“One problem with using nomenclature that gives credit to specific people is that you either create a winner-take-all situation or you create an ungainly string of names separated by hyphens. Also, if some hitherto unknown forerunner suddenly pops up, you suddenly have to change the name to acknowledge the newly discovered ‘winner’ “. So writes […]
Klunk and colleagues have, perhaps, taken the lead in assessing imperfect synchrony in animal displays. There is much to ponder in their new study: “Imperfect Synchrony in Animal Displays: Why Does It Occur and What Is the True Role of Leadership?” Daniela M. Perez, Cristian L. Klunk, and Sabrina B.L. Araujo, Philosophical Transactions of the […]
What can one conclude from playing music for a few stressed cats? A new study suggests the answer: “Evaluation of Music Therapy to Reduce Stress in Hospitalized Cats,” Juliane Eg Paz, Fernanda Va da Costa, Luciana N Nunes, Eduardo R Monteiro, and Jenifer Jung, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, epub 2021. The authors, at […]
“Ig Nobel Limericks: Stinky Feet, Community Dad” is a featured article of sorts in the special Ig Nobel Prizes issue (volume 27, number 6) of the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Read this article, free, on the web. Then, if research about improbable reality inspires you, subscribe to the magazine, or buy individual back issues.
Leaf blowers, subject of turbulent debate when compared with rakes, can, should they choose to, claim a place in debates about capitalism versus socialism. This study shows how: “The Leaf Blower, Capitalism, and the Atomization of Everyday Life,” Jules Boykoff, Capitalism Nature Socialism, vol. 22, no. 3, September 2011.