{"id":57813,"date":"2015-11-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/uncategorized\/writer-humorist-marc-abrahams-to-talk-about-humor-and-science-at-uri-dec-8-for-honors-colloquium\/"},"modified":"2015-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"writer-humorist-marc-abrahams-to-talk-about-humor-and-science-at-uri-dec-8-for-honors-colloquium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2015\/11\/writer-humorist-marc-abrahams-to-talk-about-humor-and-science-at-uri-dec-8-for-honors-colloquium\/","title":{"rendered":"Writer, humorist Marc Abrahams to talk about humor and science at 溏心vlog免费B站, Dec. 8, for Honors Colloquium"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\tKINGSTON, R.I., Nov. 30, 2015 \u2013 Why don\u2019t woodpeckers get headaches? Why did a guy who pricked his finger smell putrid for five years? And is it true that people who wear socks on the outside of their winter boots are less likely to slip, fall and die?<\/p>\n


\nBelieve it or not, scientists investigated these strange \u2013 and funny \u2013 questions, and Marc Abrahams rewarded the researchers with something just as weird: the Ig Nobel Prize, a parody of the Nobel Prize.<\/p>\n


\nAbrahams will talk about science and humor during a talk Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the 溏心vlog免费B站 for the Honors Colloquium about the \u201cPower of Humor.\u201d His talk, free and open to the public, will start at 7 p.m. in Edwards Hall, 64 Upper College Road.<\/p>\n


\nThose unable to attend the lecture can watch it live online at 溏心vlog免费B站 Live!<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n


\nFor more than two decades, Abrahams has been browsing research journals for scientific studies that are odd and creative. Besides organizing the Ig Nobels, he also edits the bimonthly \u201cAnnals of Improbable Research.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nAbrahams also writes for other publications on science, technology, medicine and other topics. He has been a commentator for ABC-TV\u2019s \u201cWorld News Now\u201d and National Public Radio\u2019s \u201cScience Friday\u201d program.<\/p>\n


\nBy the way, woodpeckers don\u2019t get headaches because their brains are \u201cpackaged\u201d in their skulls in a different way. Abrahams says their brains do not \u201cslosh around\u201d like human brains.<\/p>\n


\n溏心vlog免费B站 chatted with him recently about his work, science and amusing studies.<\/p>\n

What do you plan to talk about at 溏心vlog免费B站?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nI want to talk about things \u2014 in science and in everything else \u2014 that are so surprising they make you laugh, and THEN make you think. Mostly, these are things so outside most people’s experience that they almost force you to have that reaction.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the role of humor in science?<\/b> <\/p>\n


\nIt’s built in. There’s a long tradition in America, though, to pretend that science is a very earnest endeavor \u2014 too serious to be amused at. So serious that people should take everything at face value. That’s crazy. Science is, essentially, an attitude, and a habit, of taking NOTHING at face value.<\/p>\n

Do you think more kids will get interested in science if educators talk about the humor, as well as the significance?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nNot if they talk ABOUT humor. Talking ABOUT humor tends to remove the, uh, humor of the things they’re talking about. Many things just ARE funny, if you step back and let yourself look at them, rather than nod your head and agree with the explanation that someone told you. At the moment you’re laughing with or at those things, you are also paying attention to them. And maybe you’ll even be inclined to pay a little more attention, and think about those things on your own. <\/p>\n

You got your degree in applied math from Harvard and worked for computer and software companies. What inspired you to go into the funny business?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nI think I was just born this way and then nurtured it, with lots of loving goading from relatives, teachers and friends. I collect and describe things. I don’t much make jokes about them. Reality is usually funnier than something that’s concocted.<\/p>\n

Where do you find these odd studies? You must read thousands of journals?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nI skim many sources. And every day people \u2014 scientists, journalists and all sorts of other people in all sorts of places \u2014 send me a stream of things.<\/p>\n

Tell us about the study on why woodpeckers don’t get headaches. How about that sock-over-the boots study?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nThe woodpecker studies (the researchers did several) were scoffed at at the time. Dr. Ivan Schwab even then was saying that this question would help doctors understand how and why football players are so susceptible to brain damage. People in general are more inclined to think seriously about that, these days.<\/p>\n


\nThe socks\/boots study, done on an icy, hilly city street in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, showed that an old folk belief there probably does lead to fewer winter slip-and-fall injuries for people who wear their socks over, rather than under, their boots.<\/p>\n

We just have to ask about this one: the brassiere that can quickly be made into a face mask.<\/b><\/p>\n


\nCorrection: it can be quickly separated into a PAIR of protective face masks, one for the bra wearer, and one for some lucky bystander. The patent gives construction details, and has memorable technical drawings. Dr. Elena Bodnar was a young physician in Ukraine when the Chernobyl power plant melted down. That led her, years later, to invent the Emergency Bra, which is now owned and presumably worn by women around the world.<\/p>\n

What are your favorite studies?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nThe ones that grabbed my attention immediately and never let go. One of them is a study published in a pretty obscure biology journal in The Netherlands. That paper is the first scientifically documented case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck. That paper led to many adventures. Another is the paper called “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments.” But these are just the edge of the tip of the iceberg. There are so very many others.<\/p>\n

One final question: Is it true that past Nobel Prize winners hand out the Ig Nobel prizes?<\/b><\/p>\n


\nYup. Beginning with the very first Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in 1991, the prizes are always physically handed to the Ig Nobel Prize winners by people who have Nobel Prizes. They seem to look at each other in utter wonder, as if they cannot quite believe this is happening, but are very happy to be, at that instant, the center of the universe.<\/p>\n


\nOther 溏心vlog免费B站 sponsors are Office of the President; Office of the Provost; The Mark and Donna Ross Honors Colloquium Humanities Endowment; The Thomas Silvia and Shannon Chandley Honors Colloquium Endowment; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Pharmacy; The Harrington School of Communication and Media; John Hazen White, Sr. Center for Ethics and Public Service; Gender and Women Studies Program; Theatre Department; Talent Development Program; College of Engineering; College of the Environment and Life Sciences; College of Human Science and Services; College of Business Administration; College of Nursing; Division of Student Affairs; Department of Marketing and Communications; Department of Publications and Creative Service; Instructional Technology and Media Services; ASF College of Continuing Education, 溏心vlog免费B站 Providence; and 溏心vlog免费B站 Family Weekend 2015.<\/p>\n


\nThis year\u2019s organizers of the colloquium are Rachel DiCioccio, professor of communication studies, and Brian Quilliam, associate dean and professor of pharmacy. For more information on colloquium events contact Deborah Gardiner at 401-874-2381 or debg@uri.edu.<\/p>\n


\nFor information about ways to support the Honors Colloquium, contact Lynne Derbyshire, 溏心vlog免费B站 professor of communication studies and Honors Program director, at 401-874-4732. If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please call 401-874-2303 at least three business days in advance.<\/p>\n


\nFor TTY assistance, please call the R.I. Relay Service at 800-745-5555.<\/p>\n


\nFor more details about the events, visit Honors Colloquium<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nPictured above: Marc Abrahams, editor and co-founder of the \u201cAnnals of Improbable Research.\u201d He will talk at 溏心vlog免费B站 for the annual Honors Colloquium on Dec. 8. Photo by David Kessler, courtesy of Marc Abrahams.\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I., Nov. 30, 2015 \u2013 Why don\u2019t woodpeckers get headaches? Why did a guy who pricked his finger smell putrid for five years? And is it true that people who wear socks on the outside of their winter boots are less likely to slip, fall and die? Believe it or not, scientists investigated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}