PLEASE FORWARD/POST AS APPROPRIATE ================================================================ The mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR") Issue number 2004-12 December 2004 ISSN 1076-500X Key words: improbable research, science humor, Ig Nobel, AIR, the ---------------------------------------------------------------- A free newsletter of tidbits too tiny to fit in the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), the journal of inflated research and personalities ================================================================ ----------------------------- 2004-12-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2004-12-01 Table of Contents 2004-12-02 What's New in the Magazine 2004-12-03 Shit Chew 2004-12-04 Clarity, Pith, and Snyder 2004-12-05 LFHCfS Heads of the Year 2004-12-06 Gasotransmitter Poets 2004-12-07 Ig en Espagnol 2004-12-08 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Criminal/Genius Link 2004-12-09 Cats Despite Shrewsbury 2004-12-10 Hiccup/Heartbeat Limerick Contest 2004-12-11 On the Blog 2004-12-12 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Mango and Muscles 2004-12-13 Improbable Research Events 2004-12-14 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) 2004-12-15 Our Address (*) 2004-12-16 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) Items marked (*) are reprinted in every issue. mini-AIR is a free monthly *e-supplement* to AIR, the print magazine ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-02 What's New in the Magazine The Nov/Dec issue (vol. 10, no. 6) is the special IG NOBEL Issue, with full coverage and lots of pictures of the recent Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. It will be emerge from the printer in mid-month. The table of contents -- and several articles -- is and are online at: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-03 Shit Chew This month's Undersung Scientist is Dr. Shit F. Chew of the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Chew's work has gone too-little noticed by the broader science community. Her publications include: "Urea synthesis in the African lungfish Protopterus dolloi - hepatic carbamoyl phosphate synthetase III and glutamine synthetase are upregulated by 6 days of aerial exposure," Shit F. Chew, et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 206, 2003, pp. 3615-24. (in press). "Nitrogen excretion and defence against ammonia toxicity," Chew, S. F., et al., in Fish Physiology, vol. 23, The Physiology of Tropical Fishes (ed. A. Val, V. Almedia-Val and D. J. Randall). New York: Academic Press. "The swamp eel Monopterus albus reduces endogenous ammonia production and detoxifies ammonia to glutamine during 144 h of aerial exposure," S.L.A. Tay, S.F. Chew and, Y.K. Ip, Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 206, 2003, pp. 2473-86. "Strategies Adopted by the Mudskipper Boleophthalmus boddaerti to Survive Sulfide Exposure in Normoxia or Hypoxia," Yuen K. Ip, Sharon S. L. Kuah, and Shit F. Chew, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 77(5):824-837. 2004. Dr. Chew's home page is (Thanks to Lisa A Skinner and Chris Louth for bringing Dr. Chew to our attention.) ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-04 Clarity, Pith, and Snyder There is a winning answer to last month's challenge, which was to translate this scholarly thought into a clear, accurate SEVEN-WORD summary that ANYONE can understand: "Specifically, I have been concerned with the processes by which individuals construct and enact motivational 'agendas for action' that draw upon and integrate features of their personal identities and their social settings, and that guide and direct their pursuit of relevant life outcomes in diverse domains of functioning." That original thought comes from , the web site of U. Minnesota professor Mark Snyder. Here is the judges' pick for Best Seven-Word Translation: "Why do people do what they do?" The same translation was devised and submitted by more than one person. Here are the first twenty or so: -- INVESTIGATOR ERICA STEWART -- INVESTIGATOR ELISE MATTHESEN -- INVESTIGATOR NANCY GOULD -- INVESTIGATOR HUBERT TURNER -- INVESTIGATOR CAROL STONE -- INVESTIGATOR RICHARD LIPP -- INVESTIGATOR LEIGH TOOTH -- INVESTIGATOR CHUCK ROYALTY -- INVESTIGATOR MEGAN CAPER -- INVESTIGATOR WILLIAM (BILL) PIKE -- INVESTIGATOR WILLIAM LEOGRANDE -- INVESTIGATOR NATHAN ETESSAMI -- INVESTIGATOR TIM SHOWALTER -- INVESTIGATOR JESSE SKINNER -- INVESTIGATOR PATRICK LENON -- INVESTIGATOR JULIA LUNETTA -- INVESTIGATOR JOHNNA KLUKAS -- INVESTIGATOR CHRIS LOUTH -- INVESTIGATOR MIKE NOLAN -- INVESTIGATOR LILLY JONES -- INVESTIGATOR WIM CRUSIO -- INVESTIGATOR MARK SJOTHUN -- INVESTIGATOR KATHY MAGRI WOO -- INVESTIGATOR ELENA SHERMAN Congratulations to them and to their many fellow co-winners. Each is authorized and encouraged to list this on her or his CV. Some of the best runner-up entries can be studies at: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-05 LFHCfS Heads of the Year Just a few days from now, the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS) will announce its Woman and Man of the Year. The announcement -- and attractive photos of the scientists and their hair -- will appear on the club's web site ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-06 Gasotransmitter Poets The judges in the first and last annual GASOTRANSMITTERS LIMERICK LIMERICK COMPETITION have chosen the winners, who in some sense explored the research report: "Two's Company, Three's a Crowd: Can H2S Be the Third Endogenous Gaseous Transmitter?" R. Wang, FASEB Journal, vol. 16, no. 13, November 2002, pp. 1792-8. [See last month's mini-AIR for more detail] The winners will each receive a free, gasotransmitter-friendly issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. Here are the triumphant poets and their limericks: INVESTIGATOR NAOMI TSAFNAT: Saskatchewan researchers tell That within each and every cell Mammalian critters Make gasotransmitters That reek with a rotten egg smell. INVESTIGATOR WARD SILVER: Mammal cells down in the trenches Use H2S for monkey wrenches. The third in the medley Of silent but deadly Endogenous, gaseous stenches. INVESTIGATOR MIKE SZARKA: The endogenous gasotransmitter Is a feature of many a critter In regards to their smell: Well, the oxides are swell, But the sulfide is really quite bitter. And here is the view expressed by this year's IMPROBABLE LIMERICK LAUREATE, MARTIN I. EIGER: Hydrogen sulfide smells crass, But now it is third in its class. Two oxides precede it, And Wang says indeed it Can gasotransmit. What a gas! ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-07 Ig en Espagnol The Spanish edition of the book "The Ig Nobel Prizes" has just appeared on the scene, as if in a dream. Collectors of ISBNs will want to note down this one: 84-666-1564-4. ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-08 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Criminal/Genius Link Each month we select for your special attention a research report that seems especially worth a close read. This month's pick: "Why Productivity Fades with Age: The Crime-Genius Connection," Satoshi Kanazawa, Journal of Research in Personality, vol. 37, no. 4, August 2003, pp. 257-72. The author, who is at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, explains that: The biographies of 280 scientists indicate that the distribution of their age at the time of their greatest scientific contributions in their careers (age-genius curve) is similar to the age distribution of criminals (age-crime curve). ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-09 Cats Despite Shrewsbury Despite the little barrage of letters sent our way by Mr. T.R. Shrewsbury, who says he is affiliated with the organization People for the Privacy of Cats, we are not removing the special CATS ISSUE of the magazine from our web site. It remains downloadable to everyone, at: ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-10 Hiccup/Heartbeat Limerick Contest We invite you to enter the first and last annual HICCUP/HEARTBEAT LIMERICK CONTEST, for the best (NEWLY composed!) limerick that elucidates this research report: "Linkage of Hiccup With Heartbeat," B.Y. Chen, K. Vasilakos, D. Boisteanu, L. Garma, J.P.H. Derenne, and W.A. Whitelaw, Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 88, pp. 6, June 2000, pp. 2159-65. The authors report: "We explored a possible link between the cardiac cycle and the timing of recurrent hiccups in 10 patients with chronic, intractable hiccups. .. The time of occurrence of each hiccup and each R wave in a continuous tracing of 100 or more hiccups were recorded and analyzed together with semiquantitive estimates of the phase of hiccup respiration." RULES: Please make sure your rhymes actually do, and that your limerick at least pretends to adhere to classic limerick form. PRIZE: The winning poet will receive a free, hiccup-inducing issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. Send entries (one entry per entrant) to: HICCUP/HEARTBEAT LIMERICK CONTEST c/o ---------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-11 On the Blog Here are some recent topics (a new one appears every weekday) in our blog: How High Jump Those Fleas? Dr. Reisman is Excited Rubn Serral Graci's Big Day New Judgment for Homeopathic Medicines Do Shoes Cause Schizophrenia? ... and many others Reach the blog via ----------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-12 MAY WE RECOMMEND: Mango and Muscles DAS: MANGO "Sensory Evaluation of Mango Drinks Using Fuzzy Logic," S. Jaya and H. Das, Journal of Sensory Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 2003, pp. 91-177. THE GIFT OF STRENGTH "The Efficient Use of Muscles," D.A. Laird, E. Laird, Hospital Gift Shop Management, vol. 6, no. 2, February 1988, pp. 28-30. (Thanks to Garamond T. Cohen for bringing this to our attention.) ------------------------------------------------------------ 2004-12-13 Improbable Research Events ==> For details and updates see ==> Want to host an event? 617-491-4437. ==> ANNOUNCEMENT OF LFHCfS MAN AND WOMAN OF THE YEAR Soon. See RETIRED MEN'S ASSOCIATION, SUDBURY, MA -- FRI, DEC 10, 2004 ==== 2005 ==== CSUPERB BIOTECH SYMPOSIUM LOS ANGELES, CA -- FRI, JAN 14, 2005 AAAS ANNUAL MEETING, WASHINGTON, DC -- FRI, FEB 18, 2005 IG NOBEL TOUR OF THE UK AND IRELAND for NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK -- MAR 11-20, 2005 MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON, MA -- APR 1, 2005 I-CON 24, STONY BROOK, NY -- APR 8-10, 2005 NATIONAL WRITERS' WORKSHOP, HARTFORD, CT -- APR 16/17, 2005 IG NOBEL TOUR OF AUSTRALIA for NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK -- AUGUST, 2005 CASCADIACON, SEATTLE -- THURS, SEPT 1 - MON, SEPT. 5, 2005 FIFTEENTH 1ST ANNUAL IG NOBEL PRIZE CEREMONY -- exact date to be announced (will be a Thursday night in the vicinity of October 1) -------------------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-14 How to Subscribe to AIR (*) Here's how to subscribe to the magnificent bi-monthly print journal The Annals of Improbable Research (the real thing, not just the little bits of overflow material you've been reading in this newsletter). ................................................................ 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Send payment (US bank check, or international money order, or Visa, Mastercard or Discover info) to: Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 ----------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-15 Our Address (*) Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) PO Box 380853, Cambridge, MA 02238 USA 617-491-4437 FAX:617-661-0927 EDITORIAL: marca@chem2.harvard.edu SUBSCRIPTIONS: air@improbable.com WEB SITE: --------------------------- 2004-12-16 Please Forward/Post This Issue! (*) Please distribute copies of mini-AIR (or excerpts!) wherever appropriate. The only limitations are: A) Please indicate that the material comes from mini-AIR. B) You may NOT distribute mini-AIR for commercial purposes. ------------- mini-AIRheads ------------- EDITOR: Marc Abrahams (marca@chem2.harvard.edu) MINI-PROOFREADER AND PICKER OF NITS (before we introduce the last few at the last moment): Wendy Mattson WWW EDITOR/GLOBAL VILLAGE IDIOT: Amy Gorin (airmaster@improbable.com) COMMUTATIVE EDITOR: Stanley Eigen (eigen@neu.edu) ASSOCIATIVE EDITOR: Mark Dionne PSYCHOLOGY EDITOR: Robin Abrahams CO-CONSPIRATORS: Alice Shirrell Kaswell, Gary Dryfoos, Ernest Ersatz, S. Drew MAITRE DE COMPUTATION: Jerry Lotto AUTHORITY FIGURES: Nobel Laureates Dudley Herschbach, Sheldon Glashow, William Lipscomb, Richard Roberts (c) copyright 2004, Annals of Improbable Research ----------------------------------------------------- 2004-12-17 How to Receive mini-AIR, etc. (*) What you are reading right now is mini-AIR. Mini-AIR is a (free!) tiny monthly *supplement* to the bi-monthly print magazine. 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