…although peripherally perceived facial expressions affect the appreciation of faces, Mona Lisa’s smile seems to constitute only part of her enigma. She keeps her mystery, even when one catches her smile. Concludes the latest research into the elusiveness of the Mona Lisa smile, which has recently been published in the online version of the journal […]
About: Martin Gardiner
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- http://wikenigma.org.uk
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- Curator : Wikenigma - an Encyclopedia of Unknowns
Posts by Martin Gardiner:
Thesis: The swear words in a movie
“Communication has an important role in the society. Without communication, people cannot understand each other” And one very specific type of communication – the swearword – has been selected for special attention at The Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia – which is in the process of compiling one of the most comprehensive databases regarding swearing […]
Cursors for researchers (an update)
Following our recent note regarding free suites of Windows™ mouse cursors aimed at researchers – the Really Magazine site has compiled a set of eight new cursors – this time including pigeons(x2), a chromosome(X) and a ‘grant magnet’($), and a butterfly net. Download free here.
Eyebrows – the dangers
There are several possible causes of keratitis – and a new one has recently been identified and described in the literature – with the publication of ‘Long Eyebrow Hair as a Possible Cause of Chronic Keratitis of Obscure Etiology’ in the specialist journal Cornea. Dr. John Daugirdas (MD, author and inventor of the Nephronaut treadmill […]
Tattoo disruption avoidance
If the owner of a tattoo needs surgery, what are the options for avoiding its disruption? A recent research paper from James Cook University Hospital, Wansbeck General Hospital and North Tees Hospital in the UK explains how strategic siting of laparoscopic surgery incisions may be employed to avoid disrupting tattoos – which (at least in […]
Lobsters given voice
It has been said that: “To consider the lobster throughout history is to contemplate ourselves.” – and a new consideration is featuring in the latest issue of the journal ‘Gastronomica’ (from University of California Press). The article explains how Salvador Dali used lobster-based imagery as part of his investigation into what he called ‘Critical Paranoia’. […]
Hula Hooping – the science of
“Little scientific attention has been paid to the complex task of hula hooping.” – explains a recent research paper from the Sensorimotor Neuroscience Laboratory at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. To counter this lack of data, an investigative team set up motion-capture equipment to track in detail the gyratory movements of a set of accomplished hula […]
“Sunny Finance”
In these days of gloomy economic outlooks comes a conceptual optimistic antidote in the form of ‘Sunny Finance’. “It can improve people’s trust in government, what is necessary to construct the harmonious society.” say researchers Xiaohui Xu and Guangyu Wang from Shenyang University, China – the authors of a recent research paper on the subject. […]
Bubbles: Straight, zigzag, or spiral?
Do small air bubbles zigzag or spiral when they rise in clean water? This was the question asked by Mingming Wu, Adjunct Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at the Biofluidics Lab (and colleagues) at Cornell back in 2002. As anyone who has poured a fizzy drink will have observed, although some small bubbles rise straight […]
Cursors for researchers
Really Magazine has recently made available a specialised set of Windows™ mouse-cursors aimed at researchers. Including Laser, Test-tube, Geological hammer, Rat and more. They are available (either individually or as sets) as a free download. More specialised categories include cursors for philosophical minimalists, and another for left-handed entomologists. Download here