New, Added Acclaim for the Dunning-Kruger Effect

The University of Michigan proudly announces the good news about Ig Nobel Prize winners David Dunning [pictured here] and Justin Kruger: Announcement of the New (2023) Prize Dave Dunning Wins the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) Scientific Impact Award Dr. David Dunning has won the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) Scientific Impact Award. According […]

Six foot plea / Gamers’ lives / Glaring proof / Baffling sci jargon

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has four segments. Here are bits of each of them: Under footage — The green-and-white sign you see here is plastered on the floor of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. It says: “MAINTAIN 6 FEET THANK YOU”.Upon inquiry, Feedback was told that no, the sign is […]

Pigeons’ toes and hairdressers

“Predicted probabilities of deformities occurrence in pigeons’ foot according to … the density of hairdressers (quadratic effect)” is one aspect of the study “Urban pigeons losing toes due to human activities“, which is featured in the column “Pigeons Research Review” in the special Gulls, Crows, Pigeons, Woodpeckers issue (volume 29, number 5) of the magazine […]

Ig Nobel Show at Imperial College London

We invite you to join us at the Ig Nobel Show at Imperial College London, UK, on Saturday November 18, 2023. This resumes the long series of annual events that was interrupted by the pandemic.  Marc Abrahams and several Ig Nobel Prize winners will talk about the prizes, and answer questions. Featuring: 2023 Literature Prize winner Akira O’Connor (the sensations […]

Beer foamaroma, Hierarchy of needs (dogs and dinos), Superpowerlessnesses

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has four segments. Here are bits of each of them: A frothy matter — A report called “Beer foam is a carrier of aroma” may be the crushing blow beer foam aroma sceptics – if there are any – feared…. Hierarchy of dog needs — … Maslow’s […]

Fast Sloth, Spammed History, God and AI, Ambiguity Weary

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has three segments. Here are bits of each of them: Too fast, too furious — The Fast & Furious action movies now have a companion in the world of animal study. A team of biologists videoed a furious and fast – well, relatively fast – incident, which they […]