Ig Nobels in my column this week in New Scientist

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine is about the new Ig Nobel Prize winners. The Feedback column was created and edited by John Hoyland. I first knew Feedback (and John’s work) as a subscriber to New Scientist. Every year the column would have an especially fun and interesting writeup of the new Ig […]

The puzzling world of virtual snacks

From New Scientist‘s Feedback column: Michael Harvey tells us he is munching from a packet of Walkers Thai sweet chilli flavour crisps (chips, transatlantically). The packet proudly proclaims: “made with real ingredients”, and Michael wonders what the alternative is. Within the hour Paul Gardner writes with an answer, inspired by a packet of poppadoms from […]

Why they make products smell

From New Scientist‘s Feedback column: HAVE you wondered why manufacturers have taken to adding scents to more and more consumer products – including car tyres (28 March 2009)? If so, a study in the US Journal of Consumer Research, has this answer: “Product scent may be particularly effective at enhancing memory for product information as […]