Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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Don't put too much faith in the man who wants to know the distance to the nearest church before he has written his name in the hotel register.
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Category: Weirdness
Posted on: October 13, 2008 3:13 PM, by PZ Myers
Browse the IgNobel Awards and find your favorites. I rather liked the idea of ovulatory status affecting the earnings of lap dancers (although I'd like to know more about other factors that might influence performance), but the best was the title of the paper that won the literature prize: "You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations."
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Comments
Posted by: James Webb | October 13, 2008 3:24 PM
I'm with you PZ, we need a lot more research dollars (preferably singles) put toward the study of lap dancing; in lieu of this, check out the new Sarah Palin inflatable sex doll: http://brainrageblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-sarah-palin-love-doll.html
Posted by: Glen Davidson | October 13, 2008 3:30 PM
We learn that armadillos can mess up an archaeological site.
Perhaps they can just assume the same of bulldozers, until, of course, somebody does a study on it to either confirm or falsify the hypothesis.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: Glen Davidson | October 13, 2008 3:30 PM
We learn that armadillos can mess up an archaeological site.
Perhaps they can just assume the same of bulldozers, until, of course, somebody does a study on it to either confirm or falsify the hypothesis.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: steve8282 | October 13, 2008 3:40 PM
The finger jam hiccough cure is a favorite of mine. I think I would just put up with the hiccoughs though.
I believe the current administration is looking into it's use for other ailments as well.
Posted by: Irene Delse | October 13, 2008 4:07 PM
I like the one about comparing how high cat fleas and dog fleas can jump...
Posted by: tsg | October 13, 2008 4:07 PM
Hiccup cures are like religions: everybody has one and they all swear it's the only one that works.
Posted by: Mozglubov | October 13, 2008 4:14 PM
I also enjoyed the contradictory results for Coke as a spermicide.
The IgNobels are awesome.
Posted by: Burning Umbrella | October 13, 2008 4:21 PM
The theory of Spontaneous Knotting is a firm evidence in favor of the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, is it not?
Posted by: SC | October 13, 2008 4:28 PM
I love these.
"Spontaneous Knotting of an Agitated String" is a great and poetic title, but I think the puzzle-solving slime mold won me over.
Posted by: natural cynic | October 13, 2008 4:29 PM
The lap dance study: Better performance or pheromones? or less fear of moans?
And I hope John Cleese was acknowledged in Sims acceptance of the Lit prize.
Posted by: tsg | October 13, 2008 4:30 PM
I have a dollar that says some naturo/homeopath or other snake oil salesman cites this as evidence their particular brand of nutjobbery works.
Posted by: Brad D | October 13, 2008 4:37 PM
ECONOMICS PRIZE. Geoffrey Miller, Joshua Tybur and Brent Jordan of the University of New Mexico, USA, for discovering that professional lap dancers earn higher tips when they are ovulating.
WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Geoffrey Miller and Brent Jordan
-----
Apparently Joshua Tybur is deeply committed to his work and was busy conducting further research.
:)
Posted by: Billy C | October 13, 2008 4:55 PM
Considering the paper on intelligence in slime molds, I wonder whether Dembski & Co. will add Physarum polycephalum to their secret list of possible agents for Creator of the Universe.
Posted by: John C. Randolph | October 13, 2008 4:56 PM
Hiccup cures are like religions: everybody has one and they all swear it's the only one that works.
Mine is just to wait for them to go away. So far, my success rate is 100%.
-jcr
Posted by: conelrad | October 13, 2008 5:10 PM
Ask your doctor about Placeborium.
(If you have opposable thumbs,
Placeborium may not be right for you.
Do not operate nuclear power plants or
oil drilling machinery after taking
Placeborium. Some dietary fiber
supplements may not be compatible
with Placeborium. Have a nice day!)
Posted by: Lynnai | October 13, 2008 5:26 PM
okay this one so far is my fav:
"CHEMISTRY: Mayu Yamamoto of the International Medical Center of Japan, for developing a way to extract vanillin -- vanilla fragrance and flavoring -- from cow dung.
REFERENCE: "Novel Production Method for Plant Polyphenol from Livestock Excrement Using Subcritical Water Reaction," Mayu Yamamoto, International Medical Center of Japan.
WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Mayu Yamamoto
PRESS NOTE: Toscanini's Ice Cream, the finest ice cream shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, created a new ice cream flavor in honor of Mayu Yamamoto, and introduced it at the Ig Nobel ceremony. The flavor is called "Yum-a-Moto Vanilla Twist.""
Posted by: Carlie | October 13, 2008 5:50 PM
Wow, I actually used that Geoffrey Miller paper in a class I taught last year! Quite entertaining paper. Some serious flaws, I thought, but entertaining.
Posted by: The other Dan from Milwaukee | October 13, 2008 6:05 PM
There is an amusing follow-up to the story of the hiccups cure at Improbable.com.
The Video is Work Safe, but the Audio might not be.
Posted by: Cuttlefish, OM | October 13, 2008 6:17 PM
I can't help but conflate the "agitated string" and the "lap dancing" studies...
Are the twistings and gyrations of a dancer in a g-string
A sufficient agitation to reduce aforesaid panties
To a knot?
Are the naughty knotting knickers the spontaneous expression
Of the underlying physics of materials, or is it
Merely hot?
Do the pheromones emitted hint at multiple causation
When covariant regression says the dancers may be thinking
Of their eggs?
And the most perplexing question from a scientist's perspective--
How the devil did they justify expenditures to stare at
Women's legs?
http://digitalcuttlefish.blogspot.com/2008/10/2008-ignobels-are-awarded.html
Posted by: E.V. | October 13, 2008 6:52 PM
Cuttlefish@#19:
*grins*
Posted by: SASnSA | October 13, 2008 6:55 PM
The intelligence of slime mold is old news. Early evidence was shown in 1999 here
Posted by: Chris H. | October 13, 2008 11:42 PM
Carlie said "Wow, I actually used that Geoffrey Miller paper in a class I taught last year!"
and
tsg said ""Dan Ariely of Duke University (USA)".... demonstrating that high-priced fake medicine is more effective than low-priced fake medicine"...
I have a dollar that says some naturo/homeopath or other snake oil salesman cites this as evidence their particular brand of nutjobbery works."
As an older person going back to school, I started out by taking statistics. I had to do a report on statistics in the news, and I used Ariely's paper on expensive placebos (it came out the week it was assigned). I think I chose wisely (well I did get an "A", but that may be because I have not forgotten as much math as I thought in twenty years of unemployment!).
I noticed today that Ariely has a book out called "Predicably Irrational", I have put a library hold on it, I'm number 61st on the waiting list. Oh, look, he has a webpage:
http://www.predictablyirrational.com/?p=307&date=1
Posted by: glinda | October 14, 2008 12:23 AM
Cuttlefish@19:
::chuckle::
Posted by: christine | October 14, 2008 12:51 AM
Spontaneous Knotting of Agitated String and the Ovulationg Lap Dancers are my two favorites.
Posted by: DaveG | October 14, 2008 8:51 AM
Just skimmed
You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations
and it seems to be little more than interesting anecdotes. I was hoping he would include some actual science.
Posted by: Patricia | October 14, 2008 11:39 AM
I've forgotten the name of the little girl that calls out, "Please stop! I'm bored."
Miss Raspberry?
Posted by: abb3w | October 14, 2008 2:35 PM
Patricia: "Miss Sweety-Poo".
The Bastard paper is probably well worth reading for folks on both sides of the Evolution debate.
Posted by: stewart | October 14, 2008 10:59 PM
I read the You Bastard paper - it is more than necdotes, and as a psychologist working in organizations, it actually seems more useful than I thought it might be. I'd like to nominate a paper for next year's awards, The Vitality of Stupidity, by Rene ten Bos. The abstract says it all:
It is argued that the focus within organization studies on wisdom is one-sided in the sense that it ignores stupidity, wisdom's little stepbrother. Too often it is simply taken for granted that an increase in wisdom will lead to a decrease in stupidity. The problem with this assumption is that it is philosophically uninformed. Stupidity and wisdom stand in a deeply paradoxical relationship, which has been studied by philosophers at least since the Stoics. Some recent contributions to this endless debate will be highlighted in this paper. However, the overall aim of the paper is to show that organizations too are familiar with these philosophical paradoxes.
Posted by: Sili | October 15, 2008 9:36 AM
SASnSA (#21),
's been ages since I thought of GPF. I rather liked it until it got all evangelical.