What happens when, for whatever reason, you feed both durian — the fruit with a smell that overpowers some people — and the painkiller paracetamol, mixed in rats, and from time to time take the rectal temperature of those rats? This study explores that question: “Hyperthermic effects of Durio zibethinus and its interaction with paracetamol,” […]
Tag: wine
Judging and whining about the judging of wine
David Derbyshire, in The Observer, surveys research about the reliability of wine-tasting: The first experiment took place in 2005. The last was in Sacramento earlier this month. Hodgson’s findings have stunned the wine industry. Over the years he has shown again and again that even trained, professional palates are terrible at judging wine. “The results are disturbing,” says Hodgson from the Fieldbrook […]
An fMRI study of surrealistic advertising
First, a quick look at (some of) the scientific works which have investigated how fMRI might help in the understanding of the human brain’s responses to Surrealism. [1] Matching reality in the arts: self-referential neural processing of naturalistic compared to surrealistic images. (Perception. 2012;41(5):569-76.) (surrealistic pictures here) [2]The Neural Basis of Object-Context Relationships on […]
April issue of mini-AIR
The April issue of mini-AIR just went out. Topics include: Wine, With or Without Women, and Song Wine Swirling Limerick Competition Crumpled-Paper Poets Upcoming Show in Cambridge Mousy Smell in Wine and more Mel [pictured here] says, “It’s swell.” (mini-AIR is the simplest way to keep informed about Improbable and Ig Nobel news and events. […]