MikeLigalig.com

Sideways glance: A crab on Mars

Inhabitable? A skull seen on Mars

Over and out: A World War One helmet amongst the rubble?

Extinct theory: Is this a dinosaur spine on Mars?

Close Up: An 'iguana' seen on the planet - but is it just a rock?

Speaking to CNN, Ashwin Vasavada, a scientist who works on the Mars rover project, said: "We have color HD cameras on this rover that far exceed anything ever sent to the planet before.

"And yet in order to find these things that kind of trick your brain into thinking it's a mermaid or whatever, you do have to zoom in where it's kind of a fuzzy shadow at that point."

He could be referring to a phenomenon called pareidolia, which is where your brain recognises a familiar object or pattern even though its not actually there.

Or could he be wrong? You decide.

mirror.co.uk/

Crash Landing: This 'spaceship' has got theorists' tongues wagging

"The craft is only about 2.5-3 meters across, so it probably only held a few passengers. Since many of the figures we found on Mars are about 5-8 cm tall, then we can conclude that his [sic] ship could carry about 20-40 passengers."

But, as always, those spoilsport scientists have poured cold water on the theories with their silly, rational, well-informed reasoning.

Wild Life: A rat said to be on Mars by people with an impressive imagination

The latest wave in theories has been reignited after a popular UFO-spotting website said a spaceship may have landed on Mars.

Writing on the UFO Sightings Delay website, Scott C Waring said: "I found this anomaly in the latest Curiosity Rover photo. The black object looks like a crashed UFO.

Sighted: This apparently shows a mermaid on Mars

Others say they can clearly see a human skull, a levitating sphere and even a human woman.

But don't rush to blockade your front door in fear of a Martian attack just yet, as the female-shaped figure would only be 8cm tall once perspective has been taken into account, theorists predict.

to continue...

But for the more imaginative among us, the photos offer much more than simple glimpses of rock on a desolate desert landscape - they show signs of life.

While NASA aren't pursuing these leads just yet, that doesn't mean that there aren't mermaids, World War One helmets and spaceships on the planet.


The Egyptians seemingly made it to space

Because conspiracy-theorists have been doing some research of their own and have reached some staggering conclusions.

For instance, many believe they have spotted an Egyptian Pyramid on the planet.

which means nauna ang u.s. didto? read on to know who got there first...

Is there life on Mars? Bizarre photos of 'iguanas, mermaids and spaceships' send internet into frenzy

29 AUG 2015
BY GLEN JAMES

Conspiracy theorists claim to have spotted a variety of weird and wacky creatures patrolling the Red Planet from NASA photos

For most people, space exploration is awe-inspiring as we are continuously going beyond anything we once thought possible to relay information from far away planets.

For others, that just isn't quite enough.

Photographs beamed back to Earth from Mars taken by the Curiousity rover seem to offer a fascinating insight into the Red Planet owing to clearer-than- ever- before footage.


The figure of a 'woman' on the planet but apparently it's tiny

And he obliged me by belting out Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight," the other day; he may look like he's yawning in this photo, but he's actually singing the chorus of that country-western favorite:



-aproperbostonian.blogspot.com

of course he's singing; he's this "god save the queen" guy's idol.

Christianity, in one form or another, is the state religion of the following 14 nations:

Argentina (Roman Catholic Church)
Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu)
Tonga (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga)
Costa Rica (Roman Catholic Church)
Kingdom of Denmark (Danish National Church)
England (Church of England)
Greece (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Georgia (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Iceland (Church of Iceland)
Liechtenstein (Roman Catholic Church)
Malta (Roman Catholic Church)
Monaco (Roman Catholic Church)
Norway (Church of Norway)
Vatican City (Roman Catholic Church)

-wikipedia

Christianity is the predominant religion in Europe, Russia, the Americas, the Philippines, East Timor, Southern Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Oceania.

There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as Central Asia and the Middle East, where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam. The United States of America has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil and Mexico. (wikipedia)

The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.09 billion adherents. The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism (if it is considered a single group), or the Eastern Orthodox Church (if Protestants are considered to be divided into multiple denominations). (wikipedia)

As of the early 21st century, Christianity has approximately 2.4 billion adherents, out of about 7.2 billion people. The faith represents approximately one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. (wikipedia)

where the christians are

her name is carmen

my genius relative!

but i just saw you yesterday...

if so, then what else could be the fragile human condition being specifically referred to in the news item, except the aesthetic challenge and the missing TWO FRONT TEETH? paakon ta ka ron...

in the role of carmen, oh-la-la...

hahay. hands down na lang ko sa imong pagkadlikdikon. batot ay.

taym pa sa, diay iningles, atot ba ani... maayo gani wa mag-tibetan language si dalai lama.

Pope Francis blesses Asia, a guide dog belonging to Alessandro Forlani, at a Vatican media session. A visually impaired Italian radio journalist, Forlani was among the permanently accredited Vatican journalists invited for a personal greeting. -philstar.com

but of course, so does every cat have a day...


Proud puspin parents wait for their native cats to be blessed. -philstar.com

note: aspin - asong pinoy; puspin - pusang pinoy; aka askal and pusakal, respectively.

Multi-awarded writer and director "Direk" Joey Reyes hugs Phil, an aspin he adopted from the PAWS Shelter. He named his other adopted dog, James. -pep.ph

A Catholic priest sprinkles holy water on pet dogs during an animal blessing rites at the Malate church in Manila, Philippines on Sunday, October 5, 2014. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

A Filipino woman carries her dog as they attend mass before the animal blessing rites at the Malate church in Manila, Philippines on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015. -concordmonitor.com

in spain, the blessing of animals is on the occasion of the feast of st anthony.  in the philippines, it's on the feast of st francis of assisi.

Meanwhile, a third dog rests his head on a pew before mass inside the church
Susana Vera/Reuters

more at http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/jan/18/san-anton-day-pet-blessings-spain

Another dog, wrapped up warmly, receives the holy water at San Anton church
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

more at http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/jan/18/san-anton-day-pet-blessings-spain

Father Juan Manuel Villar blesses a visiting dog with holy water at San Anton church in the centre of Madrid
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

more at http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/jan/18/san-anton-day-pet-blessings-spain

Sunday best: hundreds of pet owners bring their animals to church on the day of St Anthony, Spain's patron saint of animals
Susana Vera/Reuters

more at http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/jan/18/san-anton-day-pet-blessings-spain

Man’s best friend deserves all the love and respect in the world, every day. Source: AP Photo/Binod Joshi

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

It must be uplifting to see so many appreciated dogs around the city; both strays and those with homes. Source: ofenmacher

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

This dog practically lives the adage that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Source: Diaadia

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

The festivals of Tihar are meant to commemorate not just the sacred bond humans hold with their creator, but also the divine in our relationships with living beings on Earth â€" something of which we should all take note from time to time.


Here, patrons dole out special treats in what is likely the dog’s favorite part of the festival by far. Source: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

Dogs play a significant role in Hindu mythology. Sarama â€" the mother of dogs â€" assists the ruler of Heaven, with dogs guarding the gates to the afterlife. Thus during the festival, all dogs â€" even strays â€" enjoy special treats, are decorated with malla (garlands of marigold), and colorful head markings to denote their sacredness. The markings, called tika, also serve to bless all who encounter the dog.

Dogs aren’t the only animals honored during the festival, though. Worshipers also pay tribute to cows (which signify wealth and prosperity) and crows, to which people make food offerings in order to deter sadness, grief and to banish death from their homes.


This jaunty little guy joins the police dogs in putting on a show. Source: Imgur

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

Most dog owners would do just about anything for their canine companions. In Nepal, Hindu populations take that affection to another level.

Coinciding with the traditional Hindu festival of Diwali, the people of Nepal reserve the second day of the annual five-day Tihar Festival to honor man’s best friend. On this day â€" called Kukur Tihar, or “worship of the dogs” â€" participants pay tribute to the divine attachment between humans and their faithful, four-legged companions.


A patient pup receives a garland of bright orange marigolds. Source: Connect Citizen

more at http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dog-festival-nepal#more-56319

Quote from: hubag bohol on August 06, 2015, 06:17:26 PM
Diay ba? Kini, hadlok jud ka...

sayang di ko makakita...

owww, you haven't heard of the martians and venusians and the case filed by the jupiterians?

maybe, though i can claim that i'm far from being bear-looking like someone named hubag.

hahaha, gakinatsila pa ang reincarnated lama.

a homily on the aesthetically challenged and loss of two front teeth? come on...

congratulations, mr webmaster!


Panorama of Lake Bled in winter

Bled is a town on Lake Bled in the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Bled. It is most notable as a popular tourist destination in the Upper Carniola region and in Slovenia as whole, attracting visitors from abroad too. (wikipedia)


Bled, Slovenia, view from the castle

“Large expanses of Pluto don’t show exposed water ice,” said science team member Jason Cook, of SwRI, “because it’s apparently masked by other, more volatile ices across most of the planet. Understanding why water appears exactly where it does, and not in other places, is a challenge that we are digging into.”

Pluto’s ice, scientists say, is red colored.

“We don’t yet understand the relationship between water ice and the reddish tholin colorants on Pluto's surface, said Silvia Protopapa, a science team member from the University of Maryland, College Park.

NASA said the New Horizons spacecraft is now approximately 5 billion kilometers from Earth.

voanews.com/

 
VOA News
October 08, 2015

Pluto has blue skies and water in ice form, according to the first color photos recently taken by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.

“Who would have expected a blue sky in the Kuiper Belt? It’s gorgeous,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, Colorado in a statement.

NASA said the particles that cause the blue haze are likely gray or red, but that they scatter blue light in the same way tiny nitrogen particles cause the Earth’s skies to appear blue.

On Pluto, the scientists said the particles called tholins are likely larger and “soot-like.”

The photos also revealed the presence of “numerous small, exposed regions of water ice” on the dwarf planet.

NASA: Pluto Has Blue Sky


Pluto’s haze layer shows its blue color in this picture taken by the New Horizons Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC). The high-altitude haze is thought to be similar in nature to that seen at Saturn’s moon Titan.

sound advice. it is better than just eating without sleeping...

kyut baya. ikaw gyod, no confidence. nahubog lang ka gabii mao nga nanghoy-ab ka pagpahulagway.

the female neutrinos...

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 20, 2015, 01:50:19 PM
Bwahaha! Nga dalikdikon kag utok is resoundingly confirmed!

I was referring to Mike's "6 Important Foreign Words" and not to Queen's post! OK try again, this time less dalikdikonly...

syalan ba... now pa man ni nako masakpi. uy, baghu, ang imong bogal2 nga challenge nako nagsunod sa post ni queen, that's why it's only logical... besides, intrinsic na ang sentence tungod sa mga meanings nga gihatag ni mr webmaster

Despite the plastic red bench, which has served as his de facto home for the last 15 years and must by now be a collector’s item vis-a-vis our trading partners, Bush still believes that the status quo â€" the presence in a sovereign country of a militant group with missiles in two carloads of fans circling the cul-de-sac that are no game console market per se, still the board on Friday ordered an ad hoc group to discuss the fate of President Paul Wolfowitz.

hahay, wa na bay laing nahitabo dinha sa san pedro sa davao? basin baya ug nilupad na ang manok ni san pedro, o nangitlog ba kaha. mas maayo pa ang balita kay sa ingon aning estorya ni tom ug jerry...

Quebec Mayor Refuses to Remove Pork from Schools-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:

The mayor of Quebec has resisted calls from the parents of Muslim children to remove pork from school cafeterias.

The Truth:

It’s not true that Muslim residents asked Quebec Mayor Régis Labeaume to remove pork from school lunch menus.

The eRumor first surfaced in 2013. The original version falsely claimed that the mayor of Ath, Belgium, had resisted requests from Muslims to remove pork from school lunch menus.

“Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Belgium, its customs, its traditions, its way of life, because that’ where they chose to immigrate,” Ath Mayor Marc Duvivier allegedly said.

However, Duvivier dismissed the claim as “completely wrong” and said nobody had requested that pork be removed from school cafeterias, according to a Belgian newspaper report.

A modified version of the eRumor re-surfaced in November 2014. The new version was exactly the same as the old version, except references to “the mayor of Ath” were changed to “the mayor of Quebec.”

There haven’t been any credible reports of Muslim parents requesting that pork be removed from schools in Quebec or Belgium.

Posted 11/10/14

link: http://www.truthorfiction.com/quebec-mayor-pork/

unfortunately, or fortunately...

HOAX - 'Dorval, Quebec Mayor Refuses to Remove Pork From School Canteens'

Outline

Circulating message claims that the mayor of Dorval, a city in Quebec Canada, refused to bow to Muslim demands to remove pork from local school canteen menus and explained his decision in a strident note sent to parents in the area.



Brief Analysis

The message is a hoax. The Dorval mayor did not write the words attributed to him and made no such comments. A news release on the Dorval City website denounces the message as false. The hoax is an altered version of an earlier piece that claimed that the mayor of a Belgium municipality refused Muslim demands to remove pork from school canteens. The original Belgium version was also a hoax.

more at http://www.hoax-slayer.com/dorval-mayor-refuses-remove-pork-school-canteens.shtml

Local Mayor Refuses to Remove Pork from School Canteen Menu and Explains Why

Muslim parents have demanded the abolition of pork in all the school
canteens of a Montreal suburb. It seems it is offensive to the Muslim
families and shows much disrespect.

The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Dorval, has refused, and the town
clerk sent a note to all parents in the municipality to explain why.
The following is what the note stated:

“Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and
Quebec, its customs, its traditions, its way of life, because that is
where they chose to immigrate. They must understand that they have to
integrate and learn to live in Quebec. They must understand that it is
for them to change their lifestyle, not the Canadians who so
generously welcomed them.”

“They must understand that Canadians are neither racist nor
xenophobic, they accepted many immigrants before Muslims (Whereas the
reverse is not true, in that ALL Muslim states do not accept
non-Muslim immigrants.).

“They must also understand that, no more than other nations, Canadians
are not willing to give up their identity nor their culture. And if
Canada is a land of welcome, it is not just the Mayor of Dorval who
welcomes foreigners, but the Canadian-Quebecois people as a whole."

“Finally, they must understand that in Canada (Quebec) with its
Judeo-Christian roots, Christmas trees, churches and religious
festivals, religion must remain in the private domain. Therefore, the
municipality of Dorval was right to refuse any concessions to Islam
and Sharia.”

“For Muslims who disagree with secularism and do not feel comfortable
in Canada, there are 57 beautiful Muslim countries in the world, most
of them under-populated and ready to receive them with open halal arms
in accordance with Shariah law. If you left your country for Canada,
and not for other Muslim countries, it is because you have considered
that life is better in Canada than elsewhere. So, ask yourself the
question, just once, “Why is it better here in Canada than where you
come from?”

“A canteen with pork is part of the answer.”

-facebook

Quote from: hubag bohol on October 05, 2015, 01:14:49 PMChina building new cities in the name of environmentalism is like Coca-Cola creating the Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness: It’s a marketing exercise that tries to spin something bad in a positive light. If China’s sole intention was to mitigate the environmental impact of its cities then it would introduce policies to make existing buildings more efficient â€" not build useless and wasteful faux-green projects.

uh-huh, they even build artificial islands and destroy the eco-balance of the seas...

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 28, 2015, 06:45:30 PM

great!

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 29, 2015, 05:14:22 PM

kidding.

The audience were encouraged to hit a 'target' standing on stage with their paper airplanes during the ceremony. Even Nobel Laureates sitting on the stage took part (pictured)

dailymail.co.uk/

During the raucous and often hilarious award ceremony at Harvard University, spectators threw hundreds of paper airplanes (pictured) while the winners accepted their awards

dailymail.co.uk/

PHYSIOLOGY and ENTOMOLOGY PRIZE

Awarded jointly to two individuals: Justin Schmidt [USA, CANADA], for painstakingly creating the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which rates the relative pain people feel when stung by various insects; and to Michael L. Smith [USA, UK, THE NETHERLANDS], for carefully arranging for honey bees to sting him repeatedly on 25 different locations on his body, to learn which locations are the least painful (the skull, middle toe tip, and upper arm). and which are the most painful (the nostril, upper lip, and penis shaft).

REFERENCE: "Hemolytic Activities of Stinging Insect Venoms," Justin O. Schmidt, Murray S. Blum, and William L. Overal, Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, vol. 1, no. 2, 1983, pp. 155-160.
REFERENCE: "Honey Bee Sting Pain Index by Body Location," Michael L. Smith, PeerJ, 2014, 2:e338.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Justin Schmidt and Michael Smith



Taking Stings for the Team

The Ig Nobel for Physiology and Entomolgy was awarded to two scientists.

Justin Schmidt was honored for creating the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which rates the relative pain people feel when stung by various insects.

Michael L. Smith, meanwhile, was given mad Ig Nobel props for carefully letting honey bees sting him repeatedly, on 25 different locations on his body, to learn which locations are the least painful (the skull, middle toe tip, and upper arm) and which are the most painful (the nostril, upper lip, and penis shaft). Eeeeow! Now that's dedication!



sources: news.discovery.com/, dailymail.co.uk/, improbable.com/

DIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE PRIZE

Diallah Karim [CANADA, UK], Anthony Harnden [NEW ZEALAND, UK, US], Nigel D'Souza [BAHRAIN, BELGIUM, DUBAI, INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA, US, UK], Andrew Huang [CHINA, UK], Abdel Kader Allouni [SYRIA, UK], Helen Ashdown [UK], Richard J. Stevens [UK], and Simon Kreckler [UK], for determining that acute appendicitis can be accurately diagnosed by the amount of pain evident when the patient is driven over speed bumps.

REFERENCE: "Pain Over Speed Bumps in Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis: Diagnostic Accuracy Study," Helen F. Ashdown, Nigel D'Souza, Diallah Karim, Richard J. Stevens, Andrew Huang, and Anthony Harnden, BMJ, vol. 345, 2012, e8012.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Diallah Karim, Anthony Harnden, Helen Ashdown, Nigel D'Souza, Abdel Kader Allouni



Speed Bumps: The New Diagnostic Tool

A raft of medical researchers teamed up to figure out that an acute appendicitis can be accurately diagnosed by the amount of pain evident when the patient is driven over speed bumps. For this, the scientists took home a Diagnostic Medicine Ig Nobel.

BIOLOGY PRIZE

Bruno Grossi, Omar Larach, Mauricio Canals, Rodrigo A. Vásquez [CHILE], José Iriarte-Díaz [CHILE, USA], for observing that when you attach a weighted stick to the rear end of a chicken, the chicken then walks in a manner similar to that in which dinosaurs are thought to have walked.

REFERENCE: "Walking Like Dinosaurs: Chickens with Artificial Tails Provide Clues about Non-Avian Theropod Locomotion," Bruno Grossi, José Iriarte-Díaz, Omar Larach, Mauricio Canals, Rodrigo A. Vásquez, PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 2, 2014, e88458. [NOTE: The paper is accompanied by a video.>

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Bruno Grossi, José Iriarte-Díaz, Omar Larach, Rodrigo A. Vásquez



Chicken-a-Saurus Rex?

Bruno Grossi, Omar Larach, Mauricio Canals, Rodrigo A. Vásquez, and José Iriarte-Díaz were awarded a Biology Ig Nobel for observing that when you attach a weighted stick to the rear end of a chicken, the chicken then walks in a manner similar to that in which dinosaurs are thought to have walked.

MATHEMATICS PRIZE

Elisabeth Oberzaucher [AUSTRIA, GERMANY, UK] and Karl Grammer [AUSTRIA, GERMANY], for trying to use mathematical techniques to determine whether and how Moulay Ismael the Bloodthirsty, the Sharifian Emperor of Morocco, managed, during the years from 1697 through 1727, to father 888 children.

REFERENCE: "The Case of Moulay Ismael-Fact or Fancy?" Elisabeth Oberzaucher and Karl Grammer, PLOS ONE, vol. 9, no. 2, 2014, e85292.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Elisabeth Oberzaucher



Fathering 888 Children, by the Numbers

The top Mathematics Ig Nobel prize went to Elisabeth Oberzaucher and Karl Grammer for trying to use math to determine whether and how Moulay Ismael the Bloodthirsty, the Sharifian Emperor of Morocco, managed, during the years from 1697 through 1727, to father 888 children.

MEDICINE PRIZE

Awarded jointly to two groups: Hajime Kimata [JAPAN, CHINA]; and to Jaroslava Durdiaková [SLOVAKIA, US, UK], Peter Celec [SLOVAKIA, GERMANY], Natália Kamodyová, Tatiana Sedláčková, Gabriela Repiská, Barbara Sviežená, and Gabriel Minárik [SLOVAKIA], for experiments to study the biomedical benefits or biomedical consequences of intense kissing (and other intimate, interpersonal activities).

REFERENCE: "Kissing Reduces Allergic Skin Wheal Responses and Plasma Neurotrophin Levels," Hajime Kimata, Physiology and Behavior, vol. 80, nos. 2-3, November 2003, pp. 395-8.
REFERENCE: "Reduction of Allergic Skin Weal Responses by Sexual Intercourse in Allergic Patients," Hajime Kimata, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, vol 19, no. 2, May 2004, pp. 151-4.
REFERENCE: "Kissing Selectively Decreases Allergen-Specific IgE Production in Atopic Patients," Hajime Kimata, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 60, 2006, pp. 545â€" 547.
REFERENCE: "Prevalence and Persistence of Male DNA Identified in Mixed Saliva Samples After Intense Kissing," Natália Kamodyová, Jaroslava Durdiaková, Peter Celec, Tatiana Sedláčková, Gabriela Repiská, Barbara Sviežená, and Gabriel Minárik, Forensic Science International Genetics, vol. 7, no. 1, January 2013, pp. 124â€"8.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Jaroslava Durdiaková and Peter Celec will be at the ceremony. Hajime Kimata will be at the Ig Informal Lectures, on Saturday, Sept 19 (a prior commitment prevented him from attending the Thursday ceremony); he sent a video acceptance speech which was played at the Thursday night ceremony.



The Upsides of Smooching

A research team from the United States, Europe and Asia were handed a Medicine Ig Nobel for studying the biomedical benefits or biomedical consequences of intense kissing and other intimate, interpersonal activities.

ECONOMICS PRIZE

The Bangkok Metropolitan Police [THAILAND], for offering to pay policemen extra cash if the policemen refuse to take bribes.

REFERENCE: Numerous news reports.

Be Good, Get Bonus Cash

Thailand's Bangkok Metropolitan Police force found a way to one-up the local bribery business. It snagged an Economics Ig Nobel for offering to pay its police officers extra cash if they refused to take bribes.

MANAGEMENT PRIZE

Gennaro Bernile [ITALY, SINGAPORE, USA], Vineet Bhagwat [USA, INDIA], and P. Raghavendra Rau [UK, INDIA, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, GERMANY, JAPAN], for discovering that many business leaders developed in childhood a fondness for risk-taking, when they experienced natural disasters (such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and wildfires) that â€" for them â€" had no dire personal consequences.

REFERENCE: "What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You More Risk-Loving: Early-Life Disasters and CEO Behavior," Gennaro Bernile, Vineet Bhagwat, and P. Raghavendra Rau, accepted for publication in the Journal of Finance, 2015.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Gennaro Bernile and P. Raghavendra Rau



Disaster Dodgers Make Good Managers

Researchers Gennaro Bernile, Vineet Bhagwat, and P. Raghavendra Rau took home a Management Ig Nobel for figuring out that many business leaders got a taste for risk-taking from experiencing natural disasters when they were children that had no dire personal consequences for them.

So, apparently, survive an earthquake, volcano eruption or tsunami as a child and you could be well on your way to a seat in the boardroom.

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 28, 2015, 04:01:13 PM

left to right: hubag, bugsay, chicogon, lollapalooza, wards

not in photo: lorenz, who is still at the emergency room; balong, who is still in wall street

LITERATURE PRIZE

Mark Dingemanse [THE NETHERLANDS, USA], Francisco Torreira [THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, USA], and Nick J. Enfield [AUSTRALIA, THE NETHERLANDS], for discovering that the word "huh?" (or its equivalent) seems to exist in every human language â€" and for not being quite sure why.

REFERENCE: "Is 'Huh?' a universal word? Conversational infrastructure and the convergent evolution of linguistic items," Mark Dingemanse, Francisco Torreira, and Nick J. Enfield, PLOS ONE, 2013. [a video accompanies the paper.]

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: The authors were unable to attend the ceremony; they sent a video acceptance speech. They will receive their prize at a special event in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on October 3: The European Ig Nobel Show

Huh?

"Huh" or its equivalent is an expression that exists in every human language, and a team of scientists hailing from the Netherlands to the United States to Belgium to Australia was honored with a Literature Ig Nobel for being able to nail down that linguistic nugget.

The team got the award not only for the discovery but also for not being sure why what they learned was true. Huh?

PHYSICS PRIZE

Patricia Yang [USA and TAIWAN], David Hu [USA and TAIWAN], and Jonathan Pham, Jerome Choo [USA], for testing the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds).

REFERENCE: "Duration of Urination Does Not Change With Body Size," Patricia J. Yang, Jonathan Pham, Jerome Choo, and David L. Hu, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014: 201402289.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Patricia Yang, David Hu, Jonathan Pham, Jerome Choo



Peeing for 21 Seconds is Universal

The Physics Ig Nobel prize went to Taiwan and U.S. researchers for "testing the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds)."

CHEMISTRY PRIZE

Callum Ormonde and Colin Raston [AUSTRALIA], and Tom Yuan, Stephan Kudlacek, Sameeran Kunche, Joshua N. Smith, William A. Brown, Kaitlin Pugliese, Tivoli Olsen, Mariam Iftikhar, Gregory Weiss [USA], for inventing a chemical recipe to partially un-boil an egg.

REFERENCE: "Shear-Stress-Mediated Refolding of Proteins from Aggregates and Inclusion Bodies," Tom Z. Yuan, Callum F. G. Ormonde, Stephan T. Kudlacek, Sameeran Kunche, Joshua N. Smith, William A. Brown, Kaitlin M. Pugliese, Tivoli J. Olsen, Mariam Iftikhar, Colin L. Raston, Gregory A. Weiss, ChemBioChem, epub January 2015.

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Callum Ormonde, Tivoli Olsen, Colin Raston, Greg Weis



Un-Boiled Egg Cracks 2015 Ig Nobel Awards List

SEP 18, 2015 
BY DISCOVERY NEWS

You Can't Un-Ring a Bell, But You Can Un-Boil an Egg

If it's September, it must be time once again for scientists to take a playful poke in the eye from Improbable Research's Ig Nobel prize. The goal of the award is to honor "achievements that first make people LAUGH, and then make them THINK," according to Improbable Research.

Last night's awards, handed out at Harvard University's Sanders Theater, did not disappoint. Let's take a look at the winners.

The Chemistry prize was awarded to a team of scientists from the United States and Australia that devised a chemical recipe for partially un-boiling an egg.

The 2015 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

The 2015 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded on Thursday night, September 17th, 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, at Harvard's Sanders Theatre. The ceremony was webcast.

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A muslim livestock vendor covers his face, as Indian Municipal corporation workers spray DDT to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne dengue and chikungunya viruses

One year before Moniz, the medicine prize jury honoured Swiss scientist Paul Mueller for his discovery that DDT could be used to kill insects that spread malaria.

DDT was later banned worldwide, after it was discovered to pose a threat to humans and wildlife.

Nonetheless, pesticides went on to play a role in another Nobel.

In 1970, US biologist Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize for introducing modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan and India, including genetic crossbreeding.

phys.org/

Scorned laureates

Hahn's discovery as such was not so controversial, only the later application of it.


Portrait taken 3 march 1959 German physical chemist Otto Hahn, decorated with chain of president of Max-Planck-Society, for his 80th birthday

The same cannot be said for some other Nobel research, including that of Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz, who won the 1949 Nobel Medicine Prize "for his discovery of the therapeutic value of leucotomy in certain psychoses".

Today the brain surgery procedure is known as a lobotomy and is only used in rare circumstances. The Nobel Foundation's website notes soberly that the surgery was "controversial".

Bengt Jansson, a psychiatrist and former member of the medicine prize selection committee, wrote: "I see no reason for indignation at what was done in the 1940s as at that time there were no other alternatives!"

Chemical treatments for mental illnesses were later developed.

And then there are the laureates blasted by environmentalists.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' choice is bewildering, especially given its apparent urgency right after the damages just wreaked by the bombs.

Nobel archives reveal that the Academy had wanted to honour Hahn already in 1940. As of 1944, he was considered by his peers as a "secret Nobel laureate" who just needed to wait until the end of the war to collect his prize.

According to a 1995 article in the scientific journal Nature, Hahn's nomination was supported by academics who saw himâ€"the only candidate nominated for the Nobel Chemistry Prize in 1944â€"as a laureate worthy of the science prize regardless of political considerations. Other jury members would have preferred to wait to find out more about the US' top-secret war-time research on the bomb, but they were in the minority.

Hahn ultimately won the 1944 prize, though it was only awarded to him after the end of the war in 1945.

Odd timing

The 1918 controversy might have encouraged the Stockholm jury to think carefully about the laureates they choose after a conflict.


The 1962 Nobel Prize medal awarded to Dr. Francis Crick for discovering the structure of DNA

Yet in November 1945, just three months after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Nobel chemistry prize honoured the discovery of nuclear fission.

The laureate was another German, Otto Hahn, whose 1938 discovery was crucial to the development of atomic bombs.

However, Hahn never worked on the military applications of his discovery and upon learning, while in captivity as a prisoner-of-war in England, that a nuclear bomb had been dropped, he told his fellow captives: "I am thankful we (Germany) didn't succeed" in building the bomb.

After Germany's defeat in the war, "he didn't expect to win a prize. He was more afraid of a court martial," Swedish chemist Inger Ingmanson, who wrote a book about Haber's prize, told AFP.

"Some saw it as a Germanophile prize. There were people who had wanted Sweden to join the war alongside Germany."

The prize remains one of the most contested Nobels ever awardedâ€"the jury had to be aware of Haber's role in, and the effects of, chlorine gas being used in the trenches. But he had also brought the world revolutionary fertilizers.

French chemist Victor Grignard, who also developed poisonous gases, won a Nobel prize too, but that was in 1912, before the outbreak of World War I and before their uses in warfare.

When the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize went to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, it was perhaps a way of making up for the Nobel "war prize" it awarded to German chemist Fritz Haber in 1918.

Haber was honoured with the chemistry prize for his work on the synthesis of ammonia, which was crucial for developing fertilizers for food production.

But Haber, known as the "father of chemical warfare", also developed poisonous gases used in trench warfare in World War I at the Battle of Ypres which he supervised himself.

The dark side of Nobel prizewinning research

October 4, 2015
by Hugues Honore


The statue representing Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm

Think of the Nobel prizes and you think of groundbreaking research bettering mankind, but the awards have also honoured some quite unhumanitarian inventions such as chemical weapons, DDT and lobotomies.

Numerous Nobel prize controversies have erupted over the years: authors who were overlooked, scientists who claimed their discovery came first, or peace prizes that divided public opinion.

But some of the science prizes appear in hindsight to be embarrassing choices by the committees.

A few guards supervise the work of hundreds of criminals wielding sharp tools [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

The report singled out "Balsahan", the natural swimming pool at Iwahig. Although tourists are charged an entrance fee, the report stated "there is no official receipt or any proof of payment issued to paying visitors … Therefore, there is great probability that corruption may occur".

But James Ali, the father of one of the children swimming in the pool, said concerns such as transparency are trumped by the benefits offered at this prison without walls.

"I don't think they're bad people," he said, pointing at one of the inmates. "Anyone is capable of doing what they did if forced by the circumstances. Everyone deserves a second chance".

Follow Angel L Martinez Cantera on Twitter: @AngelLMartnez

Source: Al Jazeera

Araceli Gaddi criticises the prison's new policy forbidding her husband Dick from living with her [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Although penal farms see fewer escape attempts than other Philippine jails - only 20 have occurred at Iwahig in the past decade - a successful June 2014 jailbreak of seven prisoners led authorities to forbid convicts from sleeping outside the barracks.

Some inmates have alleged deficiencies in the prison's management.

A report from the Philippines' Ombudsman published in 2007 - the last year the report was published - noted "political patronage or bribery" in the colony, as well as a lack of transparency regarding the prisoners' income generated by the farm.

Inmates can make artwork and handicrafts to sell to tourists [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Twenty-nine-year-old Jeffrey, who sells his paintings at the prison, considers his sentence to be disproportionate: He is serving 15 years for stealing a car.

"I don't like it in here. My family can't come and visit because this island is too far from Manila," said Jeffrey, who also complains about food shortages in the prison.

Similarly, Araceli Gaddi, 62, criticised the prison's new regulations. "Rules are getting tougher. My husband can't live outside any more."

She lives in the hut set up for prisoners' families, but her husband has to sleep in the barracks. Since Gaddi moved to the colony in 1993 as the wife of an inmate, both her and her husband Dick were allowed to live together in a hut, where they raised their three children and a grandson. But that is no longer an option.

Except for the 400 maximum-security inmates who are kept isolated, all convicts learn a trade [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Today, only 20 minimum-security inmates live with their families inside Iwahig.

Convicts belonging to this group earn up to 200 pesos ($4.30) monthly, whereas medium-security convicts only earn half as much. An advisory board periodically reviews each case to determine a prisoner's status.

A portion of their earnings must be kept in a trust account until inmates finish their terms so they have some savings after being released.

Not all prisoners here are happy at Iwahig.

Convicted murderer Oscar Omisol takes care of a vegetable plot inside the colony [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

"The idea of this prison is to rehabilitate criminals, so that the minimum-security inmates feel integrated within the community. Our main mission is no longer only punitive but information and restorative justice," Iwahig's Superintendent Antonio C Cruz told Al Jazeera.

Created in 1904 by the American colonial government that ruled the Philippines at the time, Iwahig's location kept the most dangerous Filipino criminals isolated.

When the Philippines won independence after World War II, those who had served out their term were given the option to own land for free, depending on their conduct. Security measures softened in the 1970s, allowing some convicts' families to move inside the penal farm.

Iwahig is the Philippines' most productive penal farm, as it generates 15 percent of the facility's income [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Only three armed guards - found leaning back in the shade of a faded roof - supervise thieves, murderers and other felons as they hack away the weeds.

Although it would take just half an hour to run away with their long cleavers, the inmates instead stand quietly in front of guards for the prisoner count, which takes place three times a day.

Aside from the maximum-security inmates, who are kept isolated, all convicts learn a trade, including farming, fishing, forestry and carpentry.

These income-generating activities allow the authorities to partially recoup the money spent on the prisoners' upkeep.

The prison and its 3,186 convicts are just 14km away from Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan province, a top tourist destination near stunning dive sites and a giant underground river system.


Minimum security inmate Edwin sells cookies and peanuts to children at Iwahig's natural swimming pool [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Surrounded by a thick coastal mangrove forest and a mountain range, the 26,000-hectare jail - which is more than twice the size of Paris - offers a unique approach to reforming criminals.

"I stabbed a man to death," recalled 36-year-old inmate Effren Espinosa Jr as he waved a machete. "Here conditions are better than in other prisons, and guards treat us with dignity," he said before resuming his clearing duties in the garden.

As many as 200 minimum-security inmates are responsible for farming and office-related work, as well as for supervising the tasks of the medium-security inmates. Nearly 1,000 of the latter, who wear blue T-shirts, take care of the rice paddies, coconut plantations, corn fields and vegetable plots scattered across the prison grounds.

Life inside the Philippines' prison without walls

Twice the size of Paris, the open-air Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm offers a unique approach to reforming criminals.

Angel L. Martinez Cantera | 07 Oct 2015


Iwahig Prison is one of five penal farms in the country and among the world’s largest open-air jails [Angel L Martinez Cantera/Al Jazeera]

Puerto Princesa, Philippines - Edwin Ymsom has already spent five years in prison for robbery and has another 10 years to go.

Although he is incarcerated, he openly sells cookies and peanuts to children at a swimming pool. Nearby, a few hundred prisoners armed with sharp-edged sickles cut grass.

The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in the Philippines is one of the world's largest open-air jails. Instead of concrete walls, the prison is surrounded by a wire fence. A single guard at the entrance gate greets tourists and criminals' relatives without inspecting them.

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