The "Annals of Improbable Research" (AIR) is often desribed as the "Mad Magazine of Science". It is a bi-monthly magazine and an Internet Website. It is best known for hosting the "Ig Nobel" ceremony, honouring real scientists who have conducted funded research, yet whose achievements "cannot and should not be reproduced". This book will cover the Ig Nobel Prizes, their history, some highlights, and the 1996 Awards. Additional material about "Big Science" will include contributions by actual Nobel Laureates and articles that treat real science with a wry spin. The volume closes with suggestions for education and teaching of science, underscoring the need for the educated person to understand some basic science and to nurture the natural curiosity of children when they encounter science. It is for anyone interested in science humour.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"Science is too human, too much fun, and too important not to laugh at it." The Annals of Improbable Research (and its predecessor, the Journal of Irreproducible Results) has been making fun of science and scientists for decades. This latest compendium includes a listing of the Ig Nobel prizes, annually awarded "for scientific achievements which cannot or should not be reproduced," and some of the prizewinning papers, such as "Failure of Electric Shock Treatment for Rattlesnake Envenomation" and "Of Mites and Man." There are also plenty of groundbreaking original studies from AIR: "How Dead Is a Doornail?" "Furniture Airbags," and "The Medical Effects of Kissing Boo-Boos." As the book's warning label states, the result is a highly reactive mix: "Contents are unexpectedly educational and informative, especially in patients who suffer allergic reactions to science, technology, literature, or art. Can be highly addictive." Let the buyer beware. --Mary Ellen Curtin
Review
"If you have any interest in modern scientific research you'll find yourself guffawing from the first page of this book to the last."--Martin Gardner
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Endless Resources and Possibilities!,
This review is from: The Best of Annals of Improbable Research (Paperback)
This book came home with my spouse about a year ago to be placed in my "reading" pile. I never could figure out what he was snickering at until I was looking for an article for math class. What a find! As a student teacher I've used "Aerodynamics of Potato Chips" and "Taxonomy of Barney" for evaluation of scientific study and an introduction to scientific inquiry. Most recently a classmate used "Aerodynamics of Potato Chips" with a group of middle school students who were interested in the distance of the standard toss as defined by the article (much to the horror of the custodial staff). From this initial investigation, the class moved into a more formal study of aerodynamics. This book is science educators dream! Fun and interesting articles that refocus attention, demonstrating that anything can be done scientifically, if one puts their mind to it. Its also an insight into the humor of science as who better to make fun of science than those who do it?
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Funny, Enjoyable Humor,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Best of Annals of Improbable Research (Paperback)
As a scientist, I really enjoyed reading about the many funny quirks of scientific experimentation. Perhaps without these eccentricities, there would be no innovation! Great book!! If you enjoy "behind-the-bench" humor, I would like to suggest yet another book filled with hilarious situations and lots of candid, satirical wit on the life of scientists and their managers in high-tech R&D industry, from the point-of-view of the technical staff. This new, insightful American satire is entitled, "Management by Vice" by C.B. Don and is highly recommended as an entertaining, adjunct-read to the incredible "Annals of Improbable Research".
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ubiquitous Holy Grail,
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This review is from: The Best of Annals of Improbable Research (Paperback)
As a scientist and technical professional I couldn't put this book down. I have kept up with the the Annals of Improbable Research for many years and this truly reflects some of the best efforts of scientists the world over. In this volume we have works by legitimate Nobel prize winners, and lesser known works such as "Gummy Worm on a Sidewalk" by Kate and Jesse Eppers, ages 12 and 10, respectively. (In their conclusion they noted that: "We came to a conclusion that three out of five people will accidentally step on a gummy worm thrown on a sidewalk." Brilliant.)Highlights for me include: "The Laser Cheese Raclette", "The Effects of Peanut Butter on the Earth's Rotation," and, of course, "Internet Barbie and the Time Caplet." There are too many to go into, but almost all are delightful. I guess the only minor critique would be of the couple of pages of limericks, which I find a bit trying, particularly when the subject matter is "Mastodon, Mother, and Babe." Overall a wonderful, humorous look at scientists and science through a very different lens than most are used to.
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