identified six specific benefits of chemistry, which we’ll describe in detail — complete with sources cited. These sources (except for one, […]
Julia K. Parrish joins LFHCfS
Julia K. Parrish has joined the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists. Tom Good, who nominated her, says: Dr. Julia K. Parrish is a Professor/Associate Director of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences in the School for Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Her hair may be seen being washed in the field in […]
November mini-AIR
The November issue of mini-AIR just went out. Topics include: Random Question; Salute to Smets; Absurd-Drug-Names; Delicious-Guinea-Pigs Substitute; That-Which-Lurketh-Between Competition; No Rest for the Healthy; Inertia, Blowholes, Punk; etc. (If you would like to have mini-AIR automatically sent to your email box every month, please subscribe to it. It’s free.)