Zimmerman, et al
AUTHORITIES in Sweden, perhaps feeling that 2016 hasn鈥檛 been strange enough already, have awarded this year鈥檚 Nobel Prize in Literature to Bob Dylan. But maybe we shouldn鈥檛 be so surprised.
Last year, a team at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden discovered more than 727 references to his music in the scientific literature. There is 鈥淭he CRISPRs, they are a-changin鈥: how prokaryotes generate adaptive immunity鈥 and 鈥淏lowin鈥 in the wind: both 鈥榥egative鈥 and 鈥榩ositive鈥 feedback in an obscured high-z quasar鈥.
Advertisement
In fact, in 2014, five scientists at the Karolinska divulged their longstanding bet to see who could sneak the most Dylan references into their work.
However, Dylan isn鈥檛 the king of sci-lit references. In a new unpublished paper, Ger Rijkers at the University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands and his colleagues found 211 publications since 1990 citing Dylan in their titles, but no less than 589 papers referenced the Beatles, with titles such as 鈥淚 get height with a little help from my friends: herd protection from sanitation on child growth in rural Ecuador鈥.
But which musical icon will future researchers draw inspiration from? Feedback awaits your discoveries of lyrics from more contemporary artists lurking in the scientific literature.
鈥淔red Nind sends word of Illumibowl, a gadget that will light up your toilet at night. He says 鈥淚 rather like the fact that the device is described as 鈥榤otion activated鈥.鈥濃
Don鈥檛 even think about it
PREVIOUSLY, Feedback wondered why so many of those discussing Britain鈥檚 post-European Union fortunes at the Conservative party conference were preoccupied with food (15 October).
Now the national conversation has shifted to the threat Brexit poses to our supply of Marmite, the black, yeast-based spread whose sharply divisive flavour makes a fitting analogy for these post-referendum days.
Thankfully, our elected representatives are working hard to establish cohesion: one Conservative councillor has launched a campaign to make supporting the EU illegal. Christian Holliday is petitioning Parliament to amend the 1848 Treason Felony Act so those who 鈥渋magine, devise, promote, work, or encourage others, to support the UK becoming a member of the European Union鈥 could be jailed for life.
If enacted, this change could mean that scientists hoping to secure their EU-funded grants would risk being plucked from their ivory towers and thrown into the Tower of London by Councillor Holliday鈥檚 beefeaters. But with our Marmite supply in jeopardy, don鈥檛 we need them now more than ever to create those sought after innovative jams?
Fortune teller
THE DIVINE Steve Morris sends us a truly exceptional case of nominative determinism involving a US businesswoman and 鈥淒emocratic strategist鈥 who offered her insights as a co-host of MSNBC鈥檚 afternoon news show The Cycle. Here鈥檚 looking at you, Krystal Ball.
Far out research
PEDRO SARAIVA chances upon news of a lesser-known hormone secreted by the pineal gland. tells us that this chemical is a 鈥渉igher octave鈥 version of the timekeeping hormone melatonin, and 鈥渕odifies the borders of consciousness by temporarily reprogramming our brain circuitry in a unique way鈥. Such unbounded action might be explained by one of Metatonin鈥檚 main components: the powerful hallucinogen DMT.
The authors note that 鈥渉igher intelligence and consciousness exists at the quantum-entangled time transcendent holographic infinitely intelligent universal macro-micro all-pervasive level. Humans exist on a limited mental/physical single-track time-space macro level鈥. Sadly, this potential avenue of research will remain unexplored by scientists seconded to produce innovative jams, unless they come up with a DMT-based breakfast spread.
On call clown
AN EPIDEMIC of scary clown sightings has been terrifying the public both here and abroad (15 October, p 5), leading the professional variety to complain that their craft is being vilified. Finally then, some news that may turn those grease-painted frowns upside down.
A colleague tells us that the latest issue of the Journal of Paediatrics and Child 91色情片 reports on 鈥渢he effectiveness of pre-operative clown intervention on psychological distress鈥. After compiling eight studies, researchers found that clowns are almost always less distressing to children than pondering imminent surgery. A victory, of sorts?
Chill out
WHAT kind of life-extending techniques are doctors using in New Zealand? While checking the clinic attendance records at his hospital, Martin Necas was informed by computer: 鈥淪orry, cannot check whether this patient is frozen.鈥
Parse with care
A SIGN on the highway tells Penny Jackson: 鈥淧icking up your litter puts roadworkers lives at risk鈥.
鈥淚t took me a while to work out why they wanted me to save lives by leaving it on the ground,鈥 she says.