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//Please forward any corrections to Steve.//
=====Meeting Summary for Lex Computer Group Oct 2, 2024=====

===== Quick recap =====

The meeting covered technical issues, government organization discussions, and design review preparation. The 34th Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held, featuring awards for unusual research topics and a Mini opera about Murphy's Law. The conversation ended with demonstrations, an International Murphy's Law song competition, and discussions about future events.

===== Next steps =====

  * Bob to confirm next week's speaker and topic with Dan.
  * Peter to address technical issues with video playback setup for future meetings.
  * LCTG team to prepare for potential last-minute changes to next week's presentation.
  * Barbara Huey to present on "Inspiring the Next Generation: Women's Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering at MIT" on the 9th.
  * Presenter (TBD) to prepare "Tech for Seniors" topics for the 16th meeting.

===== MKV Video Format and Sharing Options Discussed =====


The group discussed the Mkv video format and its use for sharing online videos. One participant, Case Moolicker, shared a humorous anecdote about being awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for documenting homosexual necrophilia in Mallard Ducks. The group explored options for sharing a video during the meeting without additional audio setup and decided to use the presenter screen. One member inquired about high-pressure liquid chromatography. The group also discussed making rooms "zoom ready" but awaited budget information.


===== Technical Issues and Home Server Discussion =====


The meeting involved discussions about technical issues, with participants experiencing problems with a restarting computer and a driver update causing a blue screen. The team decided to switch to a laptop. The conversation also covered the use of a home server, including its specifications like 64GB memory, an I7 processor, and multiple operating systems. The server's low CPU utilization and its acquisition on eBay were also mentioned. Later, Peter gave safety instructions for the Ignobel Prize ceremony, prohibiting actions like feeding or disturbing ducks and reminding attendees to silence phones and not consume flesh. He introduced the Giant Paper Airplane Crew demonstrating the ideal flight path for paper airplanes.


===== 34th 1st Annual IC Nobel Prize Ceremony =====


The 34th 1st Annual IC Nobel Prize ceremony, themed around Murphy's Law, was held with Karen Hopkin as the creator of the Stud Muffins of Science Calendar. The ceremony, produced by the Annals of Improbable Research and in collaboration with the Mit Press, welcomed new Ig Nobel Prize winners from various countries and one planet. The ceremony featured 10 prizes, with achievements speaking for themselves, and was presented by Nobel laureates such as Eric Maskin, Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, Robert Merton, Mundi Bawendi, and Jerome Friedman. The winners received an Ig Nobel Prize, a piece of paper, and a Zimbabwean 10 trillion dollar bill. The coveted Ig Nobel Prize was a transparent box containing historic items about the history of Murphy's Law. Peter announced the winners of the Ignobel Peace Prize and the Botany Prize, with the Peace Prize awarded to the late BF. Skinner for his experiment on housing live pigeons inside missiles to guide flight paths, and the Botany Prize awarded to Jacob White and Felipe Yamashita for their discovery that some real plants imitate the shapes of neighboring artificial plastic plants.


===== Boquila Plant Research and Ig Nobel Prize Discussion =====


Peter discussed his research on the Boquila plant that mimics other plants and his need for a job to continue studying it. The Ig Nobel Anatomy prize was awarded to Marjolaine Willems, Quentin Henoke, Sarah Tenon, Dellara, Nicholas Cogan, Vincent Flurry, Romi Resi Guire, Juan Jose Cortez Santander, Roberto Recina, Julian Sterneman, and Roman Hussein Consare for their study on whether hair swirls in the same direction in the northern and southern hemispheres. Economist Esther Duflo explained that the top income Americans emit 120 times more CO2 than poor Africans, but climate change could cause millions of deaths in poor countries. A demonstration showed hair swirling clockwise for most attendees. There were space constraints leading to rotation of laureates.


===== Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony and Medicine Prize Winners =====


Peter discussed the annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, which includes a Mini opera about Murphy's law. The opera had four acts, with the first act featuring a song about Murphy, the person after whom the law is named. The song was about Murphy's disappointments and the inevitability of things going wrong. The conversation ended with the announcement of the Medicine Prize winners, Levin Schenk, Tomine Fide, and Christian Buchel, from Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, respectively. They were awarded for demonstrating that fake medicine causing painful side effects can be more effective than fake medicine without side effects.


===== Ig Nobel Prizes and Unfortunate Travel Stories =====


Peter discussed the Ig Nobel Physics and Physiology prizes, highlighting the unusual research topics and the humorous nature of the awards. He also shared his personal experiences of unfortunate travel coincidences, including a flight grounded by the Ash Cloud volcano and a gig disrupted by the Christchurch earthquake. Lastly, he introduced the next contestant in the International Murphy's Law Song Competition, who had written a song about Murphy's law and the legal system.


===== Coleslaw Song and Ig Nobel Probability Prize =====


Peter hosted a segment of a meeting where he introduced a song about coleslaw, a dish made from shredded cabbage and mayonnaise or vinegar. He humorously expressed his dislike for the dish and its association with the wealthy. The meeting then transitioned to the Ig Nobel Probability Prize, awarded to Frontischek Bartosch, Eric Jan Wagenmaker, Alexandra Surfaglu, Hendrik Godman, and many colleagues for their 350,757 experiments demonstrating that coins tend to land on the same side they started. The prize was presented by Nobel Laureate Aisha Banerjee, who also discussed the small effect of the coin's wobble on its landing side and the learning effects observed in the experiment.


===== Coin, Paper, Pencil, and Ig Nobel Prizes =====


Peter led a demonstration involving a coin, paper, and pencil, and the International Murphy's Law song competition took place. The paper airplane deluge activity was announced. Peter discussed receiving the Demography Prize for exposing centenarians lacking birth records. The Biology Prize winners studied milk ejection rates in cows, demonstrated with a cow and exploding bags. The Ig Nobel Face to Face event was announced for September 14th in Boston and Tokyo.


===== International Murphy's Law Song Contest Discussion =====


Peter and Bob discussed the International Murphy's Law song contest, with the judges deciding the winner. The contestants were thanked and applauded. The conversation ended with a farewell speech by Peter, wishing everyone luck for the next year. The next week's schedule was briefly discussed, with a mention of a possible change due to unconfirmed information. The conversation ended with a discussion about technical issues and the recording of the meeting.