350 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
350 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
============================================================
|
|
The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results ("mini-JIR")
|
|
Issue Number 1994-02
|
|
February, 1994
|
|
ISSN 1072-7159
|
|
Key words:science humor,irreproducible results,Ig Nobel
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
The Official Electronic mini-Organ of
|
|
The Society for Basic Irreproducible Research
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Produced jointly by
|
|
The Journal of Irreproducible Results (JIR) and
|
|
The MIT Museum
|
|
============================================================
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------
|
|
1994-02-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
1994-02-01 Table of Contents
|
|
1994-02-02 Purpose of the mini-Journal (*)
|
|
1994-02-03 Historic Abstracts from JIR, vol. 3, 1956
|
|
1994-02-04 WARNING: Perfume as Biohazard
|
|
1994-02-05 JIR Barnstorming Tour: partial schedule ---IMPORTANT!!!
|
|
1994-02-06 JIR Recommends
|
|
1994-02-07 Calendar of Upcoming Events
|
|
1994-02-08 Calls for Papers
|
|
1994-02-09 How to Submit Articles (*)
|
|
1994-02-10 How to Subscribe / How to Get Back Issues (*)
|
|
1994-02-11 Yes, please DO make copies! (*)
|
|
1994-02-12 Irreproducible Section
|
|
|
|
Items marked (*) are reprinted in every issue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
---------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-02 Purpose of the mini-Journal (*)
|
|
|
|
The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results publishes news about overly
|
|
stimulating research and ideas. Specifically:
|
|
|
|
A) Haphazardly selected superficial (but advanced!) extracts of research
|
|
news and satire from the Journal of Irreproducible Results (JIR).
|
|
|
|
B) News about the annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. Ig Nobel Prizes honor
|
|
"achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced." A public
|
|
ceremony is held at MIT, in Cambridge Massachusetts, every autumn. The
|
|
ceremony is sponsored jointly by JIR and by the MIT Museum.
|
|
|
|
C) News about other science humor activities conducted by the MIT Museum
|
|
and JIR.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-03 Historic Abstracts from JIR, vol. 3, 1956
|
|
|
|
[JIR itself is published bi-monthly.
|
|
In months between issues, this section of mini-JIR will contain
|
|
historic abstracts from the JIR archives.]
|
|
|
|
Volume 3 (1956) of JIR is devoted primarily to zippers.
|
|
|
|
In the lead article, the zipper is defined as a fastening device
|
|
consisting of two flexible strands engaging and disengaging by means of
|
|
a sliding cam pulled between them. The zipper was invented in 1891 by
|
|
Whitcomb J. Judson (because he became fed up with lacing his shoes and
|
|
his wife's corset). After 12 years of toiling to make the device by
|
|
hand, he enlisted the help of a Swedish engineer, Gideon Sundback, and
|
|
by 1912 they devised the product as we know it today.
|
|
|
|
The second article is Harry J. Zipkin s "Theoretical Zipperdynamics"
|
|
Zipkin first discusses "Zipperbewegiung" of quantum theoretical nature
|
|
with no clear resolution of the problem. A semi-infinite zipper, based
|
|
on the Schroedzipper equation, is then described, the construction of
|
|
which was impossible because of the semi-infinite budget required.
|
|
|
|
The finite zipper, which, too, is based on the Schroedzipper equation,
|
|
presents other problems. These are discussed by Azo-KOHN in the article
|
|
"Applications and Complications of Zippery Mechanisms". The following
|
|
facts are described:
|
|
1. Production of finite zippers is connected with accumulation of Au and
|
|
Ag;
|
|
2. Concentrated sulfuric acid seriously disturbs the potential activity
|
|
of the zipper;
|
|
3. The introduction of the plastic zipper is beneficial for forgetful
|
|
surgeons: they can use it for closing abdominal postoperative wounds;
|
|
4. Electronically operated remote control zippers can be installed on
|
|
the oral apertures of talkative spouses;
|
|
5. A clear connection exists between the hybridization mechanisms of DNA
|
|
and the function of zippers.
|
|
|
|
Volume 3 also contains an article on "Grading Systems of Scientific
|
|
Workers" by D. Rougge. Several systems are evaluated:
|
|
1. Idea grading: based on IPM (ideas per minute). It works quite well
|
|
for scientists employing many graduate or postgrad students.
|
|
2. Execution grading: based on projects - no matter whether original or
|
|
not. The important factor is the number of publications or patents.
|
|
3. Disagreeable grading : Certain activities (administration of a
|
|
department, planning of laboratories, organization of conferences,
|
|
inspection of laboratories) seem to be quite disagreeable to scientists.
|
|
Promotions can be keyed to the performance of these disagreeable jobs.
|
|
4. Public relations: Grading depends on scientists ability to convince
|
|
potential investors to part with their money
|
|
|
|
H. J. Lipkin contributes another non-zipper related article. "The story
|
|
of Chanukah" discusses:
|
|
1. The view of Sceptics and Antisceptics.
|
|
2. The Scottish origin of McAbies.
|
|
3. The problem of why potato latkes (in Europe) and doughnuts (in the
|
|
USA) are associated with Chanukah.
|
|
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-04 WARNING: Perfume as Biohazard
|
|
|
|
A special announcement from
|
|
William Lipscomb, 1976 Nobel Laureate, chemistry
|
|
Chemistry Department
|
|
Harvard University
|
|
|
|
[Professor Lipscomb first presented this speech at the Ig Nobel Prize
|
|
Ceremony held last October at MIT]
|
|
|
|
* * *
|
|
The international science community is worried about the future of the
|
|
earth's environment. The uncontrolled release of perfume into the
|
|
atmosphere constitutes a major biohazard.
|
|
|
|
Please -- after you have read a magazine, don't throw your smelly scent
|
|
strips in the trash. Recycle them.
|
|
|
|
At our recycling center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we now have
|
|
separate bins for glass, for plastic, for metal, and for scent strips.
|
|
If your town doesn't recycle scent strips, please do the next best thing
|
|
-- stick your scent strips in an envelope and mail them back to the
|
|
magazine.
|
|
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
* * *
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-05 JIR Barnstorming Tour: partial schedule ---IMPORTANT!!!
|
|
|
|
In honor (?) of the new JIR book, "Sex As a Heap of Malfunctioning
|
|
Rubble," (see section 1994-02-10 below) we will be barnstorming North
|
|
America doing JIR readings/seminars/slide shows. The tour will take
|
|
place during March and April and May. Events already scheduled include:
|
|
|
|
Friday, March 18 University of Portland (Portland, OR)
|
|
Tuesday, March 22 Microsoft (Redmond, OR)
|
|
Saturday, April 1 Sci-Fi Mini-Con (Minneapolis)
|
|
Thursday, April 7 [date may change] - New York Mensa (NYC)
|
|
Friday, April 8 Cornell University Medical Center (NYC)
|
|
Sunday, April 10 Franklin Institute (Philadelphia)
|
|
Wednesday, April 13 Library of Congress (Washington, DC)
|
|
Saturday, April 16 Technicon 11 Sci-Fi convention at
|
|
Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)
|
|
Thursday, April 21 Ohio State University (Columbus)
|
|
|
|
More dates and details
|
|
will appear in the next issue of mini-JIR
|
|
|
|
::::: INVITE US TO YOUR PLACE!!
|
|
If you would like to be a host/instigator for an Irreproducible Science
|
|
Event for 50 or more people at your city, university, hospital, research
|
|
center, high school, book store, etc., ASAP please contact:
|
|
Lisa Bernstein, Workman Publishing, 708 Broadway, NY, NY 10013
|
|
(212) 614-7505 FAX:(212) 254-8098
|
|
itlhappen@aol.com
|
|
|
|
::::: CALLING ALL JIR AUTHORS!!
|
|
If you are a JIR author and/or if you want to read, shout, or otherwise
|
|
present your irreproducible research results at one of these events,
|
|
please contact Marc Abrahams (jir@mit.edu) as soon as possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-06 JIR Recommends
|
|
|
|
Research reports that merit a trip to the library:
|
|
|
|
"Immunological and Behavioral Effects of Fragrance in Mice," by Hideki
|
|
Shibata, Ryoichi Fujiwara, Mitsunori Iwamoto, Harue Matsuoka and M.
|
|
Mitsuo Yokoyama, International Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 57, nos.
|
|
1-2, 1991. (Thanks to Barry Duggan for bringing this to our attention.)
|
|
|
|
"Reassociation of Dreams. IV. A Second LSD Analysis of the Beetle Bug
|
|
Dream: Its Relation to a Shark Dream and Fear of Lesbianism," by H. A.
|
|
Abramson, Journal of Asthma Research, vol. 15, no. 1, 1977, pp. 23-62.
|
|
(Thanks to Thomas Ryan for bringing this to our attention.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-07 Calendar of Upcoming Events
|
|
|
|
::::: "Crazy After Calculus"
|
|
An ongoing exhibition of extraordinary humor at MIT from prehistoric
|
|
times through the present day.
|
|
The MIT Museum
|
|
265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
|
|
(617) 253-4422 (ktl@mitvma.mit.edu)
|
|
|
|
::::: 1994 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony
|
|
Thursday evening, October 6, 1994 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
|
|
You are cordially invited to attend. You are also invited to submit
|
|
nominations for this year s Ig Nobel Prizewinners.
|
|
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-08 Calls for Papers
|
|
|
|
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS for the 1994 Ig Nobel Prizes. Ig Nobel Prizes are
|
|
awarded for achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced.
|
|
|
|
CALL FOR PAPERS on the topic: "The Theory of Redundancy Theory." Please
|
|
submit research results only, not speculative essays, please.
|
|
|
|
CALL FOR ESSAYS for JIR's "Worst Science Teacher Competition."
|
|
Essays must be 300 words or less, explaining how and why, despite the
|
|
competition, your nominee is the world's worst science teacher. Please
|
|
enclose any photographs, diagrams, or other evidence that might bolster
|
|
your case. All entries become the property of JIR. The winning essayist
|
|
and the worst teacher will both be invited to attend the 1994 Ig Nobel
|
|
Prize Ceremony at their own expense. [A stilted note for incurably
|
|
serious readers: the underlying purpose of this competition is to
|
|
publicize the importance of GOOD science teachers!]
|
|
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------
|
|
1994-02-09 How to Submit Articles (*)
|
|
|
|
Since 1955, The Journal of Irreproducible Results has been the
|
|
publication of record for overly stimulating research and ideas. JIR
|
|
publishes original articles, news of particularly egregious scientific
|
|
results, and short notices of satiric and humorous intent. The editors
|
|
look forward to receiving your manuscripts, photographs, X-rays,
|
|
drawings, etc. Please do not send biological samples.
|
|
|
|
Articles are typically 500-2000 words in length. The entire manuscript
|
|
should be typed double-spaced on standard white bond paper, with
|
|
generous margins all around, and submitted with a photocopy.
|
|
Alternatively, you may submit via e-mail, in ASCII format.
|
|
|
|
Because of the volume of submissions, we are unable to acknowledge
|
|
receipt of manuscripts unless they are accompanied by a SELF-ADDRESSED,
|
|
ADEQUATELY STAMPED ENVELOPE.
|
|
|
|
Before you submit an article to The Journal of Irreproducible Results,
|
|
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE skim through a recent issue to see the typical
|
|
length and format of JIR articles. At the same time, please read the
|
|
"Information for Contributors" notice in any issue of JIR. Articles may
|
|
be submitted to:
|
|
Marc Abrahams, editor
|
|
The Journal of Irreproducible Results
|
|
c/o Wisdom Simulators
|
|
P.O. Box 380853
|
|
Cambridge, MA 02238 USA
|
|
Telephone number for editorial matters: (617) 491-4437
|
|
|
|
A list of arbitrary suggestions for authors can be obtained by sending a
|
|
SELF-ADDRESSED, ADEQUATELY STAMPED ENVELOPE to the same address.
|
|
|
|
E-mail address for editorial questions: jir@mit.edu
|
|
|
|
|
|
---------------------------
|
|
1994-02-10 How to Subscribe / How to Get Back Issues (*)
|
|
|
|
mini-JIR
|
|
The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results is an electronic publication,
|
|
available over the Internet, free of charge. It is distributed as a
|
|
LISTSERV application. We expect to publish 6-12 issues per year.
|
|
To subscribe, send a brief E-mail message to either of these addresses:
|
|
LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU or LISTSERV@MITVMA
|
|
The body of your message should contain ONLY the words "SUBSCRIBE MINI-
|
|
JIR" followed by your name.
|
|
Here are two examples:
|
|
SUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR Irene Curie Joliot
|
|
SUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR Nicholai Lobachevsky
|
|
To stop subscribing,
|
|
send the following message to the same address:
|
|
SIGNOFF MINI-JIR
|
|
To obtain a list of back issues,
|
|
send this message:
|
|
INDEX MINI-JIR
|
|
To retrieve a particular back issue,
|
|
send a message specifying which issue you want.
|
|
For example, to retrieve issue 93-00002, send this message:
|
|
GET MINI-JIR 93-00002
|
|
If you have questions about how to subscribe, or if you would like to
|
|
re-distribute mini-JIR, please send e-mail to: mgeller@mit.edu
|
|
[PLEASE NOTE: if you are regularly posting mini-JIR on your gopher, WWW,
|
|
news group or mailing list, please drop an e-mail note to
|
|
mgeller@mit.edu so that we can compile a complete resource list --
|
|
thanks!]
|
|
|
|
The Journal of Irreproducible Results (JIR)
|
|
JIR is a print publication published six times per year.
|
|
JIR is written by scientists from around the world, and read by
|
|
subscribers in 41 countries. To subscribe, send payment to:
|
|
By phone: (800) 759-6102 or (617) 876-7000
|
|
By FAX: (617) 876-7022 (include credit card info)
|
|
By mail: The Journal of Irreproducible Results
|
|
c/o Wisdom Simulators, P.O. Box 380853
|
|
Cambridge, MA 02238 USA
|
|
|
|
Rates for a year's subscription:
|
|
U.S. individuals $21 libraries $40
|
|
Canada, Mexico individuals $27.50 libraries $46
|
|
Elsewhere individuals $43 libraries $62
|
|
For multiple gift rates, please call
|
|
|
|
New Book
|
|
A new book of outstanding JIR research has just been published:
|
|
A) "Sex As a Heap of Malfunctioning Rubble (and further
|
|
improbabilities): More of the Best of The Journal of Irreproducible
|
|
Results," Marc Abrahams, editor
|
|
Workman Publishing, New York, 1993. ISBN 1-56305-312-8
|
|
|
|
Previous Books:
|
|
B) "The Best of the Journal of Irreproducible Results,"
|
|
George H. Scherr, editor
|
|
Workman Publishing, New York, 1983. ISBN 0-89480-595-9
|
|
C) "Journal der Unwiederholbaren Experimente,"
|
|
George H. Scherr, editor
|
|
Kruger Verlag, Frankfurt, 1986
|
|
D) "Journal der Unwiederholbaren Experimente II,"
|
|
George H. Scherr, editor
|
|
Kruger Verlag, Frankfurt, 1989 ISBN 3-8105-1714-3
|
|
|
|
Items (A) and (B) are available in most libraries and bookstores,
|
|
and from the MIT Museum (617) 253-4462.
|
|
|
|
|
|
---------------------------
|
|
1994-02-11 Yes, please DO make copies! (*)
|
|
|
|
Please DO send copies of mini-JIR to anyone who might be interested.
|
|
|
|
The only limitations are:
|
|
A) You must copy the whole document, without making any changes to it.
|
|
B) You do NOT have permission to copy this document for commercial
|
|
purposes.
|
|
|
|
The contents of this document are copyright (c) 1994, Marc Abrahams.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results ("mini-JIR")
|
|
Editor: Marc Abrahams (jir@mit.edu)
|
|
Technical Brains: Marilyn Geller (mgeller@mit.edu)
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|