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Native Californian, biologist, wildlife conservation consultant, retired Smithsonian scientist, father of two daughters, grandfather of 4 small primates. INTJ. Believes nature is infinitely more interesting than shopping malls. Born 100 years too late.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Ig Nobel Awards

The Codger is proud to announce that childhood chum, David Rentz, aka Mr Smiley of BunyipCo, received an Ig Nobel Award with distinguished fellow entomologist, Darryl Gwynne.

View the ceremony here and have some good chuckles.

It's 2 hours of jolly good fun, but you can drag the time slider to 1:39:00 and learn how these two esteemed scientists discovered that a certain brand of Australian beer (the "stubbies" have love handles) lure male buprestid beetles into romantic dalliance.

Read the 2-page original work here.

BTW, Mr Smiley joined us at Chimineas last week.

Rentz and Alice at Chimineas.
Is he getting a bright idea -- or is that a mercury vapor lamp? 

5 comments:

randomtruth said...

Great shot Codge. I thought Doc Dave did an excellent job of distracting the "I'm bored" girl with candy. And giving their Nobel Laureate the matching bottle of beer - brilliant.

Camera Trap Codger said...

Yes, he was his usual self, but I noticed he had already polished off the bottle of beer.

gadget said...

postings are very interesting and useful

Anonymous said...

Hey! Your buddy made "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" A truly crowning achievement! His study was the true one among three stories about igNoble studies on "Bluff the Listener."

Here's a link to the show's podcast, though it looks as if what I heard this morning won't be available until 5 pm today: http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5183214

JoEllen

Camera Trap Codger said...

Thanks JoEllen, I sent Dave an email and I'll be listening for it this morning as I putter in the garage.