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Ig Nobels Awarded

prostoalex writes "The definitive study on bellybutton lint, a dog-to-person translation device and an inquiry into what arouses ostriches were recognized at 2002 Ig Nobel awards. The telecast of the event in RealMedia format is available from Harvard University server, there's also an Associated Press story. Ig Nobel awards typically recognize the most dubious contributions to the world of science and research."

14 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. what arouses ostriches by oliverthered · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hang on, this could be quite handy.
    For
    a: breeding ostriches
    and
    b: Don't wear pink in a field full of ostriches, it makes then horny!

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
  2. Imagine . . . by LMacG · · Score: 4, Funny

    " A potentially more practical achievement is a Japanese device that measures the tone of a dog's bark and relays his mood. The device is on the market in Japan, and an English version, called Bow-Lingual, should be ready in about a year. "

    Imagine a Beo-WOOF! cluster of these.

    --
    Slightly disreputable, albeit gregarious
  3. Re:The question is .... by monadicIO · · Score: 5, Funny

    The answer is : Bow, Wow! Arrrrffff, bark, roarrrr, Bow, Bow, Bark, Grrrrrrrrrrrrr,, Bow, Bow!! The canine-lingual challanged should just use the Bow-lingual translator.

    --

    The law of excluded middle : Either I'm foo or I'm foobar

  4. From the Belly Button Lint results... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    In general, women have pubic hair that looks like an inverted pyramid, or a map of Tasmania, with a sharp cut-off at the top.

    Thats information you need to get through life.

  5. For the first time by GigsVT · · Score: 5, Funny

    A link to goatse would be finally on-topic!

    ----
    Testicular asymmetry in human sculptures. "To test Winckelmann's claim, I observed the scrotal symmetry of 107 sculptures, either of antique origin or Renaissance copies, in a number of Italian museums and galleries. Although the ancient artists were correct in tending to place the right testicle higher, they were wrong in so far as they also tended to make the lower testicle the larger: we may postulate that they were also using the common-sense view that the heavier ought to be the lower." (McManus, I. C. 1976. Scrotal asymmetry in man and in ancient sculpture. Nature 259: 426)

    --
    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
  6. Hang on... by Soko · · Score: 5, Funny

    PHYSICS
    Arnd Leike of the University of Munich, for demonstrating that beer froth obeys the mathematical Law of Exponential Decay. [REFERENCE: "Demonstration of the Exponential Decay Law Using Beer Froth," Arnd Leike, European Journal of Physics, vol. 23, January 2002, pp. 21-26.]


    What do they mean "cannot not or should not be reproduced"?!!!!!! I'll run this experiment every chance I (URP!) get...

    Soko

    --
    "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
    1. Re:Hang on... by Dr.Dubious+DDQ · · Score: 4, Funny
      What do they mean "cannot not or should not be reproduced"?!!!!

      No, no, I agree with them - I think there is something just plain wrong about staring and playing with mathematics ("Math-turbating"?) while a perfectly good beer is sitting there going flat, instead of DRINKING the poor, lonely brew...

  7. Physics award by nick255 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Personally I don't think the physics winner (Demonstration of the Exponential Decay Law Using Beer Froth) satisfies the awards criteria for achievements that "cannot or should not be reproduced." I know once I finish work to today I plan to try to reproduce it!

  8. Re:And the winners are... by jhines0042 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The economics prize was shared among a long list of corporations for "adapting the mathematical concept of imaginary numbers for use in the business world."

    That..... is what I call humor.

    --
    42 - So long and thanks for all the fish.
  9. I need to watch The Simpsons . . . by pete-classic · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . to get some ideas for research grant proposals.

    The dog-to-human translator is taken. Maybe I'll go for tomacco.

    -Peter

  10. Re:Ironic by bgarcia · · Score: 5, Funny
    Ironic that awards for technologies with dubious benefits are being streamed in RealVideo...
    That's not ironic.
    That's *appropriate*.
    --
    I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.
  11. Dog to human translation according to Gary Larson by Kraft · · Score: 5, Funny

    It took me forever to find this comic online, Dog decoder (see the one to the right).

    Naturally, there is also the more subtle guide to interpreting the mood of an Irish Setter.

    --

    -Kraft
    Live and let live
  12. Nominee for next year - Shoe Size & .... by Cy+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny
    From this month's British Journal of Urology International:
    Can shoe size predict penile length?
    J. Shah and N. Christopher

    Objective To establish if the 'myth' about whether the size of a man's penis can be estimated from his shoe size has any basis, infact.

    Subjects and methods Two urologists measured the stretched penile length of 104 men in a prospective study and related this to their shoe size.

    Results The median stretched penile length for the sampled population was 13cm and the median UK shoe size was 9 (European 43). There was no statistically significant correlation between shoe size and stretched penile length.

    Conclusion The supposed association of penile length and shoe size has no scientific basis.
    Now while millions of women (and some men - not that there's anything wrong with that) may find this research important, I think most men would prefer that the women research it independently rather than depend on the citizen's tax dollars.

  13. Re:[Slightly OT] Intelligent Dogs by david+duncan+scott · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't know about that. Sounds like he was smart enough to get you to stand there and spell words to a dog. :)

    --

    This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander