Never ruin an apology with an excuse." — Benjamin Franklin
I want to thank Marc Abrahams for reaching out with a complaint. Marc created the Ig Nobel Prize more than 30 years ago and pointed out that I mischaracterized the point of the awards in a previous post. As most of you know, the Ig Nobel Prize is given each year to…
"…honour scientific studies that make people laugh and then make people think. The idea is to celebrate the unusual and the imaginative in research, but the prizes are also designed to pique the public's interest in science, medicine, and technology."
I am so down with that. When I was a kid, I frequently built and launched Estes rockets with my friend Brett Ellman and now Brett is a physics professor at Kent State. The enduring power of fun. (I definitely did not become a scientist, but I do love any movie where the scientists are the heroes: Arrival, Gravity, Andromeda Strain, Imitation Game, Apollo 13, The Martian and so many more.)
In this era of anti-science and anti-fact culture wars, I wholeheartedly support anything that sparks the imagination of young proto-scientists who are thinking of going into the various fields.
I was being too glib and I hope Marc can accept an apology.
