2009 年時,史丹弗大學數學暨機械工程學系的 Joseph B. Keller 教授,對一個常見的現象提出了一個耐人尋味的問題:「為什麼綁馬尾的慢跑者,頭髮會像節拍器一樣左右搖擺,而不是隨著身體的律動做上下的晃動?」於是他把馬尾的搖擺視做物理學及工程學上常見的單擺問題,進而做了一堆數學公式推導。他發現當上下運動頻率之半整數倍接近「馬尾單擺」的自然頻率時,方程式的解就會變得不穩定,於是乎馬尾辮子只能雀躍地左右擺而不是上下晃。這個成果 2010 年時被發表在《應用數學期刊》(Journal of Applied Mathematics)上,其有趣程度足可入圍搞笑諾貝爾獎,可惜是該年的物理獎頒給了「向人們證明如果在鞋子外面套襪子在冰上走路,較不易於滑倒」的研究。
別難過,有關館主所憧憬的馬尾的問題,還是問鼎了 2012 年的搞笑諾貝爾物理獎。這次是由來自英國劍橋大學的Raymond E. Goldstein 教授所主導的研究,他們推導出可用來描述馬尾形狀的方程式,並發表於物理學界頗具領導地位的《物理評論通訊期刊》(Physics Review Letters)上。
最可疑的是當天在場的俱樂部成員尼可斯(Herbert Bishop Nichols),他也是基督科學箴言報(The Christian Science Monitor)的科學編輯。可考的記錄中,他第一個對外提出相關描述,後來被視為吃猛獁象的證據。
海龜湯的幾位相關人猿。(A) 據說將食材從北極帶回的極區探險家 Father Bernard Rosecrans Hubbard。(B) 極區探險家 George Francis Kosco。(C) 晚宴主辦人 Wendell Phillips Dodge。(D) 保存樣本的 Paul Griswold Howes。圖/取自 參考資料3
原文研究: “The The The The Induction of Jamais Vu in the Laboratory: Word Alienation and Semantic Satiation,” Chris J. A. Moulin, Nicole Bell, Merita Turunen, Arina Baharin, and Akira R. O’Connor, Memory, vol. 29, no. 7, 2021, pp. 933-942. doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2020.1727519
原文研究:“Necrobotics: Biotic Materials as Ready-to-Use Actuators,” Te Faye Yap, Zhen Liu, Anoop Rajappan, Trevor J. Shimokusu, and Daniel J. Preston, Advanced Science, vol. 9, no. 29, 2022, article 2201174. doi.org/10.1002/advs.202201174
“A Mountable Toilet System for Personalized Health Monitoring via the Analysis of Excreta,” Seung-min Park, Daeyoun D. Won, Brian J. Lee, Diego Escobedo, Andre Esteva, Amin Aalipour, T. Jessie Ge, et al., Nature Biomedical Engineering, vol. 4, no. 6, 2020, pp. 624-635. doi.org/10.1038/s41551-020-0534-9
“Digital Biomarkers in Human Excreta,” Seung-min Park, T. Jessie Ge, Daeyoun D. Won, Jong Kyun Lee, and Joseph C. Liao, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 18, no. 8, 2021, pp. 521-522. doi.org/10.1038/s41575-021-00462-0
“Smart Toilets for Monitoring COVID-19 Surges: Passive Diagnostics and Public Health,” T. Jessie Ge, Carmel T. Chan, Brian J. Lee, Joseph C. Liao, and Seung-min Park, NPJ Digital Medicine, vol. 5, no. 1, 2022, article 39. doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00582-0
“Passive Monitoring by Smart Toilets for Precision Health,” T. Jessie Ge, Vasiliki Nataly Rahimzadeh, Kevin Mintz, Walter G. Park, Nicole Martinez-Martin, Joseph C. Liao, and Seung-min Park, Science Translational Medicine, vol. 15, no. 681, 2023, article eabk3489. doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abk3489
研究對象以西班牙語為母語,他們能在對話中輕鬆地將 banana 念成 ananab,或是將「 basket is fun」念成「nuf si teksab」。研究著重在這兩位有著特殊能力的人,推理、記憶能力是否優於常人,以及大腦灰質、白質比例與一般人(對照組)是否有差別。
大腦如何組織語言一直都是個有趣的研究題目,像是為什麼中文的序順不會響影到閱讀,這也是 A 編跟大家都一樣好奇的。而了解大腦語言是如何形成的,也能推進對於失語症、癡呆症的症狀研究。
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原文研究:“Neurocognitive Signatures of Phonemic Sequencing in Expert Backward Speakers,” María José Torres-Prioris, Diana López-Barroso, Estela Càmara, Sol Fittipaldi, Lucas Sedeño, Agustín Ibáñez, Marcelo L. Berthier, and Adolfo M. García, Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 10621, 2020. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67551-z
原文研究:“The Quantification and Measurement of Nasal Hairs in a Cadaveric Population,” Christine Pham, Bobak Hedayati, Kiana Hashemi, Ella Csuka, Margit Juhasz, and Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska, Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 83, no. 6, 2020, pp. AB202-AB202. doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.902
原文研究:“Augmented Gustation Using Electricity,” Hiromi Nakamura and Homei Miyashita, Proceedings of the 2nd Augmented Human International Conference, March 2011, article 34. doi.org/10.1145/1959826.1959860
“Boredom Begets Boredom: An Experience Sampling Study on the Impact of Teacher Boredom on Student Boredom and Motivation,” Katy Y.Y. Tam, Cyanea Y. S. Poon, Victoria K.Y. Hui, Christy Y. F. Wong, Vivian W.Y. Kwong, Gigi W.C. Yuen, Christian S. Chan, British Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 90, no. S1, June 2020, pp. 124-137. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31342514/
“Whatever Will Bore, Will Bore: The Mere Anticipation of Boredom Exacerbates its Occurrence in Lectures,” Katy Y.Y. Tam, Wijnand A.P. Van Tilburg, Christian S. Chan, British Journal of Educational Psychology, epub 2022. doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12549
原文研究:“Note on the Drawing Power of Crowds of Different Size,” Stanley Milgram, Leonard Bickman, and Lawrence Berkowitz, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 13, no. 2, 1969, pp. 79-82. psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/h0028070
原文研究: “Intense Upper Ocean Mixing Due to Large Aggregations of Spawning Fish,” Bieito Fernández Castro, Marian Peña, Enrique Nogueira, Miguel Gilcoto, Esperanza Broullón, Antonio Comesaña, Damien Bouffard, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, and Beatriz Mouriño-Carballido, Nature Geoscience, vol. 15, 2022, pp. 287–292. doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-00916-3