McGraw & Warren, humor zeroing

Marketing researchers zero in, ever further, on understanding how people react to theoretically humorous stimuli. Investigator Dan Goldstein alerts us to a new study which says: [In one experiment] participants read one of two versions of a scenario adapted from Haidt et al. (1993) as part of an ostensibly unrelated experiment. Participants either read about […]

Teabagging in the Name of Science

Political teabagging and sexual teabagging have attracted lots of controversy recently, but a lesser-known variety — research teabagging — has much to recommend it. In case you have not encountered the word “teabagging”, here’s some linguistic background. Political teabagging takes its name from a twisted, angry dip into American/British history: the “Boston Tea Party” anti-tax […]

Elephant origin limerick almosts

Here are some runners-up in the Elephant Origin Limerick Competition, which asked for a limerick to honor the study “A Simple and Inexpensive Molecular Method for Sexing and Identification of the Forensic Samples of Elephant Origin,” Sandeep K. Gupta, Kumarasamy Thangaraj [pictured here], Lalji Singh, Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 51, no. 4, July 2006, […]

Valentine donut / vaginal blood treat

Love, donuts, and vaginal blood flow all play starring roles in a 2003 patent application that smacks of the Valentine’s spirit. US patent application 2003/0026827 bears the title: “ADDITIVES FOR MAKING NOVELTY EDIBLE COMESTIBLES AND SCENTED PRODUCTS THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR SEXUAL AROUSAL”. Inventor Mark Moore of Tallahassee, Florida, explains that “The edible and/or consumable […]