Arty-facts

Post date: Sep 22, 2012 8:53:4 PM

I've been a bad one - no updates for two days - just as well others are filling in.

It was lovely to Skype Mark and Stacey last night and know that in 4 days I will see them:-) Told them last night that the trip is just starting to feel real - at the supermarket yesterday I bought 4 packets of pineapple lumps a sure sign I am about to head to northern hemisphere!!

Was reading the paper this morning and came across two items that might make you smile

And the Ig Nobel awards are being presented next month. Improbably science. Award entries this year include:

    • Dutch research that shows people who lean to the left will see objects smaller than those who lean to the right

    • The French research that advises doctors performing colonoscopies on how NOT to have the patient explode (I can see this is desirable I just wonder how frequently it happens???)

    • Swedish research on why people in a particular town were getting green hair (copper pipes and hot showers)

    • US research on why carrying a cup of coffee often ends up in spills

The official mascot of the Ig Nobel awards is this image "The Stinker" (on an art theme Rodin's Thinker tipped over)

A while ago Tony wrote about the 80 year old woman who "helped" her local church by restoring the famous mural "Ecco Homo" only her restoration was an artistic disaster. Well it seems that it may have been an artistic disaster but has helped the local church. The artwork before and after has become an international sensation and thousands of people are now visiting the church to see the art work (It also appears on coffee mugs, avatars, etc) The church initially asked for donations from people who visited the church but made little money; once they started charging 4 euros to visit they started making around 500 euros a day. Woman is now asking for royalties.

Art is of course in the eye of the beholder