Amazing Scientific Studies

[Tenspace]

yes, the new Ig Nobel prize winners have been announced.

My favorite, the winner in the Economics category:

Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by lap dancers: economic evidence for human estrus?

[psychodiva]

lol- I'm obviously not doing the right sort of research

[Tenspace]

Here's a cool one:

A model for the evolutionary diversification of religions

We address the problem of diversification in religions by studying selection on
cultural memes that colonize humans hosts. In analogy to studying the evolution of
pathogens or symbionts colonizing animal hosts, we use models for host-pathogen
dynamics known from theoretical epidemiology. In these models, religious memes
colonize individual humans.

[Tenspace]

Found this interesting Which way out of Africa?

The amazing part, to me, anyway, is this:

Anne Osborne, lead author on the paper said: "Space-born radar images showed fossil river channels crossing the Sahara in Libya, flowing north from the central Saharan watershed all the way to the Mediterranean.

I think it's cool we can use satellites to find fossil rivers.

[Sternwallow]

Tenspace wrote

Here's a cool one:

A model for the evolutionary diversification of religions

We address the problem of diversification in religions by studying selection on
cultural memes that colonize humans hosts. In analogy to studying the evolution of
pathogens or symbionts colonizing animal hosts, we use models for host-pathogen
dynamics known from theoretical epidemiology. In these models, religious memes
colonize individual humans.

I wonder if the CDC (Christian Defense Council) knows about the propagation of this killer disease?

[Tenspace]

Well, if it involves evolution, they'll just deny it.