the author was prompted to examine the evidence for the existence of A.I. Mikhailov, the legendary and apparently near-ubiquitous Soviet information scientist. At first glance this might seem unwarranted and gratuitous. After all, the appearance of Mikhailov, or at least his name, in the program was a fixture of international library and information science conferences […]
About: Marc Abrahams
- Website
- https://improbable.com
- Profile
- Editor, Annals of Improbable Research, Founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes https://improbable.com/whatis/about-marc-abrahams/
Posts by Marc Abrahams:
Interview With Professor Hirose
When Prof. Yukio Hirose of Kanazawa University expressed his warmest gratitude for pigeons and crows upon receiving the Ig Nobel Chemistry Prize (a parody of the Nobel Prize) in October, the audience at Harvard University exploded into cheers…. So begins a report about the 2003 Ig Nobel Chemistry Prize winner, who won his prize for […]
Home-Grown Growth Curves
Do you find yourself pregnant, and wanting some mathematical amusement? Here’s something simple and pleasing. During the course of the pregnancy, use a lamp to project your silhouette on the wall once a week. Have someone trace the outline in pencil. You might want to write the date next to each curve. (You might also […]
Food habits
When guests come to dinner, a question may arise: “Do people chew delicious food faster than they chew distasteful food?” The answer seems to be yes… So begins this week’s Improbable Research column in The Guardian. Read it here.