Marc Abrahams's Blog, page 46

How to reverse the apparent meaning of a press release

Phrasing something a different way can flip its apparent meaning. Here’s an example. A press release begins by saying this:

“Adults over 50 who sleep for five hours or less per night have a greater risk of developing more than one chronic disease…”

Now re-phrase that — in a way that is equally true — and its apparent meaning, suggesting what causes what, seems to become almost opposite:

“Adults over 50 who have a greater risk of developing more than one chronic disease… sleep for five hours or less per night…”

That press release, and that study

That press release, dated October 18, 2022, is headlined “Golden slumbers: shorter sleep in later life linked with multimorbidity“. It concerns a study published in the research journal PLoS Medicine.

The study, the subject of the press release, is: Sabia S, Dugravot A, Léger D, Ben Hassen C, Kivimaki M, Singh-Manoux A (2022) Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study. PLoS Med 19(10): e1004109. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004109

How it plays out in the press

You can see how this plays out in news reports by doing a little googling. Or closely reading the New York Times report., which says: “a recent study found that adults over 50 who slept for five hours or less each night had a greater risk of developing chronic diseases than those who slept for at least seven hours.”

Gassing and Braking, and the Self

2007 was a stellar year for psychological essays about gassing and braking and the self. At least one such essay was published that year, namely: “Gassing, Braking, and Self-Regulating: Error Self-Regulation, Well-Being, and Goal-Related Processes,” Michael D. Robinson, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, January 2007, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 1–16. The author, at North Dakota State University, begins by explaining that:

“One should not treat the gas and brake pedals equivalently. The two pedals are designed to serve fundamentally different functions, namely those associated with going forward and slowing down, respectively.”

What will happen if you fall into a pool of honey?

This video, made by iFaces in Pakistan, asks the plain question “What will happen if you fall into a pool of honey?” The answer it presents involves some Ig Nobel Prize-winning research about swimming:

Holy Nitpicking, Deepak Chopra Unappreciated, Vulvas for Dummies

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has three segments. Here’s how they begin:

Holy nitpicking — Nitpicking often draws criticism, but Gérard Lucotte, Areki Izri and Thierry Thomasset didn’t let that deter them from publishing their sixth article in a series of keen looks at some old hairs….Quantum Spirituality — Feedback was amused that the person who has best demonstrated that quantum is valuable – that the word “quantum” has measurable financial worth – went unmentioned when this year’s Nobel prize in physics was announced to honour research that tested the reality of quantum entanglement. Deepak Chopra has spent decades entangling the word quantum into public discussions of spirituality, happiness and success….Vulvas for dummies — Matthew J. Zdilla suggested that Feedback take a look at his report called “What is a vulva?”, published recently in the journal Anatomical Science International…..

Handedness and Hobby Preference in Greece

Left and right and hobbies in Greece all existed for a long time before anyone took a long look into whether they might be connected or interrelated. That long look gets a writeup in the study: “Handedness and Hobby Preference,” O. Giotakos, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 98, no. 3, part 1, June 2004, pp. 869-72.

The author, at Tripolis Army Hospital, Greece, reports:

“Analysis showed more cultured individuals were much less likely to be strongly right-handed. Especially, pure right-handedness highly overrepresented among those who mainly preferred doing sports, pure left-handedness among those who preferred reading books, collecting, or going to the cinema/theater, and mixed-handedness among those who preferred arts, like playing music, drawing, or handicraft. The findings support evidence that handedness is associated with hobby preference.”

Joyous Thank-You Note From a Dead Man

I sent this note to the editors of the Somaliland news site Wargeyska Dawan:

Dear editors,

I learned from your news report today
<https://wargeyskadawan.com/2022/10/24/abaal-marinta-farxadda-iyo-qosolka/>
that I am dead.

In the year 2003, the Ig Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the founder of the Association of Dead People. I am now qualified to apply for membership in that Association. Thank you for making me aware of this opportunity.

Sincerely and improbably,
Marc Abrahams

Here is the text of the Wargeyska Dawan report, machine-translated into English:

Rewarding Joy and Laughter!
By Adnan – October 24, 2022

A ceremony called Ig Nobel was held this September at Harvard University in the United States, and the Ig Nobel prize was awarded to three winners.

The Ig Nobel Prize is awarded to people who win things that make people laugh. This year includes different topics such as physics, biology, and others.

The competition meeting this time was attended by scientists who presented funny and surprising scientific ideas. One of the questions is “Is the cat liquid or solid?” And why do you take a crocodile if you have good luck, and how can you take it?

The award was established by the late Mark Abrahams, editor of the journal “Unstoppable Research”. He said the purpose is to encourage people to do good and bad research so that everything can be known scientifically.

Abrahams said in a few words, “The award shows an unusual way of looking at the winner. The aim is to make a competition for the society in every aspect because it is difficult for some people to decide that they are important and can bring an idea, if not Encouragement and no competition.

 

 

An excellent Kiwi exploration of the Ig Nobel Prizes

This is an especially fun and thoughtful exploration of the Ig Nobel Prizes, on Radio New Zealand: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUR7QhX9ygQ

 

Cat’s Paws for Paratroopers, Hijacker Patent, Neom Ratio Sighting

This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has three segments. Here’s how they begin:

Seeking a soft landing — The elegant structure of a naturally evolved cat’s paw has inspired a new way to protect paratroopers’ legs….A bit Heath Robinson — The cat’s-paw-pads-for-paratrooper-protection patent reminds Feedback, a little, of a patent granted to Gustano Pizzo in 1972. Pizzo engineered an electromechanical system to trap aeroplane hijackers….A Neom ratio sighting — Reader Jason Bradbury sent in the first plausible sighting of the Neom ratio on display somewhere other than in Neom. The Neom ratio is based on the proportions of a city planned to be built in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia….

The Proper Way to Make a Cup of Tea

Experts, especially British experts, both agree and disagree on the question: What is the proper way to make a cup of tea? Investigator Gary Dryfoos reminds us that there are audiovisual materials documenting some of those views. Here are a few of those materials. One might keep in mind that there is an official British standard, and that that standard — six pages in length —was honored with the 1999 Ig Nobel Literature Prize.

The final item on the list, below, conveys an innovative opinion, from the Thames Valley Police, as to the importance of knowing the proper way.

The Ig Nobel Story-Videos of Alice Carter

Alice Carter has produced a series of short videos in each of which she tells the story of one or another Ig Nobel Prize winner. Here are the first four episodes of that series.

Premi Ignobel – I gatti sono liquidi?Premi Ignobel – Come trasportare un rinoceronte?Premi Ignobel – il pane imburrato

 

Premi Ignobel – incidenti con le zip