Ig Nobel Awards (broadcast Friday, November 28th, 2008)
It's the day after Thanksgiving, and that definitely means two things: leftovers, and ridiculously crowded shopping malls. But faithful Science Friday listeners know that it's also time for our annual broadcast of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, recognizing the strange, silly, and stupid in the world of science. Ten Ig Nobel awards were given out this year in early October by the editors of the science humor magazine the Annals of Improbable Research. Join Ira Flatow in this hour of Science Friday for our post-Thanksgiving selection of highlights from the 18th First Annual awards ceremony -- including studies of the sound of potato chips, the jumping abilities of various kinds of fleas, and why any pile of string will inevitably tangle itself up in knots. Plus, plants with dignity -- and a tribute to redundancy. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.
Guests
Marc Abrahams
Author, "The
Man Who Tried to Clone Himself," (Plume, 2006)
Master of Ceremonies
Editor, Annals of Improbable
Research
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Related Links
Segment produced by:Christopher Intagliata
Charles Bergquist
Listen:
Stories for
Friday, November 28th, 2008
- Ig Nobel Awards
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Psychology of Food and Eating
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The Science of Brewing Beer
Elsewhere on Sciencefriday.com
Tickling Gorillas and the Evolution of Laughter
Improbable Research: Collection #107
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Improbable Research: Collection #105
Improbable Research: Collection #104
Improbable Research: Collection #103
Improbable Research: Collection #102
The 2007 Ig Nobel Awards






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