DANA Centre, Science Museum, London, November 2004
IgNobel Prize winner Len Fisher is renowned for his quirky experiments that show how scientists see the little problems of everyday life, such as the best way to dunk a biscuit or the best way to stir porridge. In this witty and informative talk he introduces his audience to some of the strange and ridiculous-sounding experiments that other scientists have done in the pursuit of their craft. He challenges audience members to tell which ones led to major advances and which were just downright daft, and to come up with their own wild ideas for future experiments to solve science’s current crop of problems. His message is that, if you can’t tell the brilliant from the bizarre, maybe it’s wise not to laugh too loud.