Science Quick Picks » Odd http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks A Chemist's Selection of Science News and Resources Wed, 09 May 2012 23:41:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/ig-nobel-prizes-2010-chemistry-physics-biology-medicine-economics.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/ig-nobel-prizes-2010-chemistry-physics-biology-medicine-economics.html#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:00:58 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1592 Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Ig Nobel Prizes 2010

Chemistry: Eric Adams of MIT, Scott Socolofsky of Texas A&M University, Stephen Masutani of the University of Hawaii, and BP [British Petroleum], for disproving the old belief that oil and water don’t mix.
Review of Deep Oil Spill Modeling Activity Supported by the Deep Spill JIP and Offshore Operator’s Committee, Final Report, Eric Adams and Scott Socolofsky, 2005.

Physics: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest of the University of Otago, New Zealand, for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes.
Preventing Winter Falls: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Novel Intervention, Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest, New Zealand Medical Journal, vol. 122, 2009, pp. 31-8.

Biology: Libiao Zhang, Min Tan, Guangjian Zhu, Jianping Ye, Tiyu Hong, Shanyi Zhou, and Shuyi Zhang of China, and Gareth Jones of the University of Bristol, UK, for scientifically documenting fellatio in fruit bats.
Fellatio by Fruit Bats Prolongs Copulation Time, Min Tan, Gareth Jones, Guangjian Zhu, Jianping Ye, Tiyu Hong, Shanyi Zhou, Shuyi Zhang and Libiao Zhang, PLoS ONE, vol. 4, no. 10, e7595.

Medicine: Simon Rietveld of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Ilja van Beest of Tilburg University, The Netherlands, for discovering that symptoms of asthma can be treated with a roller-coaster ride.
Rollercoaster Asthma: When Positive Emotional Stress Interferes with Dyspnea Perception, Simon Rietveld and Ilja van Beest, Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 45, 2006, pp. 977–87.

Economics: The executives and directors of Goldman Sachs, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, and Magnetar for creating and promoting new ways to invest money — ways that maximize financial gain and minimize financial risk for the world economy, or for a portion thereof.

More details at the Ig Nobel Prize winners page of Improbable Research and at the Ceremony & Lectures page or you can also see:

Guardian Science: Ig Nobel awards go to slime mould and fruity bats.

NewScientist: Best of the Ig Nobel prizes 2010.

Nature News: Bat fellatio and slime molds take 2010 IgNobels.

National Geographic Daily News: Whale Snot, Cursing Away Pain Among 2010 Ig Nobels.

Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/ig-nobel-prizes-2010-chemistry-physics-biology-medicine-economics.html/feed 0 The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize Winners List http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2008/10/the_2008_ig_nobel_prize_winners_list.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2008/10/the_2008_ig_nobel_prize_winners_list.html#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:14:50 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1124 The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize Winners List is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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Complete list of 2008 Ig Nobel Prize winners:

NUTRITION PRIZE

Massimiliano Zampini of the University of Trento, Italy and Charles Spence of Oxford University, UK, for electronically modifying the sound of a potato chip to make the person chewing the chip believe it to be crisper and fresher than it really is.

Reference: “The Role of Auditory Cues in Modulating the Perceived Crispness and Staleness of Potato Chips,” Massimiliano Zampini and Charles Spence, Journal of Sensory Studies, vol. 19, October 2004, pp. 347-63.

PEACE PRIZE

The Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH) and the citizens of Switzerland for adopting the legal principle that plants have dignity.

Reference: “The Dignity of Living Beings With Regard to Plants. Moral Consideration of Plants for Their Own Sake” http://www.ekah.admin.ch/en/topics/dignity-of-creation/index.html

ARCHAEOLOGY PRIZE

Astolfo G. Mello Araujo and José Carlos Marcelino of Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, for measuring how the course of history, or at least the contents of an archaeological dig site, can be scrambled by the actions of a live armadillo.

Reference: “The Role of Armadillos in the Movement of Archaeological Materials: An Experimental Approach,” Astolfo G. Mello Araujo and José Carlos Marcelino, Geoarchaeology, vol. 18, no. 4, April 2003, pp. 433-60.

BIOLOGY PRIZE

Marie-Christine Cadiergues, Christel Joubert,, and Michel Franc of Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse, France for discovering that the fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than the fleas that live on a cat.

Reference: “A Comparison of Jump Performances of the Dog Flea, Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis, 1826) and the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouche, 1835),” M.C. Cadiergues, C. Joubert, and M. Franc, Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 92, no. 3, October 1, 2000, pp. 239-41.

MEDICINE PRIZE

Dan Ariely of Duke University, USA, for demonstrating that high-priced fake medicine is more effective than low-priced fake medicine.

Reference: “Commercial Features of Placebo and Therapeutic Efficacy,” Rebecca L. Waber; Baba Shiv; Ziv Carmon; Dan Ariely, Journal of the American Medical Association, March 5, 2008; 299: 1016-1017.

COGNITIVE SCIENCE PRIZE

Toshiyuki Nakagaki of Hokkaido University, Japan, Hiroyasu Yamada of Nagoya, Japan, Ryo Kobayashi of Hiroshima University, Atsushi Tero of Presto JST, Akio Ishiguro of Tohoku University, and Ágotá Tóth of the University of Szeged, Hungary, for discovering that slime molds can solve puzzles.

Reference: “Intelligence: Maze-Solving by an Amoeboid Organism,” Toshiyuki Nakagaki, Hiroyasu Yamada, and Ágota Tóth, Nature, vol. 407, September 2000, p. 470.

ECONOMICS PRIZE

Geoffrey Miller, Joshua Tybur and Brent Jordan of the University of New Mexico, USA, for discovering that a professional lap dancer’s ovulatory cycle affects her tip earnings.

Reference: “Ovulatory Cycle Effects on Tip Earnings by Lap Dancers: Economic Evidence for Human Estrus?” Geoffrey Miller, Joshua M. Tybur, Brent D. Jordan, Evolution and Human Behavior, vol. 28, 2007, pp. 375-81.

PHYSICS PRIZE

Dorian Raymer of the Ocean Observatories Initiative at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA, and Douglas Smith of the University of California, San Diego, USA, for proving mathematically that heaps of string or hair or almost anything else will inevitably tangle themselves up in knots.

Reference: “Spontaneous Knotting of an Agitated String,” Dorian M. Raymer and Douglas E. Smith, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 104, no. 42, October 16, 2007, pp. 16432-7.

CHEMISTRY PRIZE

To Sharee A. Umpierre of the University of Puerto Rico, Joseph A. Hill of The Fertility Centers of New England (USA), Deborah J. Anderson of Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School (USA), for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide, and to Chuang-Ye Hong of Taipei Medical University (Taiwan), C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang (all of Taiwan) for discovering that it is not.

Reference 1: “Effect of ‘Coke’ on Sperm Motility,” Sharee A. Umpierre, Joseph A. Hill, and Deborah J. Anderson, New England Journal of Medicine, 1985, vol. 313, no. 21, p. 1351.

Reference 2: “The Spermicidal Potency of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola,” C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang, Human Toxicology, vol. 6, no. 5, September 1987, pp. 395-6. [NOTE: THE JOURNAL LATER CHANGED ITS NAME. NOW CALLED "Human & experimental toxicology"]

LITERATURE PRIZE

David Sims of Cass Business School. London, UK, for his lovingly written study “You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations.”
Reference: “You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations,” David Sims, Organization Studies, vol. 26, no. 11, 2005, pp. 1625-40.

The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize Winners List is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2008/10/the_2008_ig_nobel_prize_winners_list.html/feed 0 More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:31:57 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Humour ‘comes from testosterone’. ‘Men are naturally more comedic than women because of the male hormone testosterone, an expert claims.

Men make more gags than women and their jokes tend to be more aggressive, Professor Sam Shuster, of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, says.

The unicycling doctor observed how the genders reacted to his “amusing” hobby. Women tended to make encouraging, praising comments, while men jeered. The most aggressive were young men, he told the British Medical Journal. Previous findings have suggested women and men differ in how they use and appreciate humour.

Women tend to tell fewer jokes than men and male comedians outnumber female ones.’

More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html/feed 0 The 2007 Ig Nobel Prizes: Sword Swallowing, Wrinkling Sheets, Autotrophic Organisms, Vanilla Fragrance and Much More http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/the_2007_ig_nobel_prizes_sword_swallowing_wrinkling_sheets_autotrophic_organisms_vanilla_fragrance_and_much_more.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/the_2007_ig_nobel_prizes_sword_swallowing_wrinkling_sheets_autotrophic_organisms_vanilla_fragrance_and_much_more.html#comments Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:40:27 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/the_2007_ig_nobel_prizes_sword_swallowing_wrinkling_sheets_autotrophic_organisms_vanilla_fragrance_and_much_more.html The 2007 Ig Nobel Prizes: Sword Swallowing, Wrinkling Sheets, Autotrophic Organisms, Vanilla Fragrance and Much More is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> The 2007 Ig Nobel Prize winners. ‘The 2007 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced, and their prizes awarded to them, last night (October 4)at a gala ceremony at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre.’

Visit the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize Winners list

The 2007 Ig Nobel Prizes: Sword Swallowing, Wrinkling Sheets, Autotrophic Organisms, Vanilla Fragrance and Much More is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/the_2007_ig_nobel_prizes_sword_swallowing_wrinkling_sheets_autotrophic_organisms_vanilla_fragrance_and_much_more.html/feed 0 How to Quantify the Uncertainty of “Instantaneously” http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/how_to_quantify_the_uncertainty_of_instantaneously.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/how_to_quantify_the_uncertainty_of_instantaneously.html#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:58:00 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/how_to_quantify_the_uncertainty_of_instantaneously.html How to Quantify the Uncertainty of “Instantaneously” is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> ‘We have broken speed of light’. ‘A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light – an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. According to Einstein’s special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.

The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons – energetic packets of light – travelled “instantaneously” between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart.’

How to Quantify the Uncertainty of “Instantaneously” is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/how_to_quantify_the_uncertainty_of_instantaneously.html/feed 0 The Best Summer Physics Project: Studying Bubbles in a Glass of Beer… http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/the_best_summer_physics_studying_bubbles_in_a_glass_of_beer.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/the_best_summer_physics_studying_bubbles_in_a_glass_of_beer.html#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:26:21 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/the_best_summer_physics_studying_bubbles_in_a_glass_of_beer.html The Best Summer Physics Project: Studying Bubbles in a Glass of Beer… is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Putting the fizz in physics. ‘Many of us look forward to a cold beer at the end of a hot summer day, but physicist John Page brings beer to work. For him, the bubbly beverage is a perfect medium for demonstrating a scientific technique pioneered by his group at the University of Manitoba.
Page is a leading expert on the use of multiply scattered acoustic waves to study changes in physical systems and the movement of particles through a medium, in this case bubbles in a glass of beer. He directs the university’s ultrasonics research laboratory, one of only a handful in North America focused on this technique.
Page recently co-wrote a summary of major work in the field that appeared as a feature article in the May 2007 edition of Physics Today.

“I know that a lot of effort has gone into figuring out how to get just the right concentration and size of bubbles, and how to produce the perfect head on a glass of beer,” he said. “There are people who work in that industry who know much, much more about that than I do. Could diffusing acoustic wave spectroscopy be useful to them? Maybe. But for me, beer is just a good example of the kind of thing you can do using this technique”.’ [via ZDNet Blogs: Emerging Technology Trends]

The Best Summer Physics Project: Studying Bubbles in a Glass of Beer… is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/the_best_summer_physics_studying_bubbles_in_a_glass_of_beer.html/feed 0 Orbo: Free-Energy Technology http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/07/orbo_free-energy_technology.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/07/orbo_free-energy_technology.html#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:59:15 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/07/orbo_free-energy_technology.html Orbo: Free-Energy Technology is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Orbo: Free-Energy Technology from Steorn. ‘Orbo produces free, clean and constant energy – that is our claim. By free we mean that the energy produced is done so without recourse to external source. By clean we mean that during operation the technology produces no emissions. By constant we mean that with the exception of mechanical failure the technology will continue to operate indefinitely.
The sum of these claims for our Orbo technology is a violation of the principle of conservation of energy, perhaps the most fundamental of scientific principles. The principle of the conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created or destroyed, it can only change form.
Because of the revolutionary nature of our claim, not only to the world of science but to the world in general, Steorn issued a challenge to the scientific community in August 2006 to test our technology and report their findings. The process of validation that has resulted from this challenge is currently underway, with results expected by the end of 2007.’

Demonstration at Kinetica Museum, London, UK, July 5-13. ‘Steorn’s Orbo technology is based on the interaction of magnetic fields and allows the production of clean, free and constant energy. Orbo technology is fully scalable and can be applied to virtually all devices requiring energy, from cellular phones to cars.
From 5th-13th July, visitors to Kinetica can witness for themselves Orbo as it perpetually spins a clear polycarbonate wheel with absolutely no supply of external energy or power supply attached.’

Update: Orbo’s Demostration Delayed: ‘Due to some technical difficulties caused by the intense heat from camera lighting, Steorn’s demonstration of its ‘Orbo’ free energy technology has been slightly delayed. As a consequence, Kinetica Museum will not be open to the public today (6th July). A technical assessment is currently underway and information will be posted on the websites of Steorn and Kinetica as soon as it becomes available.’

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/07/orbo_free-energy_technology.html/feed 0 Predicting Cognitive Abilities with Finger Measurements http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/predicting_cognitive_abilities_with_finger_measurements.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/predicting_cognitive_abilities_with_finger_measurements.html#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 22:06:22 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/predicting_cognitive_abilities_with_finger_measurements.html Predicting Cognitive Abilities with Finger Measurements is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> See Those Fingers? Do the Math. ‘Boys with the longest ring fingers relative to their index fingers tend to excel in math, according to a new study. In girls, shorter ring fingers predict better verbal skills. The link, according to the researchers, is that testosterone levels in the womb influence both finger length and brain development.
Hands_Finger_Ratio
Credit: Dr. Mark Brosnan – University of Bath

Scientists have been interested for years in the observation that ratios of finger lengths differ in men and women. In men, the ring (fourth) finger is usually longer than the index (second); their so-called 2D:4D ratio is lower than 1. In females, the two fingers are more likely to be the same length. Because of this sex difference, some scientists believe that a low ratio could be a marker for higher prenatal testosterone levels, although it’s not clear how the hormone might influence finger development. The 2D:4D ratio has also been fingered in connection with brain-related characteristics–most often in males–such as depression, left-handedness, musical ability, and homosexuality.’

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/predicting_cognitive_abilities_with_finger_measurements.html/feed 1 BBC News: Kryptonite Discovered in Mine http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/bbc_news_kryptonite_discovered_in_mine.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/bbc_news_kryptonite_discovered_in_mine.html#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 13:16:26 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/bbc_news_kryptonite_discovered_in_mine.html BBC News: Kryptonite Discovered in Mine is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> ‘Kryptonite’ discovered in mine. ‘Kryptonite is no longer just the stuff of fiction feared by caped superheroes. A new mineral matching its unique chemistry – as described in the film Superman Returns – has been identified in a mine in Serbia. According to movie and comic-book storylines, kryptonite is supposed to sap Superman’s powers whenever he is exposed to its large green crystals.
The real mineral is white and harmless, says Dr Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London’s Natural History Museum. “I’m afraid it’s not green and it doesn’t glow either – although it will react to ultraviolet light by fluorescing a pinkish-orange,” he told BBC News.’

Natural History Museum: Superman beware, kryptonite is real. ‘A new mineral matching kryptonite’s unique chemistry has been identified. It will be formally named Jadarite later this year.’

Wikipedia: Jadarite. ‘Jadarite is a white, powdery, non-radioactive monoclinic mineral, whose chemical formula is sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide: LiNaSiB3O7(OH) or Na2OLi2O(SiO2)2(B2O3)3H2O. It was discovered in November 2006, in a mine at the Jadar Valley (Serbian Cyrillic: Јадар, Yaddar) in Serbia, from which it is named. It was confirmed as a new mineral after scientists at the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council of Canada conducted tests on it. Jadarite was first found by Dr. Chris Stanley from the Natural History Museum. Researchers from the dual listed company Rio Tinto Exploration discovered the mineral, and after being unable to match it with previously known minerals enlisted the expertise of Dr. Stanley, from the Natural History Museum, who later described it as being unique to mineralogy.’

The Superman Encyclopedia: Kryptonite

BBC News: Kryptonite Discovered in Mine is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/05/bbc_news_kryptonite_discovered_in_mine.html/feed 0 Brain Man Videos http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/03/brainman_videos.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/03/brainman_videos.html#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:17:50 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/03/brainman_videos.html Brain Man Videos is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Brain Man on 60 Minutes via Yahoo News. ‘Meet Daniel Tammet, a 27 year-old math and memory wizard. He can do things with numbers that will truly amaze you. He is a savant. . . with a difference. Unlike most savants, he shows no obvious mental disability, and most importantly, he can describe his own thought process.’

Brainman on The Science Channel. ‘Daniel Tammet is a “super brain”. He can calculate numbers to hundreds of decimal points in seconds and learn new languages in a week. Through a set of challenges against other “super brains,” Daniel’s amazing cognitive abilities are demonstrated.’

Brain Man Search Results on YouTube

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