Melis A. '08 | November 14, 2006
"Think YOUR research is crazy?"
Ever find yourself sitting in lab, thinking "What in God's name am I doing? Does this research even matter?" Have no fear! Check out this list of the 20 Craziest Scientific Researches.
Some of the Craziest Scientific Researches:
«Blink-Free Photos, Guaranteed» (2006)
Presented by N. Svenson and P. Barnes (Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization)
It calculated the number of photographs you must take to (almost) ensure that nobody in a group photo will have their eyes closed.
«Fragmentation of Rods by Cascading Cracks: Why Spaghetti Does Not Break in Half» (2006)
Presented by B. Audoly and S. Neukirch (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris).
It explaines why, when you bend dry spaghetti, it often breaks into more than two pieces.
«Impact of Wet Underwear on Thermoregulatory Responses and Thermal Comfort in the Cold» (1994)
Presented by M. K. Bakkevig (Sintef Unimed in Trondheim, Norway) and R. Nielson (Technical University of Denmark).
Investigates the significance of wet underwear and compares any influence of fibre-type material and textile construction of underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort of humans during rest in the cold. The tests showed that the thickness of the underwear has more of an influence on the thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort, than the types of fibres tested.
«On Human Odour, Malaria Mosquitoes, and Limburger Cheese» (1996)
Presented by B. Knols
It shows that the female malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae is attracted equally to the smell of limburger cheese and to the smell of human feet.
»Rectal Foreign Bodies: Case Reports and a Comprehensive Review of the World's Literature» (1986)
Presented by D. B. Busch and J. R. Starling (Wisconsin).
Includes reports of, among other items: seven light bulbs; a knife sharpener; two flashlights; a wire spring; a snuff box; an oil can with potato stopper; eleven different forms of fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs; a jeweler's saw; a frozen pig's tail; a tin cup; a beer glass; and one patient's remarkable ensemble collection consisting of spectacles, a suitcase key, a tobacco pouch and a magazine.
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The author has filed this entry in the "Miscellaneous" , "Undergraduate Research Opportunities" section; check it out for further reading on this topic. |
Responses To This Entry:
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wow, very interesting. i guess the trick to avoiding malaria is to not make your feet smell like cheese.
Posted by: Jay on November 14, 2006 06:36 PM
Haha, sounds like the strange questions that pop up in my head =)
Posted by: Melissa Hunt on November 14, 2006 07:01 PM
VERY INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: glareflair17 on November 14, 2006 07:32 PM
Did anyone see the article in Popular Science, How 2.0 that featured the disco floor that First East created??
http://web.mit.edu/storborg/ddf
it's pretty awesome stuff!
Posted by: Kevin on November 14, 2006 09:28 PM
wow! i love how science is so pointless and then so necessary at the same time....i wonder if any mit professors or alumni performed one of the top twenty craziest scientific researches
Posted by: Meagan on November 14, 2006 10:11 PM
WOW! people really do think like me lol. I love spending hours on the net trying to find answers to random questions!
Posted by: Steele on November 15, 2006 12:11 AM
Interesting. So any up for the IgNobel yet?
Posted by: Sarab on November 15, 2006 01:20 AM
That's so awesome. Melis, are you going to ZBT for the 80s dance? =)
Posted by: Minh on November 15, 2006 04:41 PM
Great. The next time I go online to research something crazy I won't think I'm one of the weird ones.
Posted by: Azuka on November 21, 2006 07:02 AM
this is totally crazzzzzzzzie
Posted by: Godfrey on November 21, 2006 01:26 PM
