IgBILL - Improbable Research...8 The Twenty-Eighth 1st Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony – September 13, 2018 Authority-Like Figures As always, IgBILL had incomplete information at

IgBILL

Ig® Nobel Prize Ceremony

2018

Twitter: #IgNobel

®

2 The Twenty-Eighth 1st Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony – September 13, 2018

About the Ig Nobel Prizes

Ig Nobel Prizes are awarded for achievements that first make people

LAUGH, and then make them THINK. The Igs are intended to spur

public curiosity and interest in science and other fields of endeavor.

Ten prizes are awarded each year. Winners travel to the ceremony at

their own expense.

The Ig Nobel Prize winners are, despite possible appearances to the

contrary, real. Their achievements are well documented.

What to expect tonight: Imagine every ceremony you have ever

had to endure. Loop them all together, at high speed, upside down.

Add ten Ig Nobel Prize winners. That’s the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony.

Something to Muse About, MaybeEvery day, the news is full of things that seem to be crazy –

but years later will seem to be wonderful. Every day, the news is also full of things that seem to be wonderful – but years later

will seem to be crazy. Of course, some of the things that seem to be crazy will turn out

to be crazy, and some of the things that seem to be wonderful will turn out to be wonderful.

You might want to muse about that today, when you are watching the ceremony. And you might want to NOT muse about that

every other day, when you are watching the news.

Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) www.improbable.com 3

© copyright 2018 Annals of Improbable Research

“Ig” and “Improbable Research” and the “tumbled thinker” logo are each reg. U.S. Pat. and Tm. Off.

The Twenty-Eighth 1st Annual


Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6:00 pm

Sanders Theatre, Harvard University

Reluctantly inflicted on you bythe international science humor magazine

Annals of Improbable Research(AIR)

and co-sponsored by

The Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association

The Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Physics Students

The theme of this year’s ceremony is

The Heart


Paper AirplanesIn the interests of safety and recycling, there will be two (2) special paper-aeronautic moments tonight: one at the ceremony’s beginning, the other at the midpoint.

Please hold your paper airplanes in readiness. Then fly them only – and profusely, to the point of deluge – during those two special moments. Please AIM FOR SAFETY!

An authority figure will make it very clear when each of those moments arrives.

Roy Glauber, Ig Nobel paper airplane sweeper and Nobel laureate (Physics, 2005).


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Pointless Preamble

Pre-pre-ceremony Transcept Concert by the Boston Squeezebox Ensemble (BSE)

Directed by Dr. Thomas Michel “Themes from ‘The Broken Heart Opera’”

(5:00, in the lobby) Pre-ceremony piano concerto

Ivan Gusev, and a Shoe “The Shoe-Drop Concerto”

(5:40 in the theater)Ceremony begins

(6:00, in the theatre)Paper Airplane Deluge #1

The Traditional Ig Nobel “Welcome, Welcome” SpeechEntrance of the New Winners

Introduction of the Nobel Laureates and other Ignitaries

Everything Else**

Awarding of the 2018 Ig Nobel Prizes* (weather permitting)The Broken Heart Opera: A Mini-Opera in 4 Acts*

The 24/7 LecturesIntroduction of Some Past Winners, Maybe

Paper Airplane Deluge #2Other Things*

The Traditional Ig Nobel “Goodbye, Goodbye” SpeechDisappearance of the Audience

* scattered throughout the evening** but maybe in some different order


This Year’s Theme

The theme of this year’s ceremony is THE HEART. The theme applies to various goings-on, though not necessarily (and not necessarily not) to any of the particular achievements being honored with an Ig Nobel Prize.

Live Webcast

Tonight we will be joined from afar, in spirit and electro-mechanically, by teeming hordes watching via the Internet. The Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony has been webcast annually, beginning in 1995 — one of the very first events of any kind, ever, to be webcast. Very special thanks to CS-50 for helping make this year’s webcast happen. Video highlights of many past ceremonies are online at www.improbable.com.

Celebrity Bacteria

The theme of the 2010 ceremony was Bacteria. Several trillion celebrity bacteria were seated in or on the audience. Many of them are still here. See if you can spot them.

Pre-Ceremony: mini-Quasi-Events(One in the lobby, then another the theatre)

Before the ceremony, watch for two special mini-quasi-events. At 5:00, in the lobby, the Boston Squeezebox Ensemble (BSE) under the direction of Dr. Thomas Michel will play “Themes from ‘The Broken Heart Opera.’”

At 5:40, more or less, Ivan Gusev will perform a pre-ceremony piano concerto, “The Shoe-Drop Concerto,” onstage in the theater proper.


The 24/7 LecturesEach 24/7 Lecture will be delivered by one of the world’s great thinkers. Each lecture has two parts:

A complete technical descriptionin 24 SECONDS

A clear, accurate summary that anyone can understandin SEVEN WORDS

The time limit and word limit will be strictly enforced by Mr. John Barrett, the Ig Nobel Referee.

This year’s 24/7 lecturers:

Suzana Herculano TOPIC: THE BRAIN

Marty Chalfie TOPIC: GFP (Green Flourescent Protein)

Dakota McCoy TOPIC: SUPER BLACK, IN ANIMALS

Oliver Hart TOPIC: INCOMPLETE CONTRACTS

Natalia Berry TOPIC: CARDIOLOGY

Pardis SabediTOPIC: TBA

[email protected]

Visit our galleries in Somerville, Dedham, or Brookline or click

MuseumOfBadArt.org

See more bad art in the book

The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks


Authority-Like FiguresAs always, IgBILL had incomplete information at press time. You may not be able to tell the players even with this scorecard.

(NOTE: ** indicates name is misspelled)

Producer/Director: Marc Abrahams Co-Producer and Stage Manager: David KesslerIg Nobel Executive Assistant: Stephanie ClaymanOpera Arranger/Orchestrator/Stage Director: Maria Ferrante Opera Portaborse: Michele LigouriAssistant Stage Manager: Linda Brennan Stagehands: Jeff Keller, Alex PhillipsDirector of Improbable Engineering: Quentin SmithWriters: Marc Abrahams, Alice Shirrell Kaswell, and friendsBoston Squeezebox Ensemble Maestro: Dr. Thomas MichelLurking Presences: Robin Abrahams, Stanley Eigen, Ed Belove, Bill HostonLighting & Technology: Holly Gettings, Hunter HeinlenProps and Scenery: Eric WorkmanHouse Sound: David Nickerson, Bay State Event SolutionsSound Recording: Miles Smith, Frank “Barefoot” CunninghamSlide Show: Jack Dietz, Geri SullivanPrize & Props Creation: Eric WorkmanProvisionary Logisticians: Gus Rancatore and Corky WhiteHRSFA Coordinator: Unnamed Person HRSPS Coordinators: Person Unnamed Grand Panjandrum of the Delegations: Louise SaccoVideography: Bruce Petschek, Don Schechter, Jon Shedler, Dave Bouley, Roberto Mighty, Julian Petschek, Brian Galford, Anson Frazier


Lead Diplomats: Susan Kany, Dany AdamsCorps d’Esprit Diplomatique: Gus Rancatore, Corky White, Persis Thorndike, Jenny Wolohan, et al.Liaison to the Ig Glorious Persons: Melissa Webster Green Room Oracles: Heidi Clark, et al.Press Wranglers: Stefanie Friedhoff, Joe Wrinn, Neil GussmanPhotographers: Alexey Eliseev, Mike Benveniste, Howard CannonNews Sites Webcast Coordinator: Ed BeloveIg Informal Lectures (Saturday) Coordinator: John JenkinsIg Nobel Webmaster: Julia LunettaArtwork & Logos: Geri Sullivan, Lois MaloneIgBill Design and Layout: Geri SullivanMaster of E-Bookery: Lauren Mauer Trew

Toscanini’s Ice Cream is proud to support the Ig Nobel Awards

Because the Best Minds Need the Best Ice Cream

159 First Street, Cambridge, MA

Toscanini’s Ice Cream

twitter: @tosci


PeopleMaster of CeremoniesMarc Abrahams, editor, Annals of Improbable Research (AIR)

Nobel Laureatesmost of the following:Eric Maskin (Economics, 2007)Wolfgang Ketterle (Physics, 2001) Oliver Hart (Economics, 2016) Michael Rosbash (Physiology or Medicine, 2017)Roy Glauber (Physics, 2005)Rich Roberts (Physiology or Medicine, 1993) Marty Chalfie (Chemisty, 2008)Jerome Friedman (Physics, 1990)and perhaps others

Welcome Welcome Speaker: Jean Berko Gleason24/7 Lecturers: Suzana Herculano, Marty Chalfie, Dakota McCoy, Oliver Hart, Natalia Berry, Pardis SabediOpera Soloists: Maria Ferrante, Jan Hadland Opera Instrumentalists: The Heart Throb Orchestra — Yulia Yun, Ivan Gusev, Dr. Thomas Michel, Dr. Bruce Koplan, Natalia BerryOpera Narrator: Karen HopkinOpera Non-Soloists: The Cardiac Chorus — John Jarcho, Jean Cummings, Cody McCoy, Ted Sharpe, Cathy Wu, Marsha Warren, Michael Skuhersky, Scott Taylor, Fred Tsai, Abby Schiff, Ellen Friend, Nathan Schauer, Andrew Ross, Lisa Ferretti, augmented by the Nobel laureates Opera Electro-Mechanical Heart Builders: Daniel Davis, Eric Workman, and the Nobel laureatesPre-Pre-Ceremony Transept Concert: Boston Squeezebox Ensemble (Dr. Thomas Michel, Rebecca Cooper, Colin Ferguson, Sari Kalin, Betty Widerski, et al.)Pre-Ceremony Piano Concerto: Ivan Gusev, and a shoe. “The Shoe-Drop Concerto”


Mic Monkey: Zxcv Rtyuiop** Human Twitterer: Richard BaguleyDelegations and Opera Announcer: Karen HopkinMiss Sweetie Poo: Dorothea HartigHuman Spotlights: Jim Bredt, Katrina Rosenberg Human Aerodrome: Eric WorkmanPaper Airplane Post-Flight Ground Control: Roy Glauber, Steve Golson, Terry GolsonReferee: Mr. John BarrettNSFW Indicator Monitor: Noted New York Attorney William J. MaloneyNew York Attorney William J. Maloney: HimselfMajordomo: Gary DryfoosMinordomos: Julia Lunetta, Peaco Todd, Sylvia Rosenberg, Chris Deter, Pooja Usgaonkar, Dan Richards, Roksi FreemanPerforming Props Master: Eric WorkmanHecklers: You, the audienceGoodbye Goodbye Speaker: Jean Berko Gleason

Special Thanks to…Robin Abrahams, Sid Abrahams, Jackie Baum, Bob Bartosch, Tina Bowen, The Flying Eliseevas and Eliseevs, Eric Engel, Melissa Franklin and the Harvard Physics Department, Álex García-Faura, Holly Gettings, Jason Govostes, Fariba Houman, Ben Janey, Chris McManus, Lois Malone, Kees Moeliker, Toshi Nakagaki, Gustav Nilsonne, Lisa Oberzaucher, The Flying Petscheks, Ruth Polleys, Gus and Mimi Rancatore and Toscanini’s Ice Cream, The Flying Rosenbergs, Jonathan Salz, Sanders Theatre, Geri Sullivan, Ray Traietti, Robyn Williams, Joe Wrinn and Howard Zaharoff.

** Name misspelled or omitted.


The Broken Heart Opera

The Words: Marc Abahams wrote the story and lyrics. This is his 23rd Ig Nobel opera libretto. The Music: The tunes were composed, in advance, by Ted Snyder, Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, and Anon. none of whom is able to join us this evening.

Tonight’s performance:

Opera Director: Maria Ferrante

Opera Portaborse: Michele Ligouri

The Soloists: Maria Ferrante and Jan Hadland

The Cardiac Chorus: John Jarcho, Jean Cummings, Cody McCoy, Ted Sharpe, Cathy Wu, Marsha Warren, Michael Skuhersky, Scott Taylor, Fred Tsai, Abby Schiff, Ellen Friend, Nathan Schauer, Andrew Ross, Lisa Ferretti. The chorus ranks will be swelled by the Nobel laureates.

The Heart Throb Orchestra:

Piano: Yulia Yun, Ivan Gusev

Accordion: Dr. Thomas Michel (HMS Professor of Medicine)

Bass: Dr. Bruce Koplan

Violin: Natalia Berry

Follow along on screen and in print. Libretto starts on page 16.

PLOT SUMMARY of The Broken Heart Opera: Children curious to know ‘How can you mend a broken heart?’ decide that the best way is to first build a heart, then break it, then mend it. They try to do exactly that.

MANY OF THE PERFORMERS in the orchestra and the chorus are doctors and/or researchers specializing in cardiology. Each of the opera performers has a heart.


The Ig Informal Lectures!

SATURDAY afternoon, Sept 15, 2018, 1:00 pm

MIT Building 10, Room 25077 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge

A Saturday Treat…

At tonight’s Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, each winner is allowed just ONE MINUTE to deliver an acceptance speech. But of course you’ll want to hear more juicy details, and ask them questions, and so….

You are invited to come enjoy a lazy, lively half-afternoon of brief (FIVE MINUTES each, plus questions & answers), high-spirited talks by the 2018 Ig Nobel Prize winners.

Produced by the Annals of Improbable Research in cooperation with The MIT Press Bookstore (mitpress.mit.edu/bookstore).

NOW SERVING BBQ TO GO AT REDBONESFOOD TRUCK BOSTON

LUNCH-DINNER-LATE NITE-28 ON TAPFULL BAR-TAKE OUT-DELIVERY-CATERING

FREE! (But seating is limited, so get there early)


Public Radio Broadcast On the day after Thanksgiving, listen to the traditional Ig Nobel Broadcast on Public Radio’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow. Many of the previous year’s Ig broadcasts are at www.ScienceFriday.com. You can see video highlights of most of the past ceremonies at www.improbable.com.

Improbable Research Table TalksWe recently began doing a new kind of Improbable Research event: Improbable Research Table Talks.

At each Improbable Research Table Talk, Marc Abrahams (editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, and founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony) chats about one or another research study that makes people laugh, then think.

These chats are cozy, informal, and brief, around a table. Sometimes Marc brings along a professor, physician, engineer, or other famous or infamous researcher.

The first Improbable Research Table Talks have been at Toscanini’s Ice Cream, in Cambridge. Upcoming Table Talks will be at Toscanini’s, at the Cambridge Public Library, and elsewhere.

For details, see the Improbable Research events calendar: improbable.com/improbable-research-shows/complete-schedule/

Please join us! Bring friends, and maybe meet some new friends.

If you are in the Boston area (or not far beyond it), and would like to gather a few friends/colleagues and host an Improbable Research Table Talk at your favorite coffee shop, office, lab, library, school, or other cozy place, please get in touch with us: [email protected].


This is Improbable and This is Improbable Tooby Marc Abrahams

“Marc Abrahams is a perfectly calibrated filtration system into which all of science is poured and out of which comes pure, giddy goofball delight. This book is a delicious, addictive treat.”

—Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars

Built to

be read

aloud!

Ig Nobel Prizes Exhibition in TokyoThe world’s first large-scale museum exhibition about the Ig Nobel Prizes will open on September 22, in Tokyo, Japan. Among all nations, Japan has long been one of the most fruitful producers, per capita, of Ig Nobel Prize winners.

Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, will take part in the opening ceremony, as will many of Japan’s Ig Nobel Prize winners.

WHERE: Gallery AaMo, in the Tokyo Dome Complex.

WHEN: September 22—November 4, 2018.

For details, see the Improbable Research events calendar: improbable.com/improbable-research-shows/complete-schedule/


Libretto: “The Broken Heart Opera”A new mini-opera, with story and words by Marc Abrahams

The characters:

Two bouncy, energetic KIDS, who are good friends.Some bouncy, energetic FRIENDS of the two KIDS. (They are the chorus and orchestra.)

ACT 1: “How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?”

NARRATOR: Tonight’s HEARTy little opera is about two little kids. These two little kids have brought along a bunch of their friends, who are also little kids.

The kids have just heard a sad old Bee Gees song…They think the song is stupid and AMUSING. They sing the main phrase to each other—over and over again.

[“How do you MEND… a BROKEN HEART?”]

These annoying little children are filled with an annoying quality called “curiosity.”They start to wonder how, exactly, they WOULD… mend a broken heart.

The kids are going to decide that mending a broken heart is a three-step process.First you BUILD a heart. Then you BREAK the heart. And then… THEN you MEND the broken heart.

Okay, kids! Go to it!

(MUSIC: “The Sheik of Araby,” by Ted Snyder)

— [MUSIC THEME A] —

Can you, can you, mend a broken heart?Can you, can you, mend a broken heart?What would it take? What would it take?First you have to find a heart to break!

Hey, I know a simple way to start:Build a heart, and then take it apart!

— [MUSIC THEME B] —

Feed my curiosity. Explain the heart to me!Till now I’ve only guessedWhat happens in my chest.

It’s something I’ve not seen —A marvelous machine!It squirms, and makes a noise.It’s inside girls and boys.


Hey, a heart is like a toy.I know we would enjoyAssembling a heart.It’s easy once you start.

So, good! Let’s make a pumpWith pieces from the dump.Let’s fill it up with crudThat is red and looks like blood!

ACT 2: ”It’s a Pump”

NARRATOR: Right now, the two kids are educating themselves: What the hell is a heart? Using only common, everyday objects, how are they going to build themselves a working heart?

Children— do tell!

(MUSIC: Rachmaninoff Prelude Op 3 No 2 in C sharp minor)

It’s a pump.It’s a pump.It’s a pump.No. No. Not just one!No. No. No, not just one pump. We need two!No, not just one pump. We need to have two pumps!One pumps tired blood to get fresh oxygen straight from the lungs.The other pump pumps invigorated blood from the lungs to everywhere!When you build hearts, you will need lots of parts.One aortic valve. One pulmonic valve. Two other valves.One two-ply pericardium.And some chewing gum, for chewing!One left ventricle. One right ventricle.Two atrioventricular valves.One bucket of gunk,and some other junk.Big tubes to use as arteries.And bolts and nuts and lots and lots and lots of duct tape.And… and… and…some other stuff!


ACT 3: “It’s Electrical!”

NARRATOR: Okay. The two children have figured out how to cobble things together to make a working heart—a fancy pump. BUT, they realize, it’s not just a matter of plumbing supplies. They also need to control how the parts of the heart work together. And that calls for electricity. The heart is also an electrical device.

Me, I predict disaster.

All right, kids! Do your worst!

(MUSIC: Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor op. 23 #5)

In the heart,Ev’ry partof a pump’sgotta pumpwith strict control!With strict control!

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

Ev’ry partneeds to knowwhen to stop,when to go.All the timethey must coordinate! They must coordinate!

Electricity is key! Electricity!E’vry portion of a pumpmust get a proper thumpget a jolt get a boltof elec—, of electricity!

Set the pace!Quick or slow?How fast should it go?What rhythm?What rhythm?What rhythm?Control! Control! Control! Control! Control! Control! Control! Control!Don’t go too slow! Do not go too slow!No! No! Don’t go too slow, because that invites DANGER!


When it goes too slow, there’s a name for that:Bra— bradycardia!Oh!When it’s too quick, there’s a name for that,nat’rally!When it’s too quick, it’s called ta— ta— tachycardia!Quick, quick, quick, quick!Tachy— tachy— tachycardia!Slooooow, slooooow, bradycardia!So…. Oh! Oh! Oh!So…. Oh! Oh! Oh!So now… it’s time… to start… the heart!It’s time to start… to start the heart!First START the heart!Then BREAK the heart!Then MEND the broken heart!Okay, begin!

What can we do?What can we do?I do not know how to fix this.No one knows how you can mend a broken heart.No one knows.Nobody knows how to mend a broken heart.Oh, no. Oh, no.No. I dunno.No. I dunno.No! Oh.

ACT 4: “More Research Is Needed”

NARRATOR: Well, this is the end. The two kids—and their friends—have built themselves an electro-mechanical heart. They’ve started up the heart. Then the heart broke. Now WE know… that these kids do NOT know how to fix a broken heart.

[TUNE: Dark Eyes (traditional Russian tune)]

Oh!

Oh, this broken heart!Oh, my little broken heartthat I now despairI cannot repair!Oh! It takes lots of fussthat’s not obvious.It’s so very darn complex, it breaks my heart!


All the things we know—All the things we THINK we know—Are not quite enoughTo explain the stuffThat somehow contrive——s to keep all of us alive.So, more research is needed! More research is needed!

I have questions!Many, many QUESTIONS!Oh, my heart is bursting with QUESTIONS!Oh, my thoughts are thirsting with QUESTIONS!More research is needed! More research is needed!

Were two pumps enough?Ours were running pretty rough.Maybe we need more?Maybe even four?How to make blood flow—not too fast or slow?More research is needed! More research is needed!

Oh! And just how much blood—now just how much blood—does a body need?Too much makes it bleed!How much liquid mightkeep things flowing right?More research is needed! More research is needed!

Is cholesterol—really high cholesterol—bad for JUST some hearts?Is it bad for ALL?I have questions! Many questions!More research is needed! More research is needed!

Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association

Narratively Proud Intergalactic Co-Sponsorsof the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Since 1996

Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Physics Students

Theoretically Proud Experimental Co-Sponsorsof the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Since 2000


A list of the new Ig Nobel Prize winners will be posted at WWW.IMPROBABLE.COM

Last Year’s (2017) Ig Nobel Prize Winners

PHYSICS PRIZE [FRANCE, SINGAPORE, USA] — Marc-Antoine Fardin, for using fluid dynamics to probe the question “Can a Cat Be Both a Solid and a Liquid?”

PEACE PRIZE [SWITZERLAND, CANADA, THE NETHERLANDS, USA] — Milo Puhan, Alex Suarez, Christian Lo Cascio, Alfred Zahn, Markus Heitz, and Otto Braendli, for demonstrating that regular playing of a didgeridoo is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring.

ECONOMICS PRIZE [AUSTRALIA, USA] — Matthew Rockloff and Nancy Greer, for their experiments to see how contact with a live crocodile affects a person’s willing-ness to gamble.

ANATOMY PRIZE [UK] — James Heathcote, for his medical research study “Why Do Old Men Have Big Ears?”

BIOLOGY PRIZE [JAPAN, BRAZIL, SWITZERLAND] — Kazunori Yoshizawa, Rodrigo Ferreira, Yoshitaka Kamimura, and Charles Lienhard, for their discovery of a female penis, and a male vagina, in a cave insect.

FLUID DYNAMICS PRIZE [SOUTH KOREA, USA] — Jiwon Han, for studying the dynamics of liquid-sloshing, to learn what happens when a person walks backwards while carrying a cup of coffee.

NUTRITION PRIZE [BRAZIL, CANADA, SPAIN] — Fernanda Ito, Enrico Bernard, and Rodrigo Torres, for the first scientific report of human blood in the diet of the hairy-legged vampire bat

MEDICINE PRIZE [FRANCE, UK] — Jean-Pierre Royet, David Meunier, Nicolas Torquet, Anne-Marie Mouly, and Tao Jiang, for using advanced brain-scanning technology to measure the extent to which some people are disgusted by cheese.

COGNITION PRIZE [ITALY, SPAIN, UK] — Matteo Martini, Ilaria Bufalari, Maria Antonietta Stazi, and Salvatore Maria Aglioti, for demonstrating that many identical twins cannot tell themselves apart visually.

OBSTETRICS PRIZE — [SPAIN] — Marisa López-Teijón, Álex García-Faura, Alberto Prats-Galino, and Luis Pallarés Aniorte, for showing that a developing human fetus responds more strongly to music that is played electromechanically inside the mother’s vagina than to music that is played electromechanically on the mother’s belly.

For a complete list of all Ig Nobel Prize winners (1991-now) see the Improbable Research web site

WWW.IMPROBABLE.COM


SANDERS THEATRE INFORMATION

Sanders Theatre is managed by Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Complex at Harvard University 45 Quincy Street, Room 027, Cambridge, MA 02138 T 617.496.4595 | F 617.495.2420 | [email protected]

For history of the building, visit www.fas.harvard.edu/memhall

RESTROOMS are located on the lower level.

LATECOMERS will be seated at the discretion of management.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND RECORDING of any kind is not permitted in Sanders Theatre. Equipment may be confiscated.

Lost and Found Call 617.496.4595 or visit Memorial Hall 027.Harvard University is not responsible for lost or stolen property.

PARKINGThere is no parking at Sanders Theatre.Free parking for most events is available at Broadway Garage, corner of Broadway and Felton Street, from one hour pre-performance to one hour post. Parking for some student events will be at 52 Oxford Street Garage.

Access for Patrons with Disabilities Accessible seating can be arranged through the Box Office. Sanders Theatre is equipped with Assistive Listening Devices, available 30 minutes prior to events.

Accessible parking for events: There is no parking at Sanders Theatre itself. Patrons may be dropped off in the circle on the Kirkland Street side of Sanders Theatre near the accessible entrance. We encourage patrons to park at either the Broadway Garage or 52 Oxford Street Lot. The Broadway Garage is fully accessible and there are curb cuts at all crosswalks between the garage and the Sanders Theatre.

If necessary, a limited number of accessible parking spaces may be available in nearby location by advance arrangement. It is extremely difficult to honor requests received less than 5 business days prior to an event. Please plan ahead.

To arrange for an Accessible Parking Space in a nearby parking lot, contact:

1. Harvard University Parking Office at 495-3772 AND/OR

2. University Disability Services at 495-1859, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or email: [email protected]

THE HARVARD BOX OFFICE

Advance Sales: Farkas Hall, 10 Holyoke Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 617.496.2222; TTY: 617.495.1642

Calendar of events, online sales and current hours: www.boxoffice.harvard.edu

Pre-Performance Sales: Sanders Theatre

On performance days: Opens at noon for matinees and 5pm for evening performances. Closes 30 minutes after curtain.


Upcoming Ig/ Improbable Events! For upcoming Ig Nobel / Improbable Research events (including the Japan events, the Improbable Research Table Talks, the annual Improbable Research session at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the annual Ig Nobel EuroTour, etc., see:

www.improbable.com


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Get back issues, to catch up on two decades of improbable discoveries.

Are Cats Liquid?

Didgeridoo to Treat Snoring

Vagina Music for Developing Fetuses…

november | december 2017 (volume 23, number 6)

SPECIALISSUE

The 27th First Annual


SPECIALISSUE

and

january | february 2018 (volume 24, number 1)

The evolution of pizza

Can Italian pizza save lives?

Popcorn-popping physics…

SPECIALISSUE

Noise

may | june 2018 (volume 24, number 3)

Neighbors' Chewing Sounds

Shouting Into the Wind

Noises During Sex…

Are People Bad Singers?

Musicians’ Raised Eyebrows

Music for Spies, Penguins, and Dreams

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IgBILL - Improbable Research...8 The Twenty-Eighth 1st Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony – September 13, 2018 Authority-Like Figures As always, IgBILL had incomplete information at