Improbable Research

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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. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbablerese…

Marc Abrahams


    • May 22, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 109 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Improbable Research

    Episode #1095: “Saliva and Frog Puppets”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 15:06


    In Podcast Episode #1095, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1094: “Can You Navigate in a Crowd, While Distracted by Your Mobile Phone?”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2022 10:25


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1094, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Kinetics winners Hisashi Murakami, Claudio Feliciani, Yuta Nishiyama, and Katsuhiro Nishinari. They received the prize for conducting experiments to learn why pedestrians do sometimes collide with other pedestrians. REFERENCE: “Mutual Anticipation Can Contribute to Self-Organization in Human Crowds,” Hisashi Murakami, Claudio Feliciani, Yuta Nishiyama, and Katsuhiro Nishinari, Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 12, 2021, p. eabe7758. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1093: “Why Pedestrians Do Not Constantly Collide”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2022 10:34


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1093, Marc Abrahams presents 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 pedestrians do not constantly collide with other pedestrians. REFERENCE: “Physics-based modeling and data representation of pairwise interactions among pedestrians,” Alessandro Corbetta, Jasper A. Meeusen, Chung-min Lee, Roberto Benzi, and Federico Toschi, Physical Review E, vol. 98, no. 062310, 20188. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1092: “The Bacteria in Discarded, Chewed Chewing Gum”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2022 20:27


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1092, Marc Abrahams presents 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 bacteria that reside in wads of discarded chewing gum stuck on pavements in various countries. REFERENCE: “The Wasted Chewing Gum Bacteriome,” Leila Satari, Alba Guillén, Àngela Vidal-Verdú, and Manuel Porcar, Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 16846, 2020. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1091: “Hula Hoop Syndrome”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 12:49


    In Podcast Episode #1091, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1090: “Obesity of Politicians, Corruption in Countries”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2022 9:40


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1090, Marc Abrahams presents 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 corruption. REFERENCE: “Obesity of Politicians and Corruption in Post‐Soviet Countries,” Pavlo Blavatskyy, Economic of Transition and Institutional Change, vol. 29, no. 2, 2021, pp. 343-356. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1089: “Inverted Rhino Translocation”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2022 13:30


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1089, Marc Abrahams presents 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, Michele Miller, Julia Felippe, Stephen Parry, and Robin Gleed. They received the prize for determining by experiment whether it is safer to transport an airborne rhinoceros upside-down. REFERENCE: “The Pulmonary and Metabolic Effects of Suspension by the Feet Compared with Lateral Recumbency in Immobilized Black Rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) Captured by Aerial Darting,” Robin W. Radcliffe, Mark Jago, Peter vdB Morkel, Estelle Morkel, Pierre du Preez, Piet Beytell, Birgit Kotting, Bakker Manuel, Jan Hendrik du Preez, Michele A. Miller, Julia Felippe, Stephen A Parry; R.D. Gleed, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, vol. 57, no. 2, 2021, 357–367. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1088: “Cursing Babinski”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2022 9:53


    In Podcast Episode #1088, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2022 13:01


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1087, Marc Abrahams presents 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, tweedling, murmuring, meowing, moaning, squeaking, hissing, yowling, howling, growling, and other modes of cat–human communication. REFERENCE: “A Comparative Acoustic Analysis of Purring in Four Cats,” Susanne Schötz and Robert Eklund, Proceedings of Fonetik 2011, Speech, Music and Hearing, KTH, Stockholm, TMH-QPSR, 51. REFERENCE: “A Phonetic Pilot Study of Vocalisations in Three Cats,” Susanne Schötz, Proceedings of Fonetik 2012, Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. REFERENCE: “A Phonetic Pilot Study of Chirp, Chatter, Tweet and Tweedle in Three Domestic Cats,” Susanne Schötz, Proceedings of Fonetik 2013, Linköping University, Sweden, 2013, pp. 65-68. REFERENCE: “A Study of Human Perception of Intonation in Domestic Cat Meows,” Susanne Schötz and Joost van de Weijer, Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Speech Prosody, Dubin, Ireland, May 20-23, 2014. REFERENCE: “Melody in Human–Cat Communication (Meowsic): Origins, Past, Present and Future,” Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund, and Joost van de Weijer, 2016. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1086: “Beards and Face-Punching”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2022 8:39


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time. In Podcast Episode #1086, Marc Abrahams presents 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 punches to the face. The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com. REFERENCE: “Impact Protection Potential of Mammalian Hair: Testing the Pugilism Hypothesis for the Evolution of Human Facial Hair,” Ethan A. Beseris, Steven E. laNeway, David R. Carrier, Integrative Organismal Biology, vol. 2, no. 1, 2020, obaa005. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1085: "Mindful Dishwashing"

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2021 9:59


    In Podcast Episode #1085, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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. Dehili, Angela I. Canto, and Eric L. Garland, Mindfulness, October 2015, vol. 6, no. 5, pp 1095-1103. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1084: “Chalk and Mathematicians”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2021 11:26


    In Podcast Episode #1084, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: The MIT Press). Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1083: “Faces and Smoked Ham”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2021 14:48


    In Podcast Episode #1083, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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 Laskowski, Tadeusz Blicharski, and Ewa Poławska, Meat Science, vol. 119, September 2016, pp. 22–31. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2021 10:39


    In Podcast Episode #1082, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1081: “Ear Bigness Through the Years”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2021 15:17


    In Podcast Episode #1081, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1080: “Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2021 15:02


    In Podcast Episode #1080, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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 166, no. 5 (2012): 981-985. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1079: "Cats and Appropriate Music”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2021 10:39


    In Podcast Episode #1079, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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 podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2021 7:17


    In Podcast Episode #1078, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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 Psychology, vol. 29, no. 1 (2010): 95-122. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1077: "Danger Assessment of Holy Water"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2021 11:45


    In Podcast Episode #1077, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2021 5:09


    In Podcast Episode #1076, Robin Abrahams dramatically reads aloud selected highlights from a treasured collection of a million random digits. Remember, our Patreon donors, 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: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1075: “The Rheology of Cats”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2021 23:34


    In this Podcast Episode #1075, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to fluid dynamicist Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1074: “Vibrate That Earthworm”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2021 6:37


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. In Podcast Episode #1074, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Physics was awarded to Ivan Maksymov and Andriy Pototsky. They received the prize for determining, experimentally, what happens to the shape of a living earthworm when one vibrates the earthworm at high frequency. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode 1073: “Smelly People in the Office”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2021 12:59


    In this Podcast Episode #1073, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to fluid dynamicist Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1072: “The Misery of Misophonia”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2021 12:27


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. In Podcast Episode #1072, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Medicine Damiaan Denys. He and colleagues Nienke Vulink and Arnoud van Loonreceive won the prize for diagnosing a long-unrecognized medical condition: Misophonia, the distress at hearing other people make chewing sounds. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1071: “Umbrella Progress on a Crowded Sidewalk”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2021 7:11


    In Podcast Episode #1071, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1070: “Kissing and Income Inequality”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2021 11:29


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. In Podcast Episode #1070, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners for Economics Christopher Watkins, Juan David Leongómez, Jeanne Bovet, Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, Max Korbmacher, Marco Antônio Corrêa Varella, Ana Maria Fernandez, Danielle Wagstaff, and Samuela Bolgan. They received the prize for trying to quantify the relationship between different countries' national income inequality and the average amount of mouth-to-mouth kissing. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1069: “What Sort of Person is Named Rupzóiyat”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2021 18:33


    In Podcast Episode #1069, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1068: “Eyebrows of Narcissists”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2021 10:33


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. In Podcast Episode #1068, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners for Psychology Miranda Giacomin and Nicholas Rule. They received the prize for devising a method to identify narcissists by examining their eyebrows. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1067: “Using Voodoo Dolls to Measure Aggression in Married Couples”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2021 8:40


    In Podcast Episode #1067, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to developmental biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1066: “Arachnophobia in Bug Scientists”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021 7:33


    The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. In Podcast Episode #1066, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Entomology Richard Vetter. Vetter received the prize for collecting evidence that many entomologists (scientists who study insects) are afraid of spiders, which are not insects. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1065: “The Physics of Skulking and Falling Cats”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2021 5:47


    In Podcast Episode #1065, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1064: “The Best Life Opera (Act 3)”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2021 10:39


    In Podcast Episode #1064, Marc Abrahams presents the third act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1063: “And Now, a Needle in the Rectum”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2021 6:54


    In Podcast Episode #1063, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to statistical geneticist Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1062: “Happiness from Painful Insect Stings”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2021 18:37


    In Podcast Episode #1062, Marc Abrahams shows a poetical research paper — about insect-sting pain — to QI Elves James Harkin, Dan Schreiber, Anne Miller, Steve Colgan, and Alex Bell. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1061: “Jean Berko Gleason’s Disgusting Word List”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2021 12:15


    In Podcast Episode #1061, psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason shares an unfortunate lexicon with Improbable founder Marc Abrahams. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1060: “How Much Saliva Does a Five-Year-Old Produce?”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2021 12:15


    In Podcast Episode #1060, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to aerospace engineer Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1059: “The Best Life Opera (Act 2)”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2021 7:33


    In Podcast Episode #1059, Marc Abrahams presents the second act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1058: “How Kids Learn to Say ‘Trick or Treat’”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2021 16:55


    In Podcast Episode #1058, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1057: “Fifty Shades, by Gray”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2021 13:40


    In Podcast Episode #1057, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1056: “Egg in Your Eye”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2021 8:38


    In Podcast Episode #1056, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1055: “The Best Life Opera (Act 1)”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2021 9:28


    In Podcast Episode #1055, Marc Abrahams presents the first act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1054: “Effect of Eating Garlic on Armpit Odor”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 12:07


    In Podcast Episode #1054, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1053: “Does One Armpit Smell Like the Other?”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2021 13:43


    In Podcast Episode #1053, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to synthetic biologist Christina Agapakis. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1052: “Do Frogs in Helium Get Squeaky Voices?”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2021 10:20


    In Podcast Episode #1052, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to developmental biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1051: “Did His Orgasm Lead to Blindness”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2021 14:01


    In Podcast Episode #1051, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to statistical geneticist Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Podcast Episode #1050: “Bottle-Cork in Your Eye”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2021 9:25


    In Podcast Episode #1050, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1049 “The M-through-Z of Social Dilemmas”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2021 5:53


    In episode #1049, Robin Abrahams explores some of the engineering in a classic research study Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1048: “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Dress”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2020 15:38


    In episode #1048, Marc Abrahams and Nicole Sharp analyze the engineering and the art of “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Dress". Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1047: “Garlic — Sensory Pleasure or Social Nuisance?”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2020 11:22


    In Episode #1047, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. The research mentioned in this episode is featured in the special Smelly issue (Vol. 22, #2) of the Annals of Improbable Research Magazine. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1046: “Standardized Food Glops”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2020 8:10


    In episode #1046, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

    Episode #1045: “Do Cats Sometimes Pay Some Attention to Their Owners?”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2020 18:34


    In Episode #1045, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue. The research mentioned in this episode is featured in the special Human Heads & Garlic Juice issue (Vol. 22, #1) of the Annals of Improbable Research Magazine. Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/improbableresearch/support

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