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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."

10 of 50 comments (clear)

  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.

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      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 .

  2. 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.

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    I am trolling
    1. 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.
  3. 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."

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      512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
  4. 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.