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Improbable Research

Improbable Research

By Marc Abrahams

Research that makes people LAUGH, then THINK — research about anything and everything, from everywhere —research that's good or bad, important or trivial, valuable or worthless. Presented by Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony.
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Pocket-Sized: "Monkeys and College Students"

Improbable ResearchJun 03, 2020

00:00
09:09
Episode #1095: “Saliva and Frog Puppets”

Episode #1095: “Saliva and Frog Puppets”

In Podcast Episode #1095, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Jean Berko Gleason encounters:


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 22, 202215:06
Episode #1094: “Can You Navigate in a Crowd, While Distracted by Your Mobile Phone?”

Episode #1094: “Can You Navigate in a Crowd, While Distracted by Your Mobile Phone?”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1094, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Kinetics winners Hisashi Murakami, Claudio Feliciani, Yuta Nishiyama, and Katsuhiro Nishinari. They received the prize for conducting experiments to learn why pedestrians do sometimes collide with other pedestrians.

  • REFERENCE: “Mutual Anticipation Can Contribute to Self-Organization in Human Crowds,” Hisashi Murakami, Claudio Feliciani, Yuta Nishiyama, and Katsuhiro Nishinari, Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 12, 2021, p. eabe7758.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 08, 202210:25
Episode #1093: “Why Pedestrians Do Not Constantly Collide”

Episode #1093: “Why Pedestrians Do Not Constantly Collide”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1093, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Physics winners Alessandro Corbetta, Jasper Meeusen, Chung-min Lee, Roberto Benzi, and Federico Toschi. They received the prize for conducting experiments to learn why pedestrians do not constantly collide with other pedestrians.

  • REFERENCE: “Physics-based modeling and data representation of pairwise interactions among pedestrians,” Alessandro Corbetta, Jasper A. Meeusen, Chung-min Lee, Roberto Benzi, and Federico Toschi, Physical Review E, vol. 98, no. 062310, 20188.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 24, 202210:35
Episode #1092: “The Bacteria in Discarded, Chewed Chewing Gum”

Episode #1092: “The Bacteria in Discarded, Chewed Chewing Gum”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1092, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Ecology winners Leila Satari, Alba Guillén, Àngela Vidal-Verdú, and Manuel Porcar. They received the prize for using genetic analysis to identify the different species of bacteria that reside in wads of discarded chewing gum stuck on pavements in various countries.

  • REFERENCE: “The Wasted Chewing Gum Bacteriome,” Leila Satari, Alba Guillén, Àngela Vidal-Verdú, and Manuel Porcar, Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 16846, 2020.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 10, 202220:27
Episode #1091: “Hula Hoop Syndrome”

Episode #1091: “Hula Hoop Syndrome”

In Podcast Episode #1091, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Jean Berko Gleason encounters:

  • Hula-Hoop Syndrome,” Zafar H. Zaidi, Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 80, no. 9, May 1, 1959, pp. 715-716.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 27, 202212:49
Episode #1090: “Obesity of Politicians, Corruption in Countries”

Episode #1090: “Obesity of Politicians, Corruption in Countries”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1090, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Economics winners Pavlo Blavatskyy. They received the prize for discovering that the obesity of a country’s politicians may be a good indicator of that country’s corruption.

  • REFERENCE: “Obesity of Politicians and Corruption in Post‐Soviet Countries,” Pavlo Blavatskyy, Economic of Transition and Institutional Change, vol. 29, no. 2, 2021, pp. 343-356.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 13, 202209:40
Episode #1089: “Inverted Rhino Translocation”

Episode #1089: “Inverted Rhino Translocation”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1089, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Transportation winners Robin Radcliffe, Mark Jago, Peter Morkel, Estelle Morkel, Pierre du Preez, Piet Beytell, Birgit Kotting, Bakker Manuel, Jan Hendrik du Preez, Michele Miller, Julia Felippe, Stephen Parry, and Robin Gleed. They received the prize for determining by experiment whether it is safer to transport an airborne rhinoceros upside-down.

  • REFERENCE: “The Pulmonary and Metabolic Effects of Suspension by the Feet Compared with Lateral Recumbency in Immobilized Black Rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) Captured by Aerial Darting,” Robin W. Radcliffe, Mark Jago, Peter vdB Morkel, Estelle Morkel, Pierre du Preez, Piet Beytell, Birgit Kotting, Bakker Manuel, Jan Hendrik du Preez, Michele A. Miller, Julia Felippe, Stephen A Parry; R.D. Gleed, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, vol. 57, no. 2, 2021, 357–367.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 27, 202213:30
Episode #1088: “Cursing Babinski”

Episode #1088: “Cursing Babinski”

In Podcast Episode #1088, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Jean Berko Gleason encounters:

  • The Babinski Sign,” P.H.W. Rayner, British Medical Journal, vol. 314, February 1997, p. 374.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 13, 202209:53
Episode #1087: “Modes of Cat-Human Communication”

Episode #1087: “Modes of Cat-Human Communication”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1087, Marc Abrahams presents the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize for Biology winners Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund, and Joost van de Weijer. They received the prize for analyzing variations in purring, chirping, chattering, trilling, tweedling, murmuring, meowing, moaning, squeaking, hissing, yowling, howling, growling, and other modes of cat–human communication.

  • REFERENCE: “A Comparative Acoustic Analysis of Purring in Four Cats,” Susanne Schötz and Robert Eklund, Proceedings of Fonetik 2011, Speech, Music and Hearing, KTH, Stockholm, TMH-QPSR, 51.
  • REFERENCE: “A Phonetic Pilot Study of Vocalisations in Three Cats,” Susanne Schötz, Proceedings of Fonetik 2012, Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
  • REFERENCE: “A Phonetic Pilot Study of Chirp, Chatter, Tweet and Tweedle in Three Domestic Cats,” Susanne Schötz, Proceedings of Fonetik 2013, Linköping University, Sweden, 2013, pp. 65-68.
  • REFERENCE: “A Study of Human Perception of Intonation in Domestic Cat Meows,” Susanne Schötz and Joost van de Weijer, Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Speech Prosody, Dubin, Ireland, May 20-23, 2014.
  • REFERENCE: “Melody in Human–Cat Communication (Meowsic): Origins, Past, Present and Future,” Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund, and Joost van de Weijer, 2016.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jan 30, 202213:02
Episode #1086: “Beards and Face-Punching”

Episode #1086: “Beards and Face-Punching”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it. We released these lectures one at a time.

In Podcast Episode #1086, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Peace Prize winners Ethan Beseris, Steven Naleway, and David Carrier. They received the prize for testing the hypothesis that humans evolved beards to protect themselves from punches to the face.

The video for this lecture—graphs, charts and all—can be found online at www.IMPROBABLE.com.


REFERENCE: “Impact Protection Potential of Mammalian Hair: Testing the Pugilism Hypothesis for the Evolution of Human Facial Hair,” Ethan A. Beseris, Steven E. laNeway, David R. Carrier, Integrative Organismal Biology, vol. 2, no. 1, 2020, obaa005.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere!

Jan 16, 202208:40
Episode #1085: "Mindful Dishwashing"

Episode #1085: "Mindful Dishwashing"

In Podcast Episode #1085, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public. You can also like Improbable Research on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!


Jean Berko Gleason encounters:


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Nov 14, 202109:59
Episode #1084: “Chalk and Mathematicians”

Episode #1084: “Chalk and Mathematicians”

In Podcast Episode #1084, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Dany Adams encounters:


Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant

Oct 31, 202111:27
Episode #1083: “Faces and Smoked Ham”

Episode #1083: “Faces and Smoked Ham”

In Podcast Episode #1083, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Chris Cotsapas encounters:

  1. "Consumer Facial Expression in Relation to Smoked Ham With the Use of Face Reading Technology. The Methodological Aspects and Informative Value of Research Results," Eliza Kostyra, Bożena Waszkiewicz-Robak, Wacław Laskowski, Tadeusz Blicharski, and Ewa Poławska, Meat Science, vol. 119, September 2016, pp. 22–31.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Oct 17, 202114:48
Episode #1082: "The Man in the Black Bag"

Episode #1082: "The Man in the Black Bag"

In Podcast Episode #1082, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Jean Berko Gleason encounters:

  1. "Attitudinal effects of mere exposure," Robert B. Zajonc, Journal of personality and social psychology, vol. 9, no. 2, part 2, 1968.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Oct 03, 202110:39
Episode #1081: “Ear Bigness Through the Years”

Episode #1081: “Ear Bigness Through the Years”

In Podcast Episode #1081, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Dany Adams encounters:

"Ear size as a predictor of chronological age," R. Tan , V. Osman, and G. Tan, Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 25, 1997, pp. 187–191.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Sep 19, 202115:18
Episode #1080: “Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch”

Episode #1080: “Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch”

In Podcast Episode #1080, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Chris Cotsapas encounters:

"The Pleasurability of Scratching an Itch: A Psychophysical and Topographical Assessment," G.A. bin Saif, A.D.P. Papoiu, L. Banari, F. McGlone, S.G. Kwatra, Y.-H. Chan and G. Yosipovitch, British Journal of Dermatology 166, no. 5 (2012): 981-985.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Sep 05, 202115:03
Episode #1079: "Cats and Appropriate Music”

Episode #1079: "Cats and Appropriate Music”

In Podcast Episode #1079, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Jean Berko Gleason encounters:

"Cats Prefer Species-Appropriate Music," Charles T. Snowdon, David Teie, and Megan Savage, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 166, 2015, pp. 106-111.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Aug 22, 202110:40
Episode #1078: “Are People Happier on Weekends?”

Episode #1078: “Are People Happier on Weekends?”

In Podcast Episode #1078, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Dany Adams encounters:

"Weekends, work, and well-being: Psychological need satisfactions and day of the week effects on mood, vitality, and physical symptoms," Richard M. Ryan, Jessey H. Bernstein, and Kirk Warren Brown, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 29, no. 1 (2010): 95-122.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere!

Aug 08, 202107:18
Episode #1077: "Danger Assessment of Holy Water"

Episode #1077: "Danger Assessment of Holy Water"

In Podcast Episode #1077, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Chris Cotsapas encounters:

Holy Water—A Risk Factor for Hospital-Acquired Infection,” J.C. Rees and K.D. Allen, Journal of Hospital Infection, vol. 32, no. 1, January 1996, pp. 51–5.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere!

Jul 25, 202111:45
Episode #1076: "Adventure of the Random Million Digits"

Episode #1076: "Adventure of the Random Million Digits"

In Podcast Episode #1076, Robin Abrahams dramatically reads aloud selected highlights from a treasured collection of a million random digits.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.


Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Bruce Petschek, Producer (Original Recording)

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere!

Jul 11, 202105:10
Episode #1075: “The Rheology of Cats”

Episode #1075: “The Rheology of Cats”

In this Podcast Episode #1075, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to fluid dynamicist Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jul 04, 202123:34
Episode #1074: “Vibrate That Earthworm”

Episode #1074: “Vibrate That Earthworm”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.

In Podcast Episode #1074, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Physics was awarded to Ivan Maksymov and Andriy Pototsky. They received the prize for determining, experimentally, what happens to the shape of a living earthworm when one vibrates the earthworm at high frequency.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jun 27, 202106:38
Episode 1073: “Smelly People in the Office”

Episode 1073: “Smelly People in the Office”

In this Podcast Episode #1073, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to fluid dynamicist Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jun 20, 202112:59
Episode #1072: “The Misery of Misophonia”

Episode #1072: “The Misery of Misophonia”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.

In Podcast Episode #1072, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Medicine Damiaan Denys. He and colleagues Nienke Vulink and Arnoud van Loonreceive won the prize for diagnosing a long-unrecognized medical condition: Misophonia, the distress at hearing other people make chewing sounds.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jun 13, 202112:27
Episode #1071: “Umbrella Progress on a Crowded Sidewalk”

Episode #1071: “Umbrella Progress on a Crowded Sidewalk”

In Podcast Episode #1071, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jun 06, 202107:11
Episode #1070: “Kissing and Income Inequality”

Episode #1070: “Kissing and Income Inequality”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.

In Podcast Episode #1070, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners for Economics Christopher Watkins, Juan David Leongómez, Jeanne Bovet, Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, Max Korbmacher, Marco Antônio Corrêa Varella, Ana Maria Fernandez, Danielle Wagstaff, and Samuela Bolgan. They received the prize for trying to quantify the relationship between different countries’ national income inequality and the average amount of mouth-to-mouth kissing.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 30, 202111:30
Episode #1069: “What Sort of Person is Named Rupzóiyat”

Episode #1069: “What Sort of Person is Named Rupzóiyat”

In Podcast Episode #1069, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 23, 202118:33
Episode #1068: “Eyebrows of Narcissists”

Episode #1068: “Eyebrows of Narcissists”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.

In Podcast Episode #1068, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winners for Psychology Miranda Giacomin and Nicholas Rule. They received the prize for devising a method to identify narcissists by examining their eyebrows.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 16, 202110:33
Episode #1067: “Using Voodoo Dolls to Measure Aggression in Married Couples”

Episode #1067: “Using Voodoo Dolls to Measure Aggression in Married Couples”

In Podcast Episode #1067, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to developmental biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 09, 202108:40
Episode #1066: “Arachnophobia in Bug Scientists”

Episode #1066: “Arachnophobia in Bug Scientists”

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK.

In the Ig Informal Lectures, some days after the ceremony, the new Ig Nobel Prize winners attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.

In Podcast Episode #1066, Marc Abrahams presents the 2020 Ig Nobel Prize winner for Entomology Richard Vetter. Vetter received the prize for collecting evidence that many entomologists (scientists who study insects) are afraid of spiders, which are not insects.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

May 02, 202107:34
Episode #1065: “The Physics of Skulking and Falling Cats”

Episode #1065: “The Physics of Skulking and Falling Cats”

In Podcast Episode #1065, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to biomedical researcher Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 25, 202105:47
Episode #1064: “The Best Life Opera (Act 3)”

Episode #1064: “The Best Life Opera (Act 3)”

In Podcast Episode #1064, Marc Abrahams presents the third act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 18, 202110:40
Episode #1063: “And Now, a Needle in the Rectum”

Episode #1063: “And Now, a Needle in the Rectum”

In Podcast Episode #1063, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to statistical geneticist Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 11, 202106:55
Episode #1062: “Happiness from Painful Insect Stings”

Episode #1062: “Happiness from Painful Insect Stings”

In Podcast Episode #1062, Marc Abrahams shows a poetical research paper — about insect-sting pain — to QI Elves James Harkin, Dan Schreiber, Anne Miller, Steve Colgan, and Alex Bell. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Apr 04, 202118:37
Episode #1061: “Jean Berko Gleason’s Disgusting Word List”

Episode #1061: “Jean Berko Gleason’s Disgusting Word List”

In Podcast Episode #1061, psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason shares an unfortunate lexicon with Improbable founder Marc Abrahams.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 28, 202112:16
Episode #1060: “How Much Saliva Does a Five-Year-Old Produce?”

Episode #1060: “How Much Saliva Does a Five-Year-Old Produce?”

In Podcast Episode #1060, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to aerospace engineer Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 21, 202112:15
Episode #1059: “The Best Life Opera (Act 2)”

Episode #1059: “The Best Life Opera (Act 2)”

In Podcast Episode #1059, Marc Abrahams presents the second act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 14, 202107:33
Episode #1058: “How Kids Learn to Say ‘Trick or Treat’”

Episode #1058: “How Kids Learn to Say ‘Trick or Treat’”

In Podcast Episode #1058, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Mar 07, 202116:56
Episode #1057: “Fifty Shades, by Gray”

Episode #1057: “Fifty Shades, by Gray”

In Podcast Episode #1057, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 28, 202113:40
Episode #1056: “Egg in Your Eye”

Episode #1056: “Egg in Your Eye”

In Podcast Episode #1056, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 21, 202108:39
Episode #1055: “The Best Life Opera (Act 1)”

Episode #1055: “The Best Life Opera (Act 1)”

In Podcast Episode #1055, Marc Abrahams presents the first act of “The Best Life”, a mini-opera which debuted in 2015 at the 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 14, 202109:29
Episode #1054: “Effect of Eating Garlic on Armpit Odor”

Episode #1054: “Effect of Eating Garlic on Armpit Odor”

In Podcast Episode #1054, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Feb 07, 202112:08
Episode #1053: “Does One Armpit Smell Like the Other?”

Episode #1053: “Does One Armpit Smell Like the Other?”

In Podcast Episode #1053, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to synthetic biologist Christina Agapakis. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jan 31, 202113:43
Episode #1052: “Do Frogs in Helium Get Squeaky Voices?”

Episode #1052: “Do Frogs in Helium Get Squeaky Voices?”

In Podcast Episode #1052, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to developmental biologist Dany Adams. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jan 24, 202110:20
Episode #1051: “Did His Orgasm Lead to Blindness”

Episode #1051: “Did His Orgasm Lead to Blindness”

In Podcast Episode #1051, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to statistical geneticist Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Jan 17, 202114:02
Episode #1050: “Bottle-Cork in Your Eye”

Episode #1050: “Bottle-Cork in Your Eye”

In Podcast Episode #1050, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to physicist Melissa Franklin. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth GliksmanProduction Assistant

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, AntennaPod, BeyondPod and elsewhere!

Jan 10, 202109:25
Episode #1049 “The M-through-Z of Social Dilemmas”

Episode #1049 “The M-through-Z of Social Dilemmas”

In episode #1049, Robin Abrahams explores some of the engineering in a classic research study Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant

Jan 03, 202105:53
Episode #1048: “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Dress”

Episode #1048: “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Dress”

In episode #1048, Marc Abrahams and Nicole Sharp analyze the engineering and the art of “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Dress". Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant

Dec 27, 202015:39
Episode #1047: “Garlic — Sensory Pleasure or Social Nuisance?”

Episode #1047: “Garlic — Sensory Pleasure or Social Nuisance?”

In Episode #1047, Marc Abrahams shows an unfamiliar research study to Chris Cotsapas. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

The research mentioned in this episode is featured in the special Smelly issue (Vol. 22, #2) of the Annals of Improbable Research Magazine.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant

Dec 20, 202011:22
Episode #1046: “Standardized Food Glops”

Episode #1046: “Standardized Food Glops”

In episode #1046, Marc Abrahams shows some unfamiliar research studies to Nicole Sharp. Dramatic readings and reactions ensue.

Remember, our Patreon donors, on most levels, get access to each podcast episode before it is made public.

Seth Gliksman, Production Assistant

Dec 13, 202008:10