PLEASE FORWARD/POST AS APPROPRIATE ================================================================ The mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR") Issue number 2006-05 May 2006 ISSN 1076-500X Key words: improbable research, science humor, Ig Nobel, AIR, the ---------------------------------------------------------------- A free newsletter of tidbits too tiny to fit in the bi-monthly paper magazine Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) ================================================================ ----------------------------- 2006-05-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2006-05-02 Imminent Events 2006-05-03 What's New in the Magazine 2006-05-04 Oh, Shoot 2006-05-05 Singh, Singh, Singh, Again, Again (and Singh) 2006-05-06 Invitation -- European Bureau Opening 2006-05-07 LFHCfS Men of the Year to Appear 2006-05-08 2006-05-09 Professor-Professors (6th helping) 2006-05-10 Mastication-Perception Poet 2006-05-11 Geographic Disorientation Limerick Contest 2006-05-12 More Hair (LFHCfS) 2006-05-13 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: In a Fit 2006-05-14 On Our Blog 2006-05-15 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Probing the Depths 2006-05-16 Improbable Research Events 2006-05-17 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) 2006-05-18 Our Address (*) 2006-05-19 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) 2006-05-20 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) Items marked (*) are reprinted in every issue. mini-AIR is a free monthly *e-supplement* to the print magazine Annals of Improbable Research ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-02 Imminent Events Ig Nobel Tour of the Netherlands, May 16-23 For details see section 2006-05-16 below ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-03 What's New in the Magazine The Mar/Apr issue (vol. 12, no. 3) of the Annals of Improbable Research is the annual special FISH & CHIPS issue (and also contains a special section about Holy Grail research). The magazine will find its way from the printer to subscribers' doorsteps later this month. Highlights include: "Fish, Fish, Fish," by Alice Shirrell Kaswell. ABSTRACT: A photographic and year-by-year citational tribute to Professor Frank Fish, who studies how fish and mammals and other animals (in a word, nekton) swim. "Hamburger and Salmon, and Cancer," by Stephen Drew. ABSTRACT: Ten published studies suggest a strong link between Hamburger and Salmon, and a link between (a) Hamburger and Salmon and (b) cancer. "In Search of Astronomy's Holy Grail," by Steve Nadis. ABSTRACT: The author continues his lengthy, lengthy quest to identify all of the holy grails in or of modern astronomy. "The Adventures of M.D. Levitt, M.D.," by Nan Swift. ABSTRACT: Dr. M.D. Levitt has pursued, and is pursuing, a career filled with flatulent patients and intestinal gas. This study glances, from a distance, at some of his work. ... and much more. The table of contents is online at: To subscribe (6 paper issues per year) go to or see Section 2006-05-17, below. *** Thanks to everyone who suggested we make it easier to subscribe online. Finally, we have: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-04 Oh, Shoot Investigator Lanny F. Garon writes, angrily: "Your blog report 'Kudos to former MIT professor John J. Donovan, Sr.' is impudent, outrageous, and irritating. I say so what if the man shot himself and blamed it on his son, or hired someone else to shoot him and then blamed THAT on his son. I am not saying that he did. I am not saying that he didn't. But if he did, that's HIS business. And if he didn't, THAT's also his business. I believe in academic freedom, and if this isn't a case of it, I don't know what is." The report -- actually a report about a report -- to which investigator Garon refers is actually called "Donovan the stereotype breaker." It's at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-05 Singh, Singh, Singh, Again, Again (and Singh) We sing of Singhs, thanks to investigator Tom Gill. In the March/April issue of the magazine, we featured a triple-Singh citation he discovered: "Observation of Pulsing Hiss at Low Latitudes," R.P. Singh, R.P. Patel, Kalpana Singh and Ashok K. Singh, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, vol. 67, no. 16, November 2005, pp. 1497-1503. Now investigator Gill has outdone himself -- he's found a quadri- Singh research study: "Simulation of Nose Whistlers: An Application to Low Latitude Whistlers," Kalpana Singh, R.P. Singh, Abhay Kumar Singh and R.N. Singh, Planetary and Space Science, vol. 54, no. 6, May 2006, pp. 594-8. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-06 Invitation -- European Bureau Opening On Friday evening, May 19, we will celebrate the opening of the Improbable Research European Bureau, at 8:00 pm at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam. You are invited. European Bureau Chief (and 2003 Ig Nobel Biology Prize winner) Kees Moeliker will preside. Event details are at Background is at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-07 LFHCfS Men of the Year to Appear The opening of the Improbable Research European Bureau will also feature a rare public appearance by chemists Falk Schuch, Andreas Linsner and Kai Jung, the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists' men-of-the-year. The familiar, spectacular photo of them and their hair is still online at [NOTE: All LFHCfS are invited to participate in the celebration. If you can come, please get in touch with us ASAP!] ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-08 We humbly report that 2006 - 05 - 08 = 1993. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-09 Professor-Professors (6th helping) Here, joining Professor Abraham Abraham and Professor Warren Warren (and the others featured here in past months), is a sixth offering of professor-professors: MOHAMMAD MOHAMMAD Associate Professor Department of Middle Eastern Studies University of Texas at Austin (Thanks to INVESTIGATOR CAROLINE WILTSHIRE for bringing this professor-professor to our attention.) PIROUZ PIROUZ Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Case Western Reserve University (Thanks to INVESTIGATOR ARLENE M. STILLWELL for bringing this professor-professor to our attention.) TAHA TAHA Professor Co-Director, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Thanks to INVESTIGATORS CRAIG A. MAGARET and CAROL STRONG for bringing this professor-professor to our attention.) WANG WANG Professor Physics Department University of Bath (Thanks to INVESTIGATOR KEVIN PETER O'DONNELL for bringing this professor-professor to our attention.) XIAO XIAO Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry as well as Pharmacology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Thanks to INVESTIGATOR LILA GUTERMAN for bringing this professor- professor to our attention.) A further selection selection will appear here next month, if anyone sends us some new ones. Previous prof-profs are collected at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-10 Mastication-Perception Poet Here is the winner of last month's limerick contest, which asked for a limerick to honor the following study: "Mastication and Food Texture Perception: Variation With Age," Laurence Mioche, Journal of Texture Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, June 2004, pp. 145-58. The author explains: "Aging in healthy dentate subjects induces moderate alterations in neuro-muscular activity which could be partly compensated by changes in chewing behaviour such as lengthening of the chewing sequence." The winner is INVESTIGATOR INGRID MARQUEZ, who limericized: "Say Doctor, I haven't a clue If what I eat's chile or stew." "Old man," said the doc, "Keep your eye on the clock -- You've got to prolong every chew." Martin Eiger, our Limerick Laureate, offers his take on the subject: If perception has started to go, But you're dentate and hoping to know What it is that you're eating, As feeling is fleeting, When doing your chewing, go slow. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-11 Geographic Disorientation Limerick Contest Geographic Disorientation is the subject of this month's limerick competition. To enter, compose an original limerick that illuminates the nature of this report: "Geographic Disorientation: Approaching and Landing at the Wrong Airport," Melchor J. Antu–ano, Stanley R. Mohler, and John W. Gosbee, Aviation, Space & Environmental Medicine, vol. 60, no. 10, October 1989, pp. 996-1004. RULES: Please make sure your rhymes actually do, and that your limerick adheres to classic limerick form. PRIZE: The winning poet will receive a (if we manage to send it to the correct address) a free issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. Send entries (one entry per entrant) to: GEOGRAPHIC DISORIENTATION CONTEST c/o ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-12 More Hair (LFHCfS) Even more than usual, the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS) has new members. Admire them at ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-13 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: In a Fit Each month we select for your special attention a research report that seems particularly worth a close read. This month's pick: "Ease and Ethnicity: Important Variables in Good Pants Fit," Injoo Kim, ITAA [International Textile and Apparel Association] Proceedings, no 60, 2003, Res062. Professor Kim, who is at the University of Cincinnati, explains that: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fit of pants using five different pattern methods from around the world to determine the amount of ease requisite for good fit. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-14 On Our Blog Here are some recent topics in our blog: <> LESSONS UNLEARNED: Falling coconuts and a fallen Stone <> Thin and thick passengers <> Self-navigating, automatic rectal crawler <> Cat / brains <> Powdered water and some from the newspaper column in The Guardian: <> Is our criminals learning? <> Foucault, footy and philosophy <> You CAN judge a book by its cover <> Violence and the price of beer ... and many others Read the blog at ----------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-15 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Probing the Depths PROBING THE DEPTHS 1 "Marketing Ethics: Sales Professionals Versus Other Marketing Professionals," Anusorn Singhapakdi and Scott J. Vitell, The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, vol. 12, no. 2, Spring 1992, pp. 27-38. PROBING THE DEPTHS 2 "Ethical Perceptions of Field Sales Personnel: An Empirical Assessment," Alan J. Dubinsky, Marvin A. Jolson, Ronald E. Michaels, Masaaki Kotabe, and Chae Un Lim, The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, vol. 12, no. 4, Fall 1992, pp. 9-21. PROBING THE DEPTHS 3 "How Far Does the Proctosimoidoscope Reach?" S. Nivatvongs, and D.S. Fryd, New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 303, no. 7, 1980, p. 380. (Thanks to Paul Rosenberg for bringing this to our attention.) The authors explain that: Few studies have been undertaken to determine how far the proctosigmoidiscope can be inserted.... We evaluated the depth of insertion of the proctosigmoidoscope in 1000 patients. ------------------------------------------------------------ 2006-05-16 Improbable Research Events For details and updates see IG NOBEL TOUR OF THE NETHERLANDS PINC CONFERENCE, ZEIST -- TUE, MAY 16, 2006 CELEBRATION - OPENING OF THE IMPROBABLE RESEARCH EUROPEAN OFFICE, NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, ROTTERDAM -- FRI, MAY 19, 2006 BESSENSAP, AMSTERDAM -- TUE, MAY 23, 2006 ALPBACH TECH FORUM, ALPBACH, AUSTRIA -- AUG, 2006 EMBEDDED SYSTEMS CONF., BOSTON, MA -- TUE, SEP 26, 2006 2006 IG NOBEL PRIZE CEREMONY -- THU, OCT 5, 2006 Sanders Theatre, Harvard University Tickets go on sale in August IG INFORMAL LECTURES -- SAT, OCT 7, 2006 MIT UNIV. OF ILLINOIS, BECKMAN INSTITUTE -- WED, OCT. 25 ASSOC OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY BIOLOGICAL EDUCATORS (ACUBE), MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY, DECATUR, ILLINOIS -- THU, OCT 26, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-17 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) The Annals of Improbable Research is a paper magazine. (It's not just the little bits of overflow material you've been reading in this newsletter). Subscribe at or send in this form: ................................................................ Name: Address: Address: City and State: Zip or postal code: Country Phone: FAX: E-mail: ......................................................... SUBSCRIPTIONS (6 issues per year): USA 1 yr/$33 2 yrs/$60 Canada/Mexico 1 yr/$39 US 2 yrs/$65 US Overseas 1 yr/$49 US 2 yrs/$90 US ......................................................... BACK ISSUES are available, too: First issue: $9 USA, $11 Canada/Mex, $17 overseas Add'l issues purchased at same time: $7 each ......................................................... Send payment (US bank check, or international money order, or Visa, Mastercard or Discover info) to: Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 ----------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-18 Our Address (*) Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 EDITORIAL: marca AT chem2.harvard.edu SUBSCRIPTIONS: air AT improbable.com WEB SITE: ----------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-19 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) Please distribute copies of mini-AIR (or excerpts!) wherever appropriate. The only limitations are: A) Please indicate that the material comes from mini-AIR. B) You may NOT distribute mini-AIR for commercial purposes. ------------- mini-AIRheads ------------- EDITOR: Marc Abrahams MINI-PROOFREADER AND PICKER OF NITS (before we introduce the last few at the last moment): Wendy Mattson WWW EDITOR/GLOBAL VILLAGE IDIOT: Amy Gorin COMMUTATIVE EDITOR: Stanley Eigen ASSOCIATIVE EDITOR: Mark Dionne PSYCHOLOGY EDITOR: Robin Abrahams CO-CONSPIRATORS: Alice Shirrell Kaswell, Gary Dryfoos, Ernest Ersatz, S. Drew MAITRE DE COMPUTATION: Jerry Lotto AUTHORITY FIGURES: Nobel Laureates Dudley Herschbach, Sheldon Glashow, William Lipscomb, Richard Roberts (c) copyright 2006, Annals of Improbable Research ----------------------------------------------------- 2006-05-20 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) What you are reading right now is mini-AIR. Mini-AIR is a (free!) tiny monthly *supplement* to the bi-monthly print magazine. To subscribe, send a brief E-mail message to: LISTPROC@AIR.HARVARD.EDU The body of your message should contain ONLY the words SUBSCRIBE MINI-AIR MARIE CURIE (You may substitute your own name for that of Madame Curie.) ---------------------------- To stop subscribing, send the following message: SIGNOFF MINI-AIR ============================================================