See the Ig Nobel art of science

Mar 12 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

THE legal rights of plants, the ability of slime to solve puzzles and the necrophiliac tendencies of ducks were all in discussion at an eye-opening science event in the region this week. Andrew Mernin uncovers the mind-bending world of the Ig Nobel Awards.

IF A 7ft man-mountain named George the Giant warned you not to do something because it was too dangerous, most of us would probably pay attention.

Not Dan Meyer however.

The American sword swallower ignored the advice of one of the world’s top practitioners of the ancient circus act many years ago and is now president of the dangerous hobby’s global federation.

But, when he’s not inserting up to eight rods of cold steel down his throat, between his lungs, carefully past his heart and into his stomach, he is also fashioning a name for himself as an unlikely scientific pioneer.

The showman came to the region this week as part of Newcastle ScienceFest 2009 to explain medical research he carried out with British doctor Brian Witcombe into sword swallowing and its side effects.

His visit came as part of the Ig Nobel Awards tour – an event which is loosely affiliated with Harvard University aimed at celebrating areas of scientific study which at first make you laugh then make you think.

“Don’t try this at home, especially underwater in a tank of sharks,” Mr Meyer warns as he explains the findings of his study which were published in the British Medical Journal and have become a valuable source of reference for the world’s few dozen sword swallowers.

“By getting this published, the international medical community recognised that sword swallowing is real.”

So other than possible death, what are the side effects? “It’s like a game of Russian Roulette, it’s not a matter of if you’re going to get hurt, it’s when. The most common injury is called sword throat – scraping the back of the throat.”

More extreme side effects include perforation of various internal organs and pleurisy, which Mr Meyer sustained after lacerating his oesophagus when a misbehaving macaw on his shoulder distracted him.

But if a scientific study into sword swallowing makes you think, then some of Ig Nobel’s other areas of study are truly mind- boggling.

Marc Abrahams, editor of Annals of Improbable Research – the publication behind the Ig Nobels – has witnessed the sublime and the ridiculous from the science world in almost 20 years of running the awards.

One of his favourite areas of research was that undertaken by a Dutchman into cases of homosexual necrophilia among Mallard ducks.

He also recalls a Canadian who used scrap metal to build a shield of armour which could withstand bear attacks and a female scientist who proved beyond doubt that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide.

Of course the Ig Nobels is driven by a sense of fun – highlighted by this week’s event in Newcastle which featured a mini-opera about the love between an Oxygen atom and a female scientist, entitled Atom and Eve.

However, Abrahams also believes it can play its part in keeping youngsters interested in science.

Misconceptions among children that science is boring or geeky are challenged by the Ig Nobels, and Abrahams says instilling a sense of humour can help keep children interested in it well into their teens.

“Part of the reason we do this is because it’s fun and so many scientists get involved. But part of it is because we are sick that so many people think science is something that is scary, awful or something that you have to be a genius to make sense of it.

“We are hoping that someone will see one of these studies and be so intrigued they will get more involved in science.

“One of the big problems has been what happens when kids are 10 or 11 years old when all those hormones kick in and they start paying attention to what everyone thinks.”

Newcastle ScienceFest runs until March 15. Click here to find out more.

Page 2: North East Award-Winners