This is so awesome! We need to bring back dumb studies especially with kids! In my own little life I was previously paid to be a "Scientist" and also I have people in my family who are antivaxers who decided I was not to be trusted because I was a scientist. (Or maybe it was because I studied plants and microbes?)
I wish, in our current political landscape, scientists weren't considered elitist and therefore capitalists and untrustworthy (although some of them are). I've spent a lot of time trying to tell people that "science" is a basic trait of being human. What happens when I try adding balsamic vinegar to the potatoes? (Blech) Which toys does the dog like best? (the plushy squeaky ones that are fun to destroy) As humans we are experimenting every day in little ways we don't even notice. I believe it's part of our creativity.
Good comment. But "science" isn't a basic trait of human beings. "Curiosity" is. Yes, the latter is a big element and driver of the former but they're still immensely different. If not so, it wouldn't take so long for humans to invent modern science and scientific attitude wouldn't be so rare and treated with outright hostility in most societies.
There's a good neuroscientific explanation for why people wouldn't want to eat straight salt. At low concentrations of salt, salty taste receptors are activated, but at high salt concentrations, bitter and sour taste receptors are also activated. (See https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11905 for some of the original research.) As far as I know, there's not a similar aversive effect for high concentrations of sugar.
> somehow every party I host ends up with 23 people at it
My late grandmother grew up in St. Petersburg before the Russian revolution. She claimed that in Russia, there was no particular superstition surrounding the number 13, except as it pertained to having 13 people around a table (this was considered bad luck due to Judas Iscariot being the 13th person at the Last Supper). Anyway, my grandmother said that there were professional guests available at a moment's notice, should your dinner party inadvertently end up with 13 attendees. Good work if you can get it.
Love this one! In the wake of the replication crisis, we need to make sure people continue to run dumb studies. That's probably the only way to learn stuff anyway.
I can confirm that Gatorade tastes better after a run on a hot day. Having run more than a few long-distance races in sometimes absurdly hot weather, I can attest that salty foods are absolutely delicious when most of your body's electrolytes are stuck to the outside of your skin. Small boiled potatoes dipped in salt would be just gross in normal life, but halfway through a hot ultramarathon? Better than candy.
On the lemon-lime baby food, citric acid is a common preservative added to baby food, so that might throw off the taste relative to eating the unprocessed fruit
New subscriber! I loved this post despite a PTSD trigger re sticking hands in boxes: last spring I reached into a wooden box, a dog-poo-bag dispenser, to grab poo bags while out on a walk with the dogs. Sometimes there’s only one bag left and you have to finagle your fingers all the way down to the bottom of the box. It felt kind of soft and spongey and then it freaking moved and I felt nibbling. After I assured the dogs my screaming fit was over, I looked inside and saw a nest of newborn baby birds. I remain traumatized to this day. I did go back this year to confirm that yep, it’s still being used as a nesting box. Is there a Dumb Study re expectation? Like if in the middle of the night you reach for a carton of milk for a quick slug but pull out the carton of orange juice and then almost asphyxiate yourself while drinking it?
This is so awesome! We need to bring back dumb studies especially with kids! In my own little life I was previously paid to be a "Scientist" and also I have people in my family who are antivaxers who decided I was not to be trusted because I was a scientist. (Or maybe it was because I studied plants and microbes?)
I wish, in our current political landscape, scientists weren't considered elitist and therefore capitalists and untrustworthy (although some of them are). I've spent a lot of time trying to tell people that "science" is a basic trait of being human. What happens when I try adding balsamic vinegar to the potatoes? (Blech) Which toys does the dog like best? (the plushy squeaky ones that are fun to destroy) As humans we are experimenting every day in little ways we don't even notice. I believe it's part of our creativity.
Good comment. But "science" isn't a basic trait of human beings. "Curiosity" is. Yes, the latter is a big element and driver of the former but they're still immensely different. If not so, it wouldn't take so long for humans to invent modern science and scientific attitude wouldn't be so rare and treated with outright hostility in most societies.
There's a good neuroscientific explanation for why people wouldn't want to eat straight salt. At low concentrations of salt, salty taste receptors are activated, but at high salt concentrations, bitter and sour taste receptors are also activated. (See https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11905 for some of the original research.) As far as I know, there's not a similar aversive effect for high concentrations of sugar.
Super helpful, thank you!
please more dumb studies. i was literally laughing out loud (also learned many things). 'pointlessness is worse than pain' was particularly poignant.
Ditto
Am I the only one who thinks 408 Twix Minis is the greatest way to go out?
> somehow every party I host ends up with 23 people at it
My late grandmother grew up in St. Petersburg before the Russian revolution. She claimed that in Russia, there was no particular superstition surrounding the number 13, except as it pertained to having 13 people around a table (this was considered bad luck due to Judas Iscariot being the 13th person at the Last Supper). Anyway, my grandmother said that there were professional guests available at a moment's notice, should your dinner party inadvertently end up with 13 attendees. Good work if you can get it.
Love this one! In the wake of the replication crisis, we need to make sure people continue to run dumb studies. That's probably the only way to learn stuff anyway.
But why not mixed salt and sugar?
Maybe I’ll try it while fixing dinner.
I believe 23 ppl is the amount you need to get in a room such that there’s a 50% chance 2 share a birthday
If you can't prove the birthday paradox, it ain't a party
I can confirm that Gatorade tastes better after a run on a hot day. Having run more than a few long-distance races in sometimes absurdly hot weather, I can attest that salty foods are absolutely delicious when most of your body's electrolytes are stuck to the outside of your skin. Small boiled potatoes dipped in salt would be just gross in normal life, but halfway through a hot ultramarathon? Better than candy.
I loved this so much! Perfect commute read
Uh oh, Thomas Young has some competition!
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Man-Who-Knew-Everything/dp/0465072925
Hahaha amazing, thank you for this
funniest thing i've read in a while. Thanks! Seriously, lemon-lime baby food? Love it.
I loved this one, thank you !
Dear Adam,
These are FUN studies!
I like this takeaway a lot: "Feeling pointless might hurt worse than feeling pain."
Thanks for sharing!
Love
Myq
PS How are YOUR taste buds at differentiating sugar and salt?
On the lemon-lime baby food, citric acid is a common preservative added to baby food, so that might throw off the taste relative to eating the unprocessed fruit
New subscriber! I loved this post despite a PTSD trigger re sticking hands in boxes: last spring I reached into a wooden box, a dog-poo-bag dispenser, to grab poo bags while out on a walk with the dogs. Sometimes there’s only one bag left and you have to finagle your fingers all the way down to the bottom of the box. It felt kind of soft and spongey and then it freaking moved and I felt nibbling. After I assured the dogs my screaming fit was over, I looked inside and saw a nest of newborn baby birds. I remain traumatized to this day. I did go back this year to confirm that yep, it’s still being used as a nesting box. Is there a Dumb Study re expectation? Like if in the middle of the night you reach for a carton of milk for a quick slug but pull out the carton of orange juice and then almost asphyxiate yourself while drinking it?