PLEASE FORWARD/POST AS APPROPRIATE ================================================================ The mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR") Issue number 2004-05 May 2004 ISSN 1076-500X Key words: improbable research, science humor, Ig Nobel, AIR, the ---------------------------------------------------------------- A free newsletter of tidbits too tiny to fit in the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), the journal of inflated research and personalities ================================================================ ----------------------------- 2004-05-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2004-05-01 Table of Contents 2004-05-02 Soon... 2004-05-03 What's New in the Magazine 2004-05-04 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: The Sniffing of Efficient Clerks 2004-05-05 Historic Bear Suit 2004-05-06 Project Nano 2004-05-07 Nano Nota Bene 2004-05-08 Science of Cooking: Sponges 2004-05-09 Walked Knots Poet 2004-05-10 Posthumous Politics Proliferates 2004-05-11 Sorgenfrey-Line Limerick Contest 2004-05-12 On the Blog 2004-05-13 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Hernia, Grizzly Bear, and Espresso 2004-05-14 AIRhead Events 2004-05-15 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) 2004-05-16 Our Address (*) 2004-05-17 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) 2004-05-18 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) Items marked (*) are reprinted in every issue. mini-AIR is a free monthly *e-supplement* to AIR, the print magazine ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-02 Soon... Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales Saturday morning, June 5, 9:00. There will be an AIR show, the first ever at a literary festival. Details: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-03 What's New in the Magazine The March/April issue (vol. 10, no. 2) is the special "Way to Go" issue. Highlights include: <> "SOME OF PROFESSOR LESTER'S WORKS." A list of the titles of more than 1000 of the suicidal works of the prolific Professor David Lester of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. (NOTE: This same issue of the magazine also includes a lavish appreciation and description of a select few dozen of Professor Lester's research projects.) <> "THE SUICIDOMETER," by Marc M. Sadowsky. The acclaimed psychiatrist explains his new device, which measures whether a suicidal patient is sufficiently suicidal to satisfy health insurance strictures. <> "FORGOTTEN MEN OF SCIENCE: NIMROD," by Acacia Seewall. A new look at a nearly-forgotten toothless and bear-ridden Alaskan scientist. and many others... The table of contents is online at ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-04 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: The Sniffing of Efficient Clerks Each month we select for your special attention a research report that seems especially worth a close read. Your librarian will enjoy being asked (loudly, so other library patrons can hear it) for a copy. Here is this month's Pick-of-the-Month: "Improved Performance on Clerical Tasks Associated With Administration of Peppermint Odor," S. Barker, et al., Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 97, no. 3, part 1, December 2003, pp. 1007-10. The authors are at Wheeling Jesuit University, West Virginia. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-05 Historic Bear Suit As predicted last month, the Hurtubise probably-grizzly-bear-proof suit-of-armor is now -- RIGHT NOW -- up for bid on Ebay. Bidding ends May 14. The suit deserves a place of honor in some great museum. If you run such a museum, or if you would like to purchase the suit and start a great museum around it, or if you have a problem with grizzly bears, bid on the suit at: Troy won an Ig Nobel Prize for developing and personally testing this suit. It and he attained fame also from the documentary film "Project Grizzly." ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-06 Project Nano Nano, Nano, Nano. Nano is hot. Nano is sexy. Nano is the prime Minister of Albania. Please join us in the launch of PROJECT NANO. The project will gather news and scientific gossip about the scientific and technical thoughts of nano-technology's favorite prime minister -- Nano Fatsos, the Prime Minister of Albania. For Nano biographies, see If you have an item of news to contribute, please send it, together with a documentary URL, to: "PROJECT NANO" c/o ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-07 Nano Nota Bene It should be mentioned that Prime Minister Nano Fatsos recently won a Nano contest. See ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-08 Science of Cooking: Sponges There is a partial answer to Investigator Paul O. Lee's question (last month): "Is it easier to eat boiled sponge or unboiled sponge?" Investigator Chana Lajcher sends this pointer to a discussion of eating unboiled sponge of a particular type: The answer to the question of boiled-sponge eating, and to the larger question of eating sea-sponge, is still untouched-upon. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-09 Walked Knots Poet The judges in the first and last annual WALKED KNOTS LIMERICK COMPETITION have chosen the winner, who in some sense explored the research report: "Designing Tie Knots by Random Walks," Thomas M. Fink, Yong Mao, Nature, vol. 398, March 4, 1999, pp. 31-2. The winner will receive a free, randomly walkable issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. Here is the triumphant poet and her limerick: INVESTIGATOR LOIS C. COOKSEY: When fashion and physics collide, You're in for a wild, random ride. But mathematical wiles Netted six nice new styles, So you cannot not have your knot tied! The runner up is: INVESTIGATOR MARTIN EIGER: Random walks of Tom Fink and Yong Mao On triangular grids show us how To tie neckties in knots: Pratt and Windsor and lots Of new knots, once unknown, but known now. ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-10 Posthumous Politics Proliferates Last month we reported that 2003 Peace Prize winner Lal Bihari, founder of the Association of Dead People, is running for political office. It turns out that he is not alone in his quest. Shiv Dutt Yadav, another member of the Association of Dead People is standing for office against Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. (Vajpayee himself is a former Ig Nobel Prizewinner, by the way.) For details, see Odds are that both Lal Bihari and Shiv Dutt Yadav will end up dead last. ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-11 Sorgenfrey-Line Limerick Contest We invite you to enter the first and last annual SORGENFREY-LINE LIMERICK COMPETITION, for the best (NEWLY composed!) limerick that elucidates this research report, "Subspaces of the Sorgenfrey Line," Dennis K. Burke and Justin Tatch Moore, Topology and its Applications, vol. 90, nos. 1-3, 1998, pp. 57-68. A copy is available online at RULES: Please make sure your rhymes actually do, and that your limerick at least pretends to adhere to classic limerick form. PRIZE: The winning poet will receive a free, subspace issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. Send entries (one entry per entrant) to: SORGENFREY-LINE LIMERICK CONTEST c/o ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-12 On the Blog Here are some recent topics (a new one appears every weekday) in our blog: Gross National Happiness Home-Grown Growth Curves Wiggling, Shrunken Heads, Sopranos Angular Momentum - Groundhog Veiled Cancer Risk? Dikshit Jr Hits the Road Fall Guy / Penguin The David Brent Syndrome Reach the blog via ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-13 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Hernia, Grizzly Bear, and Espresso INTERNAL ADVENTURE "A Thrilling Case of Hiatus Hernia," J. Gleadle and M. Dennis, Postgraduate Medical Journal, vol. 65, no. 769, November 1989, pp. 832-4. USAGE VARIES ACCORDING TO TASTE "Use of Ungulates by Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Ursus arctos," David J. Mattson, Biological Conservation, vol. 81, nos. 1-2, July-August 1997, pp. 161-77. DANGER D'ESPRESSO "Espresso Maker's Wrist," D. Shusterman, Western Journal of Medicine, vol. 152, no. 6, June 1990, pp. 721-2. ------------------------------------------------------------ 2004-05-14 AIRhead Events ==> For details and updates see ==> Want to host an event? 617-491-4437. ==> THE HAY FESTIVAL, HAY-ON-WYE, WALES -- SAT, JUN 5, 2004 9:00 AM AIR editor Marc Abrahams will eat shoots and leaves, and/or show and tell all about improbable research and the Ig Nobel Prizes. INFO: AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK TOUR -- AUG. 2004 [Tentatively scheduled]. ALPBACH TECHNOLOGY FORUM, AUSTRIA -- AUG. 26-28, 2004 ANNUAL IG NOBEL PRIZE CEREMONY -- THURS, SEP. 30, 2004 HARVARD UNIVERSITY IG INFORMAL LECTURES 2004 -- SAT, OCT. 2, 2004 MIT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, DETROIT, MI -- FRI, OCT. 29, 2004 9:00 AM AIR editor MARC ABRAHAMS will be the keynote speaker at the Undergraduate Research Conference. IG NOBEL TOUR OF THE U.K. AND IRELAND FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK -- MAR. 11-20, 2005 CASCADIACON, SEATTLE -- THURS, SEPT 1 - MON, SEPT. 5, 2005 North American Science Fiction Convention. AIR editor MARC ABRAHAMS will be the Science Guest of Honor INFO: http://www.cascadiacon.org -------------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-15 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) Here's how to subscribe to the magnificent bi-monthly print journal The Annals of Improbable Research (the real thing, not just the little bits of overflow material you've been reading in this newsletter). ................................................................ Name: Address: Address: City and State: Zip or postal code: Country Phone: FAX: E-mail: ................................................................ SUBSCRIPTIONS (6 issues per year): USA 1 yr/$29 2 yrs/$53 Canada/Mexico 1 yr/$33 US 2 yrs/$57 US Overseas 1 yr/$45 US 2 yrs/$82 US ................................................................ BACK ISSUES are available, too: First issue: $8 USA, $11 Canada/Mex, $16 overseas Add'l issues purchased at same time: $6 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 ----------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-16 Our Address (*) Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 EDITORIAL: marca@chem2.harvard.edu SUBSCRIPTIONS: air@improbable.com WEB SITE: --------------------------- 2004-05-17 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 (marca@chem2.harvard.edu) 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 (airmaster@improbable.com) COMMUTATIVE EDITOR: Stanley Eigen (eigen@neu.edu) 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 2004, Annals of Improbable Research ----------------------------------------------------- 2004-05-18 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 ============================================================