Ig Nobel Prize

[fauxklore]

The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced Thursday night. They involve everything from armadillos to slime molds to lap dancers.

Comments

[lepusdomesticus.livejournal.com]

I think the Ig Nobels raise an important question about science: If something is obvious, does it still need to be proven? Dog fleas jump higher than cat fleas...because dogs are taller than cats? Clearly the flea has not adapted to (relatively) modern small dog breeds...And what kind of puzzles can slime molds solve? And does the armadillo have to be coaxed in some way to disturb the archaeological sites, or do certain armadillos seek out the sites on their own? Clearly, more research is needed. Thanks for the link. That was fun. : )

[fauxklore]

I think you have to measure flea jump height from the surface of the animal, not as absolute altitude.

As for slime molds, they tested them on mazes. I suspect they can be taught to do the TV guide crossword puzzle, but are hopeless at cryptics.