FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE--
Call for Acronyms
A project for everyone
Our friends at RAI-Radio 3 in Milan, Italy invite you to join them in a project:
Ladies and gentlemen:
Since January 2001the cultural channel of the Italian public radio, with the support of Fondazione Sigma-Tau, has been broadcasting Le oche di Lorenz, a daily science programme.
Lorenz’ geese host researchers, visit labs or attend conferences in order to get an imprint on the progress and problems of basic research. Most scientists, some well-known and some bright post-docs, have been willing to explain and discuss topics – even difficult ones - in an informative, accurate and yet informal manner.
Most have shown a sense of humour. Egged on by their example, Lorenz’ geese are launching a...
Contest of Imaginative Acronyms
Acronyms may refer to research yet to come. Were they to be picked up by creative minds, given time and money they might become Full-fledged Brilliant Ideas. Or label past breakthroughs or failures with the benefit of hindsight. Or natural phenomena, instruments, methods, pathologies, institutions, people. They may sound bland in English and unpalatable in other languages or vice versa, aim below the waist - e.g. MACHO, and ORGASM (no relation) - or at heaven, e.g. VIRGO (no relation either). "Anything goes"[1] provided the result is pointed, memorable and daft.
Original acronyms should be submitted to ochedilorenz@sigma-tau.it within October 1st, 2002, including their author’s name and affiliation, as well as a brief description of their import. They will be published on-line, and outstanding coinages will receive the Oche di Lorenz Award, assigned by – as you may have inferred - our Committed Audience Network.
[1] Paul K. Feyerabend, via Cole Porter
© Copyright 2002 Annals of Improbable Research (AIR)
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