Improbable Research

Deepak Chopra has been receiving notice in Brazil (where he has been giving lectures)  for being an Ig Nobel Prize winner, according to  a June 21, 2009 report. Chopra was awarded the 1998 Ig Nobel Prize in physics for his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness.

At the 1998 Ig Nobel ceremony, Chopra received personal expressions of wonder from Sheldon Glashow, a 1979 Nobel prize winner in physics and from Roy Glauber, who would be awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2005.

At an historic meeting in 2006, Chopra met up with fellow Ig Nobel Prize winner Jasmuheen. Jasmuheen received the 2000 Ig Nobel prize in literature for her book “Living on Light,” which explains that although some people do eat food, they don’t ever really need to.

Neuticles—artificial replacement testicles for dogs—now come in nine (9) sizes, rather than the original three (small, medium, large). Inventor Greg Miller was awarded the 2005 Ig Nobel Medicine Prize for his invention. The new sizes are:

NU-XXLarge	140-190 lbs+	2.75″	$329	$449
NU-XLarge	110-140 lbs	2.20″	$319	$439
NU-Large	65-110 lbs	1.79″	$309	$429
NU-Medium	40-65 lbs	1.50″	$299	$419
NU-Smed	30-50 lbs	1.27″	$289	$409
NU-Small	20-30 lbs	1.04″	$279	$399
NU-XSmall	10-20lbs	.75″	$269	$389
NU-XXSmall	3-10 lbs	.63″	$259	$379
NU-Petite	1- 3 lbs	.44″	$249	$369

In the chart reproduced here, column 2 shows the weight of the dog, column 3 the length of a neuticle, column 4 the price for a single neuticle and column 5 the price for a pair. Neuticles are also now available in “custom” sizes, for a higher price.

If you’re going to be in Groningen, the Netherlands, on Saturday, June 13, come see and hear Ig Nobel Prize winner Kees Moeliker describe the first case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck. One of the ducks may also appear, though will not talk.

Time: 9:30 pm.
Place: De Nacht van Kunst en Wetenschap, Universiteitsmuseum Groningen.
Details: for location details (or click on the map), and here for other details.

Friday, June 5th 2009, was the 14th annual Dead Duck Day. At 17.55h sharp (Rotterdam Time) a nice mix of duck enthusiasts, other bird lovers, curious people and readers of (my book) ‘De eendenman‘ (totaling five nationalities) gathered next to the glass pavilion of the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam for the short open-air ceremony.

So begins my blog entry at www.moeliker.com. Do read further and see a photographic report. One of the images is reproduced here:

Gazprom — whose executives, corporate directors, and auditors shared the 2002 Ig Nobel Prize in economics with their peers at Enron and twenty-some-odd other companies for adapting the mathematical concept of imaginary numbers for use in the business world — has released a corporate anthem (or perhaps the anthem escaped). Click on the image below to hear this fine marriage of music and lyrics.

(Thanks to investigator Earl Mishkin for bringing this and a possibly related matter to our attention.)