Nathan L.K. Bierma
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
nbierma [at] calvin.edu

ENGL 101
Professor Bierma
Science Articles for Humor Essays

Write a humor essay that provides a fictional explanation for a scientific phenomenon reported in the New York Times. Here are some suggested articles with suggested questions for fictional answers. (Note: The Times requires free registration, or log in with the user name and password of bcread.)

• John B. Buck, Who Studied Fireflies' Glow, Is Dead at 92

Why do fireflies glow?
What good would it do if humans could similarly glow?

• Now, Can You Find Its Square Root?

What methods were used to discover the world's largest prime number?
What other discoveries could these methods be used for?

• Memory of a Honeybee (scroll down to 3rd heading)

How do honeybees remember so much?
How could this discovery be put to good use?

• In Lab's High-Speed Collisions, Things Just Vanish

What would you like to put into this black hole, and have it vanish from the universe?

• Life on Mars? Could Be, but How Will They Tell?

What kinds of life might scientists discover on Mars?
What other uses would the "fake Mars" site in Chile have?

• The 10,000 Pound Parrot (reprinted at www.alphadictionary.com)

How did this elephant learn to imitate sounds?
What else might the elephant learn to imitate?

Latest science articles from the NYT