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PODCAST

Improbable Research

Research that makes people LAUGH, then THINK — research about anything and everything, from everywhere —research that"s good or bad, important or trivial, valuable or worthless. Presented by Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony.

science

All Episodes

00:15:06

Episode #1095: “Saliva and Frog Puppets”

Improbable Research ·

2022/05/22

In Podcast Episode #1095,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Jean Berko Gleason encounters: “A Salivary Collection Method for Young Children,” Laura K. Zimmermann, Psychophysiology, vol. 45, no. 3, May 2008, pp. 353-355. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this podcast:

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00:10:25

Episode #1094: “Can You Navigate in a Crowd, While...

Improbable Research ·

2022/05/08

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1094,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Kinetics winnersHisashi Murakami, Claudio Feliciani, Yuta Nishiyama, and Katsuhiro Nishinari. They received the prize for conducting experiments to learn why pedestrians

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00:10:34

Episode #1093: “Why Pedestrians Do Not Constantly...

Improbable Research ·

2022/04/24

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1093,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Physics winners Alessandro Corbetta, Jasper Meeusen, Chung-min Lee, Roberto Benzi, and Federico Toschi. They received the prize for conducting experiments to learn why

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00:20:27

Episode #1092: “The Bacteria in Discarded, Chewed...

Improbable Research ·

2022/04/10

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1092,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Ecology winners Leila Satari, Alba Guillén, Àngela Vidal-Verdú, and Manuel Porcar. They received the prize for using genetic analysis to identify the different species of

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00:12:49

Episode #1091: “Hula Hoop Syndrome”

Improbable Research ·

2022/03/27

In Podcast Episode #1091,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Jean Berko Gleason encounters: “Hula-Hoop Syndrome,” Zafar H. Zaidi, Canadian Medical Association Journal,vol. 80, no. 9, May 1, 1959, pp. 715-716. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this podcast:

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00:09:40

Episode #1090: “Obesity of Politicians, Corruption in...

Improbable Research ·

2022/03/13

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1090,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Economics winners Pavlo Blavatskyy. They received the prize for discovering that the obesity of a country’s politicians may be a good indicator of that country’s

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00:13:30

Episode #1089: “Inverted Rhino Translocation”

Improbable Research ·

2022/02/27

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1089,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Transportation winners Robin Radcliffe, Mark Jago, Peter Morkel, Estelle Morkel, Pierre du Preez, Piet Beytell, Birgit Kotting, Bakker Manuel, Jan Hendrik du Preez,

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00:09:53

Episode #1088: “Cursing Babinski”

Improbable Research ·

2022/02/13

In Podcast Episode #1088,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Jean Berko Gleason encounters: “The Babinski Sign,” P.H.W. Rayner, British Medical Journal, vol. 314, February 1997, p. 374. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this podcast:

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00:13:01

Episode #1087: “Modes of Cat-Human Communication”

Improbable Research ·

2022/01/30

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1087,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Biology winners Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund, and Joost van de Weijer. They received the prize for analyzing variations in purring, chirping, chattering, trilling,

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00:08:39

Episode #1086: “Beards and Face-Punching”

Improbable Research ·

2022/01/16

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days afterthe ceremony, the newIg Nobel Prize winnersattempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1086,Marc Abrahamspresents the 2020 Ig Nobel Peace Prize winners Ethan Beseris, Steven Naleway, and David Carrier. They received the prize for testing the hypothesis that humans evolved beards to protect themselves from

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00:09:59

Episode #1085: "Mindful Dishwashing"

Improbable Research ·

2021/11/14

In Podcast Episode #1085,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. You can also like Improbable Research on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Jean Berko Gleason encounters: "Washing Dishes to Wash the Dishes: Brief Instruction in an Informal Mindfulness Practice," Adam W. Hanley, Alia R. Warner, Vincent M

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00:11:26

Episode #1084: “Chalk and Mathematicians”

Improbable Research ·

2021/10/31

In Podcast Episode #1084,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Dany Adams encounters: "Chalk: Materials and concepts in mathematics research," Michael J. Barany Donald MacKenzie, in: C. Coopmans, M. Lynch, J. Vertesi and S. Woolgar (Eds) Representation in Scientific Practice Revisited, 2014, pp. 107–130 (Cambridge, MA:

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00:14:48

Episode #1083: “Faces and Smoked Ham”

Improbable Research ·

2021/10/17

In Podcast Episode #1083,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcherChris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Chris Cotsapas encounters: "Consumer Facial Expression in Relation to Smoked Ham With the Use of Face Reading Technology. The Methodological Aspects and Informative Value of Research Results," Eliza Kostyra, Bożena Waszkiewicz-Robak, Wacław

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00:10:39

Episode #1082: "The Man in the Black Bag"

Improbable Research ·

2021/10/03

In Podcast Episode #1082,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Jean Berko Gleason encounters: "Attitudinal effects of mere exposure," Robert B. Zajonc, Journal of personality and social psychology, vol. 9, no. 2, part 2, 1968. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this podcast:

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00:15:17

Episode #1081: “Ear Bigness Through the Years”

Improbable Research ·

2021/09/19

In Podcast Episode #1081,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Dany Adams encounters: "Ear size as a predictor of chronological age," R. Tan , V. Osman, and G. Tan, Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 25, 1997, pp. 187–191. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this podcast:

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00:15:02

Episode #1080: “Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch”

Improbable Research ·

2021/09/05

In Podcast Episode #1080,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcherChris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Chris Cotsapas encounters: "The Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch: A Psychophysical and Topographical Assessment," G.A. bin Saif, A.D.P. Papoiu, L. Banari, F. McGlone, S.G. Kwatra, Y.-H. Chan and G. Yosipovitch, British Journal of Dermatology

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00:10:39

Episode #1079: "Cats and Appropriate Music”

Improbable Research ·

2021/08/22

In Podcast Episode #1079,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Jean Berko Gleason encounters: "Cats Prefer Species-Appropriate Music," Charles T. Snowdon, David Teie, and Megan Savage, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 166, 2015, pp. 106-111. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant --- Support this

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00:07:17

Episode #1078: “Are People Happier on Weekends?”

Improbable Research ·

2021/08/08

In Podcast Episode #1078,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Dany Adams encounters: "Weekends, work, and well-being: Psychological need satisfactions and day of the week effects on mood, vitality, and physical symptoms," Richard M. Ryan, Jessey H. Bernstein, and Kirk Warren Brown, Journal of Social and Clinical

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00:11:45

Episode #1077: "Danger Assessment of Holy Water"

Improbable Research ·

2021/07/25

In Podcast Episode #1077,Marc Abrahamsshows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcherChris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Chris Cotsapas encounters: “Holy Water—A Risk Factor for Hospital-Acquired Infection,” J.C. Rees and K.D. Allen, Journal of Hospital Infection, vol. 32, no. 1, January 1996, pp. 51–5. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant Available on Spotify,

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00:05:09

Episode #1076: "Adventure of the Random Million Digits"

Improbable Research ·

2021/07/11

In Podcast Episode #1076,Robin Abrahams dramatically reads aloud selected highlights from a treasured collection of a million random digits. Remember, ourPatreondonors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman,Production Assistant Bruce Petschek, Producer (Original Recording) Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere! --- Support this podcast:

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