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NEWSCRIPTS 2005 Ig Nobel Prizes
with the cotton and wool in the farmers' trousers, it produced pants that exploded on clotheslines, in front of fireplaces, and ON OCT. 6, AS THIS YEAR'S NOBEL LAUREATES even on some unlucky farmers. in Chemistry, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine were beginning to make their Researchers in Australia, Benjamin P. travel plans to Sweden, winners of the 2005 C. Smith of the University of Adelaide Ig Nobel Prizes gathered at Harvard Univerand Craig R. Williams of James Cook sity's Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., University, accepted the Biology Prize "for for the 15th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize painstakingly smelling and cataloging the Ceremony—awards "honoring achievements peculiar odors produced by 131 different that first make people LAUGH, and then species offrogswhen the frogs were feeling make them THINK." stressed" (Appl. Herpetol 2 0 0 4 , 2 , 47), an effort they carried out as part of an interThe event was produced by the Annals of Improbable Research, zxidAIRs editor, Marc national research team. "Cappucino-like" and similar to "toilet freshener" Abrahams, served as the Ig Nobel's are among the many descriptors version of the King of Sweden. mm* in the report. This year's prizewinners traveled to Harvard at their own expense The Physics Prize went toJohn to receive the prizes, which were S. Mainstone and the late Thomas handed off, as always, by genuParnell of Australia's University ine Nobel Laureates. of Queensland "for patiently conducting an experiment that began University of Minnesota, in the year 1927—in which a glob Twin Cities, professor Edward of congealed black tar has been L. Cussler Jr. and his former slowly, slowly dripping through a student, Brian Gettelfinger, funnel, at a rate of approximately planned to appear at the ceremony one drop every nine years" (Eur. J. Phys. wearing Speedos to claim the Chemistry Ig 1984,198). The eighth and most recent Nobel "for conducting a careful experiment drop fell on Nov. 28,2000. to settle the long-standing scientific question: Can people swim faster in syrup or in The Internet entrepreneurs of Nigeria water?" The controversial matter was even won the Literature Prize "for creating and a source of debate between Isaac Newton then using e-mail to distribute a bold series and Christiaan Huygens. of short stories, thus introducing millions of readers to a cast of rich characters—General Cussler and Gettelfinger convinced 16 Sard Abacha, Mrs. Mariam Sanni Abacha, competitive and recreational swimmers to Barrister Jon A. Mbeki Esq., Mr. Moses swim a few laps in a pool thickened with Odiaka, Mrs. Stella Sigcau, and others— more than 300 kg of guar gum. Although each ofwhom requires just a small amount the snotlike liquid was about twice as thick of expense money so as to obtain access to as water, the researchers found it influenced the great wealth to which they are entitled the swimmers' speeds by no more than 4%. and which they would like to share with the While the swimmers experience more viskind person who assists them." cous drag in syrup than in water, they also generate more forward force with each Finally, at the risk of offending our readstroke. The two effects basically cancel one ers' delicate sensibilities, the Newscripts another out {Am. Inst. Chem. Eng.J. 2004, gang believes it would be remiss of us to 50, 2646). Cussler told Newscripts, "The not mention Victor B. Meyer-Rochow and important thing about this work is that it Jozsef Gal's Ig Nobel Prize in Fluid Dynamhas no practical value whatsoever." ics. The International University Bremen, Germany, researchers were honored for their Chemistry played a role in several other paper "Pressures produced when penguins 2005 Ig Nobels.Jam.es Watson of Massey pooh—calculations on avian defaecation" University, New Zealand, garnered the (Polar Biol. 2003,27,56). Agricultural History Prize for his scholarly study, "The Significance of Mr. Richard A recording of the ceremony can be Buckley's Exploding Trousers" Qigric. Hist. viewed at www.improbable.com, and an 2 0 0 4 , 78, 346). Buckley was one of many edited version of the event will be broadNew Zealand farmers who were stricken by cast on Friday, Nov. 25, as part of National that country's 1931 epidemic of exploding Public Radio's "Science Friday." trousers. The farmers soon learned that the source oftheir detonating dungarees was the This weeks column was written by Bethany sodium chlorate herbicide they were using to Half ord. Please send comments andsuggestions fight ragwort. When the compound mixed to
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