This newly published study may by the most impressive—in some senses—academic publication of our time: “The ‘Proust Phenomenon’: odor-evoked autobiographical memories triggered by direct amygdala stimulation in human,” Fabrice Bartolomei, Stanislas Lagarde, Samuel Médina Villalon, Aileen McGonigal, and Christian G. Benar, Cortex, epub December 18, 2016. The authors write: Vivid memories triggered by odors were […]
Tag: culture
Finnish Fruit Flies for Titan?
Organic Artist Andy Gracie is conducting a project for Biofilia – Base for Biological Arts, at Aalto University, Finland. “During his research period at Biofilia, Andy Gracie will be continuing work on his ongoing project ‘Drosophila titanus‘, in which the impossible task of breeding a species of drosophila fit for survival on Saturn’s moon Titan […]
The Three Dimensions of Fresh Air
The Journal of Material Culture is “concerned with the relationship between artefacts and social relations irrespective of time and place”. And, as part of this remit, the June 2013 issue of features one of the few academic studies of ‘Fresh Air’. ‘The air from outside: Getting to know the world through air practices’. “The article […]
Culture: The spectacular anus of Joseph Pujol
Scholars in the field of cultural studies have curiosity that is wide-ranging. Witness this new study: “The spectacular anus of Joseph Pujol: Recovering the Pétomane’s unique historic context,” Alison Moore [pictured here], French Cultural Studies, vol. 24, no. 1, February 2013, pp. 27-43. The author, at the University of Western Sydney, Australia, explains: “Joseph Pujol, […]
Politeness: Is there an East-West divide?
“East is east and west is west“, a simple statement, does not logically exclude the possibility that east is also west and that west is also east. Geoffrey Leech [pictured here] makes part of the case, politely, in his study: “Politeness: Is there an East-West divide?” Geoffrey Leech, Journal of Politeness Research. Language, Behaviour, Culture, […]
Coffee people baffled, bemused by science people
The coffee-centric web site Sprudge.com seems somewhere between baffled and bemused at the Ig Nobel audience reaction. They write: Ig Nobel Prize “Chemist In A Coffee Shop” Mini-Opera Baffling. We thought we knew nerds. But these nerds out-nerd the nerdiest nerds we’ve ever dreamed existed. These are opera singing nerds. These are nerds that throw paper […]
Germany vs. China culture icons
Liu Young, who was born in China and educated in Germany, drew some icons to show differences between the cultures. Here are examples. (Thanks to Cathy Caldwell-Harris for showing these to us.) Anger: