* * * We’ve probably all wondered, when drying our hands… this is supposedly a net transfer of germs from us to the towel, but at what point does the towel become so filth-riddled that we are now transferring germs from the towel to us? An early investigation of this was done in the American […]
Holes in donuts – the philosophical implications (part 2)
In 2001, professor Achille C. Varzi, of Columbia University, New York, very probably became the first philosopher to author a paper focusing specifically on the ramifications of holes in donuts (that’s ‘doughnuts’ in the UK), as we reported. But the paper wasn’t, in the literal sense, the last word on donut holes. In 2012 the subject […]
Ig Nobel occurrence at Leeds on Thursday night
Join us Thursday evening, March 20, at 7:00, at the University of Leeds for the Ig Nobel Prize show. The show features, among other things: Marc Abrahams / Dave Schults, Iwho will present his research as to whether it rains more often on weekends, and some Dramatic Improbable Readings from bizarre, genuine studies . One can (and perhaps should?) book TICKETS, as […]
A call to help unexpected discoveries get discovered
Several well-known, much-respected scientists published this letter in The Guardian: We need more scientific mavericks “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts,” said Richard Feynman in the 1960s. But times change…. [But now,] applicants’ proposals must convince their peers that they serve national policies and are the best possible uses of resources. [A large […]