Of Nobels and Ig Nobels, 2010
It's that time of year again, and the 2010 Nobel Prize announcements
wrap up today with the Prize in Economic Sciences. The official site
lists this year's worthy winners:
<http://nobelprize.org/>
On a lighter and related note, this year's Ig Nobels have also been
announced. These prizes are awarded "for achievements that first make
people laugh then make them think". Visit the site for the winners:
<http://improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2010>
A selection:
* Physics Prize: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest
... for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people
slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their
shoes.
* Medicine Prize: Simon Rietveld and Ilja van Beest ... for discovering
that symptoms of asthma can be treated with a roller-coaster ride.
* Peace Prize: Richard Stephens, John Atkins, and Andrew Kingston ...
for confirming the widely held belief that swearing relieves pain.
* Economics Prize: The executives and directors of Goldman Sachs, AIG,
Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, and Magnetar for
creating and promoting new ways to invest money - ways that maximize
financial gain and minimize financial risk for the world economy, or
for a portion thereof.
* Management Prize: Alessandro Pluchino, Andrea Rapisarda, and Cesare
Garofalo ... for demonstrating mathematically that organizations would
become more efficient if they promoted people at random.
