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Annals of Improbable Research Goes Free Online

Posted by Zonk on from the inconceivable-they're-gaining dept.

prostoalex writes "The Annals of Improbable Research, a scientific publication that hosts the annual Ig Nobel awards, has decided to offer its publication free online, News.com reports. According to the journal Web site, visitors can view HTML articles with low-res images or download low-res PDFs for free. High-resolution PDFs and 'traditional on-the-toilet-readable paper-and-ink' issues are still available for a subscription fee."

50 comments

  1. Fond memories of bygone days by davidwr · · Score: 3, Funny

    I seem to remember some journal of a similar nature. It was run by a great group of people. They had a management change and the new management had trouble reproducing the previous staff's results in the humor department.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by DynaSoar · · Score: 3, Informative

      You're remembering the Journal of Irreproducible Research, aad you're misremembering the details.
      The JIR was purchased by Blackwell Scientific. The staff had a hard time reproducing the good results they had working with their previous publisher, and indeed producing anything at all. The staff quit, and formed AIR.

      --
      "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
    2. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by jandrese · · Score: 2, Funny

      For a second I thought you were talking about Mad Magazine.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    3. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by kalirion · · Score: 3, Informative

      You mean Journal of Irreproducible Results .

    4. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by DynaSoar · · Score: 1

      kalirion (728907) sez:
      "You mean Journal of Irreproducible Results."

      Of course I do. I was published in that too, so I misremember it accurately.

      Read what I mean, not what I write. Oh, you already did.

      --
      "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
    5. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by fermion · · Score: 1
      It was the JIR. It focuses more on the research that could not or should not be reprodcued, and therein lies the humor. Irreproducible research.

      My favorite was the national geographic as the doomsday machine. It seems to now be a running joke. I notice on the AIR site, national geographic subscriptions are heavily pushed, so one can see on which side of science they are on.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    6. Re:Fond memories of bygone days by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

      Or, more directly: http://www.jir.com/
      Check out the "Pullet Surprise"

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  2. Dear Annals of Improbable Research: by sm62704 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Welcome to the 21st century.

    --
    mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
  3. Not taking slashdotters into account there by m50d · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can read this just fine on the toilet using my PDA and wifi.

    --
    I am trolling
    1. Re:Not taking slashdotters into account there by rts008 · · Score: 1

      At least the 'made from dead trees' version still has utility in this scenario....let's see you wipe your ass with your wireless and PDA when you are: *to the tune of the old TV series "Branded" theme song (western starring Chuck Connors back in the 1960's)*
      "Stranded on the toilet bowl, what do you do when your stranded without a roll?
      You can prove you're a man by using your hand...when your stranded, on the toilet bowl.
      What do you do when your stranded without a roll?"

      --
      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
    2. Re:Not taking slashdotters into account there by Warbothong · · Score: 1

      Just hope that the splash you just heard was a result of your bowel movements...

    3. Re:Not taking slashdotters into account there by riskeetee · · Score: 1

      "I'd like to return this." "Um, I'm sorry sir, this PDA has been flagged."

    4. Re:Not taking slashdotters into account there by cp.tar · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can read this just fine on the toilet using my PDA and wifi.

      If you have something to stand it on, a laptop works just fine, too.

      --
      Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. meh by capitalistnihilist · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    These "Annals of Improbable Research" are of dubious value to the public and I can hardly see a reason for them being published on the web other than for the purpose of humor. With that being said, I doubt anyone would pay to see this material so the fact that they are available free is hardly noteworthy.

    1. Re:meh by davidwr · · Score: 1

      These "Annals of Improbable Research" are of dubious value to the public and I can hardly see a reason for them being published on the web other than for the purpose of humor. [emphasis added] Maybe, but it's humor value is off the charts high.
      --
      Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  5. slashdotted by sneakyimp · · Score: 1, Funny

    the site is too busy.

    1. Re:slashdotted by jcaldwel · · Score: 1

      The Coral Cache version of the first two links:

      http://en.wikipedia.org.nyud.net:8090/wiki/Annals_of_Improbable_Research

      http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9837983-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&coral-no-serve

      I couldn't find cache on the third link, but the original appears to be up-ish (Up but slow)

      http://www.improbable.com/magazine

    2. Re:slashdotted by jcaldwel · · Score: 1

      Err... the second link must have 301'd or 302'd me back to news.com... nevertheless, it seems to be up.

  6. Another option needed. by palegray.net · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...High-resolution PDFs and 'traditional on-the-toilet-readable paper-and-ink' issues are still available... Can I just pay a for low-resolution version printed on actual toilet paper instead? I guess that would make each article a one-time read, though...

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    1. Re:Another option needed. by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've always found their publication soft and absorbent.

      --
      Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
    2. Re:Another option needed. by palegray.net · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'll file that one under "Annals of Improbable Product Usage."

      --
      512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    3. Re:Another option needed. by blind+monkey+3 · · Score: 1

      not necessarily...

      --
      BM3
    4. Re:Another option needed. by dgun · · Score: 1

      Annals of Improbable Product Usage

      or Anals

      --
      FAQs are evil.
    5. Re:Another option needed. by contrapunctus · · Score: 1

      traditional on-the-toilet-readable This would make a good iPhone slogan.
    6. Re:Another option needed. by shadowbearer · · Score: 1


        Who has the time to read an article twice?

      SB

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  7. A really small audience. by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 1
    If this is the journal I'm thinking of, it's only of interest to a certain teensy demographic, those that have labored for months to years writing, editing, and re-editing a scientific paper.

    Only then do these parodies have any jocular impact.

    1. Re:A really small audience. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The predecessor pub was the Journal of Irreproducible Results. TFS should have perhaps stipulated that AIR is a scientific journal parody. I disagree about the narrow focus - lampooning the cosmetic ads in women's supermarket mags as scientific break throughs are pretty funny to me. Make that a slightly wider than teensy readership.

    2. Re:A really small audience. by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 1

      Oh, I've read a few issues. Most of them are dreck, but a few are so funny they make up for the rest. The presentation for the coffee made by having animals eat the beans, and using the semi-digested beans from their feces took me 5 minutes to stop laughing when I saw the video of the awards ceremenony.

      Who knew the real Nobel Prize winners who were giving the awards could be so funny?

    3. Re:A really small audience. by uglyduckling · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's not a scientific journal parody, the majority of the articles published are genuine research, just research that could be regarded as improbable and amusing, like functional MRI images of people chewing gum. In fact, lots of journals carry light-hearted or off-the-wall research (check out the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal) but with AIR it's the rule rather than the exception.

  8. From TFA by Lord+of+Hyphens · · Score: 1

    ...an Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, who invented a chemical weapon that when dropped causes heterosexual men to become attracted to each other... Am I one of the few people wondering about the specifics of that weapon? Or why the Navy isn't developing it?

    Hrm.. found a few links here and here. Cache of Ignoble's page as it's currently under /.
    --
    "I've spent my whole life figuring out crazy ways to do things. It'll work." -- Montgomery Scott, "Relics"
    1. Re:From TFA by psued0ch · · Score: 1

      For the record, the Department Of Defense had made backup plans to use this substance against the Serbs in 1994.

  9. Anals? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did anyone else read that as "Anals of Improbeable Research Goes Free Online"?

    1. Re:Anals? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell me about your relationship with your mother.

  10. SLASHDOTTED! by Brett+Buck · · Score: 1

    Took at least 1/2 hour - are we losing our touch?

          Brett

    1. Re:SLASHDOTTED! by RealGrouchy · · Score: 1

      Quickly, indeed. How improbable is that?

      Of course, since their site is down, I guess we'll never know!

      - RG>

      --
      Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
  11. Wonderful for research by SleptThroughClass · · Score: 1

    This is wonderful news for those needing to search improbable research. We'll be able to almost read their almost results.

  12. Vol 1, Issue 2 by DynaSoar · · Score: 1

    Teachers' Guide: "Attention Getting Mechanism". Yes, I actually did/do this in my classes.

    Also made the The Best of AIR. I'm more proud of it than I am any of my other research, even the one referenced in 'Thank You For Smoking' ("Why, they've just found that smoking can offset Parkinson's disease!")

    But it was my (now replaced) picture in the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists, wearing a hot pink tutu, chartreuse fishnet panty hose and black cowboy boots for a concert performance, that made my previous employer rightfully question my sanity. To get back at them for being Googled, I posted the picture on my office door. Yes, I said previous.

    --
    "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
  13. What is it? Wikipedia to the rescue... by ComputerPhreak · · Score: 1

    Since I had no idea what this publication was about, I'll spare you the trouble of having to look it up:

    The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to scientific humour, in the form of a satirical take on the standard academic journal. AIR, published six times a year since 1995, usually showcases at least one piece of scientific research being done on a strange or unexpected topic, but most of their articles concern real or fictional absurd experiments, such as a comparison of apples and oranges using infrared spectroscopy. Other features include such things as ratings of the cafeterias at scientific institutes, fake classified and advertisements for a medical plan called HMO-NO, and a very odd letters page.

  14. Misread by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought it said "Free anal probes online". I'm like no shit! I get all the free anal sex videos I want! It's called www.redtube.com

  15. Where's it at? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Probably beter than slashdot.That's my slashdot joke for today,sorry.I'm just pissed cause I never get karma .
    Science is crazy .I could think of a few stories for these people.

  16. skimming by Wordsmith · · Score: 1

    I really have to stop skimming headlines. I swore this said "Anal-probing research goes online."

  17. the annals are also availble elsewhere by InfoHighwayRoadkill · · Score: 1

    They are hosted on ingentaconnect.com (who I happen to work for) A particularly fine article that is available for free there is this one on chickens. You can also see it being presented on youtube

    --
    another Roadkill on the Information Superhighway
  18. Ohhh, ow, ow, ow ... by RockDoctor · · Score: 1
    In blatant violation of Slashdot's normal practices, I have RTFA and indeed RTFAIR. I stopped at this wonderful snippet (from this year's Jan-Feb) issue :

    J. Hardwicke, C.S. Azad and J.K.G. Laitung, Injury Extra, vol. 37, no. 1, January 2006, pp. 34-5.
    `A 25-year-old man was admitted under our care after referral from a local Accident and Emergency Department. Whilst intoxicated the previous night, the patient had fallen asleep at a friend's house and was victim to a "practical joke". He had fallen asleep, fully clothed wearing a pair of tight fitting denim trousers. The prankster found a can of expanding polyurethane foam gap and cavity filler and directed the nozzle into the front of his friend's trousers. This did not wake the patient and he slept through until the morning when he awoke to find the foam had adhered, expanded and cured to fill any spaces around his groin area... `

    Actually, "Injury Extra" sounds like a fun read.
    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  19. Somehow i read that as... by eZtaR · · Score: 1

    Anal Probe Research Goes Free Online.. What a coincidence, it's 13:37 xD

  20. A Huge Step Forward For Science .. by Toad-san · · Score: 1

    A huge step forward for science!

    Or not.

    Never the less, I still intend to faithfully stay current with all that improbabability. Probably.

    Toadsan