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by Molly McCall
Wed, November 14, 2007, 3:00 am PST

They're not kidding. The experiments detailed here are really and truly bizarre. The faint of heart may want to drift off to less peculiar realms. But those interested in traversing the wild side of science should step right up. In this list from The Museum of Hoaxes, drugged elephants are on parade, bulls are manipulated by remote control, and more than one housewife unintentionally subjects herself to "beneficial brainwashing": "People like you and need you. You have confidence in yourself." Such notorious psychological trials as the Stanford Prison Experiment and Stanley Milgram's tests of the limits of human obedience both surface. (The limits rarely come.) And a duo representing the Cold War's little-known "surgical arms race" makes the top 20. The Russians produced two-headed dogs, the Americans retaliated by transplanting a monkey's head, and Dr. Frankenstein felt right at home.

Filed under: Science, Weird Stuff

by Molly McCall
Wed, October 31, 2007, 8:00 am PDT

In less than a month, three teams of scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will ship off for "the bottom of the world"—Antarctica. From November 24 to December 23, the groups will sidle up to a dormant volcano, examine 300,000-year-old lava flows, scrutinize the health of the continent's rocks, and get to know the life and times of two penguin colonies facing global warming.

This is the third of four treks to the Earth's poles, Antarctica and the Arctic. If the past two expeditions are any measure, the media team accompanying the researchers will also do some heady stuff. The group behind Polar Discovery, the expedition's website, has shown its prowess at crafting an especially rich online experience. Thanks to them, interested parties from around the globe will be able to follow the field researchers through live calls, daily photojournals, videos, and the occasional sport of "polar fun."  Read the full profile...

by Trystan L. Bass
Wed, September 05, 2007, 8:00 am PDT

Science can be a tough, lonely job. And frankly, kind of boring to read about sometimes, unless it's filled with the scientific properties of backwash and statistical data about free throws. That's where the Cockeyed.com Science Club comes in. Rob Cockerham and his intrepid pals have been putting theories to the test for nearly a decade and documenting their work online.

In the early days of the Web, Rob made Yahoo! our very own Elvis (which still lives in our HQ), but we didn't let that influence our positive Pick in 2003. Recently, we caught up with the perpetually smiling science guy again to get the facts behind the lab coats.

Why did you start the Science Club?

Well, in the beginning, 1998, there were an unbelievably small number of web sites putting up original material. The whole Internet seemed to be made up of text and animated GIFs. Very few regular people were taking funny pictures of themselves and putting them online.

Heh, pretty different than today...

So after a couple of episodes of How Much Is Inside?, we expanded our attempts to document all sorts of mischief in pseudo-scientific terms.  Read the full profile...

by Jill Robinson
Mon, August 13, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

Ever wonder exactly how thunderstorms work? What about genetic fingerprinting? Do you have nightmares about getting stuck in quicksand? This group of (thoroughly clothed) Cambridge University researchers and physicians wants to answer your questions and help you have fun with science. Try an experiment, such as using simple kitchen objects to measure the speed of light, figuring out how to tell if an egg is raw, or discovering the simple magic required for making sugar cubes glow. Already think you're an Einstein? Test your knowledge of science with their quiz. Tune in to a podcast or read an article. Ask a question on their radio show or get it answered right now in the forums. Just think how all this new wisdom will impress your friends and family. They might start calling you "Doctor."

Filed under: Podcasts, Science

by Molly McCall
Thu, August 09, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

Consider the stray shopping cart. Ignored, derided, or abandoned—the four-wheeled pushcart rarely earns an understanding glance, much less an intricate classification of its species. Until Julian Montague came along. This artistic and scientific wunderkind has come up with an intricate taxonomy of shopping carts that have wandered from, or been shoved off, their natural habitats. Ponder first, Class A: the "false strays." See how they linger, possibly confused. Next, peruse Class B: "true strays." These bold contraptions have become true outsiders, exiled from their parking lot brethren. Site studies in Cleveland, Niagara Gorge, and along the Scajaquada Creek in Buffalo, NY have turned up fascinating and, yes, moving documentation of both types. But what of the shopping carts in your neighborhood? Wait no longer—observe, document, and classify!


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