Strippers, armadillos inspire Ig Nobel winners

October 3, 2008 By MARK PRATT , Associated Press Writer

(AP) -- Deborah Anderson had heard the urban legends about the contraceptive effectiveness of Coca-Cola products for years. So she and her colleagues decided to put the soft drink to the test. In the lab, that is.



Content from The Associated Press expires 15 days after original publication date. For more information about The Associated Press, please visit www.ap.org .

Similar stories from PHYSorg:


Ethics debate over blood from newborn safety tests

created Feb 08, 2010 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Democracy put to the test

created Feb 08, 2010 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (4) | comments 4

Storm runoff and sewage treatment outflow contaminated with household pesticides

created Feb 02, 2010 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (5) | comments 2

Research may lead to new ways to transport and manipulate molecules

created Feb 02, 2010 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Girl's odyssey shows challenge of fighting obesity

created Feb 01, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1


   
Rate this story - 4.6 /5 (30 votes)

Rank Filter

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

  • D666 - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    I'd like to know *why* the dancers make more money. Do they smell different? Dance more agressively? Have more curves? Threaten their customers with knives?
  • Decaf - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
    I'd guess at peak fertility they would tend to be mentally more interested in what they're doing. The less fake the act appears, the more money they're likely to earn.
  • KB6 - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    If the strippers know about the phenomenon that alone could change there behavior and affect their earnings too.

    "Duke University behavioral economist Dan Ariely won an Ig Nobel for his study that found more expensive fake medicines work better than cheaper fake medicines."
    ---
    This reminds me of a study that showed that red placebo pills are more effective than blue ones.
  • KB6 - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: 4 / 5 (1)
    Oops, that's "their", not "there".

    The armadillo study has real merit. The level at which artifacts are found can have a profound effect on the interpretation. Apparently, burrowing animals could really screw that up.
  • Linktothepast - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
    "I'd like to know *why* the dancers make more money. Do they smell different? Dance more agressively? Have more curves? Threaten their customers with knives?"

    I guess it has something to do with the smell...

    No that i know anything about it..., cough, no....
  • TJ_alberta - Oct 03, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    D666 - my guess is you are correct about the pheromones. Now there is a proposition that can be tested.
  • D666 - Oct 08, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    D666 - my guess is you are correct about the pheromones. Now there is a proposition that can be tested.


    I hereby volunteer to help with the testing.


October 3, 2008 all stories

Comments: 7

4.6 /5 (30 votes)

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • Scientist explore future of high-energy physics
    created 20 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Electrons on the brink: Fractal patterns may be key to semiconductor magnetism (w/ Video)
    created Feb 05, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Scientist make a leap in quantum computing
    created Feb 05, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Prion leaves lasting mark on memory
    created Feb 04, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Enlisting a drug discovery technique in the battle against global warming
    created Feb 03, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

Other News

TED takes on 'What the world needs now'

Other Sciences / Other

created 1hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Let the mind-bending begin! A TED conference that attracts brilliant minds and challenges them to solve humanity's ills got underway Tuesday in the southern California city of Long Beach.


New research reveals burglars have changed their 'shopping list'

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created 1hour ago | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 2

Globalisation, and particularly cheaper electronic goods from China and the Far East, has altered behaviour among Britain's burglars according research in progress at the University of Leicester.


Study challenges bird-from-dinosaur theory of evolution - was it the other way around?

Study challenges bird-from-dinosaur theory of evolution - was it the other way around?

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created 13 hours ago | popularity 3.7 / 5 (11) | comments 4 | with audio podcast

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides yet more evidence that birds did not descend from ground-dwelling theropod dinosaurs, experts say, a ...


'Counterfactual' thinkers are more motivated and analytical, study suggests

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created 17 hours ago | popularity 4.4 / 5 (5) | comments 6 | with audio podcast

(PhysOrg.com) -- "If only I had..." Almost everyone has said those four words at some time. Rather than intensifying regret, '"what if" reflection about pivotal moments in the past helps people to weave a coherent life story, ...


The Glass Cliff: Female representation in politics and business

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Leadership positions in business have proven to be precarious for women. Female business leaders are more likely to be appointed to powerful leadership positions when an organization is in crisis or high-risk circumstances. ...