Fun_People Archive
14 Jan
Excerpts from mini-AIR Jan 95

Date: Sat, 14 Jan 95 17:51:03 PST
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: Excerpts from mini-AIR Jan 95

From: The Annals of Improbable Research <marca@MIT.EDU>
[Reprinted with permission  -psl]

============================================================
The mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR")
Issue Number 1995-01
January, 1995
ISSN 1076-500X
Key words: is called research,Ig Nobel,AIRhead
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The mini-journal of inflated research and personalities
published by The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR)
at The MIT Museum
============================================================

...

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1995-01-04      Correction: Mass Murderer Accreditation

The survey presented in mini-AIR 1994-12 contains data and/or
conclusions that may be invalid.  The research grant money was
withdrawn during the final stages of analysis, skewing both the
results and the researchers.  Particularly suspect is the chapter
reproduced here:

     VOTING PREFERENCES OF MASS MURDERERS
     WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 1994 US NATIONAL ELECTIONS

     82% voted Republican
      7% voted Democratic
     11% voted for themselves


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...

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1995-01-11      Teachers' Guide

[We might repeat this section in future issues.  Then again, we
might not.  Please pass it on to any teacher friend who would find
it useful.]

Three out of five teachers agree: curiosity is a dangerous thing,
especially in students.  If you are one of the other two teachers,
AIR and mini-AIR can be powerful tools.  Choose your favorite
hAIR-raising article and give copies to your students.  The
approach is simple.  The scientist thinks that he (or she, or
whatever), of all people, has discovered something about how the
universe behaves.  So:

* Is this scientist right -- and what does "right" mean, anyway?
* Can you think of even one different explanation that works
  as well or better?
* Did the test really, really, truly, unquestionably, completely
  test what the author thought he was testing?
* Is the scientist ruthlessly honest with himself about how well
  his idea explains everything, or could he be suffering from
  wishful thinking?

Kids are naturally good scientists.  Help them stay that way.


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1995-01-14      How to Receive mini-AIR, etc.(*)

mini-AIR is an monthly electronic supplement to The Annals of
Improbable Research (AIR).  It is available over the Internet,
free of charge.  To subscribe, send a brief E-mail message to:
        LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
The body of your message should contain ONLY the words
        SUBSCRIBE MINI-AIR MARIE CURIE
(You may substitute your own name for that of Madame Curie.)

...

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1995-01-16      Please make copies! (*)

We urge you to distribute copies of mini-AIR or excerpts from it.
The only limitations are:
A) Please indicate that the material appeared in mini-AIR and is
   reprinted with permission.
B) You do NOT have permission to copy or excerpt this document
   for commercial purposes.

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(c) copyright 1995, The Annals of Improbable Research
Fun_People Archive 14 JanExcerpts from mini-AIR Jan 95

Fun_People Archive
14 Jan
Excerpts from mini-AIR Jan 95
