Improbable Research

 For the avoidance of doubt (see our recent post ‘Bumble Boogie‘) it should be noted that bees are by no means the only arthropods to feature in popular music themes. (Think : Crustaceans, Mites, Spiders, Vinegaroons &etc.)
A comprehensive list of musically-linked noninsect arthropods can be found in a recent paper by Professor Joseph R. Coelho (Biology Program, Quincy University, US) See: ‘Noninsect Arthropods in Popular Music’ (Insects, 2011, 2, pp. 253-263)

“The occurrence of noninsect arthropods in popular music was examined in order to explore human attitudes toward these species, especially as compared to insects. Crustaceans were the most commonly referenced taxonomic group in artist names, album titles and cover art, followed by spiders and scorpions.”

Further explorations: Professor Coelho maintains his own website with a wealth of ‘BugMusic’ information on the presence of insects in Rock ‘n’ Roll music.

Today’s short movie about Books and What’s In Them is The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore:

Some people seem to have noticed its appeal.

(Thanks to investigator Kevin Petrus for bringing this to our attention.)

BONUS: Suppose, now just suppose, that you had enough time to read all those books you’re wanting to read. An episode of The Twilight Zone supposes that very thing (via @harpersnotes):

Today’s Curiously Refreshing Title is:

Association between personality profiles of decision makers and characteristics and performance of swine herds, Paul Yeske, University of Minnesota, 1999, 198 pages.

Award-winning author and vice-presidential candidate Paul Yeske is pictured here.

BONUS: Swinecast presents Paul Yeske, in video form:

For the first time, a peer-reviewed comprehensive discography of US-based apical musical recordings has been assembled. (Think : bees, hives, honey, buzzing, stingers, &etc). Professor William Lewis Schurk (Sound Recordings Archivist of the Music Library and Sound Recordings Archives at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, US) and colleague professor B. Lee Cooper, (presently at the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, US) have co-authored ‘Bumble Boogie: 100 Years of Bee Imagery in American Sound Recordings—A Discography’. (Popular Music and Society, Volume 34, Issue 4, 2011)

“This discographic study explores several bee themes featured in more than 200 commercial recordings released in the United States during the past century. Themes cited include references to scent, terms of endearment, analogies to bee-related structures and hive-oriented treasures, allusions to romance, sexuality, and reproduction, and fears of physical pain and emotional rejection.”

For some examples, see/hear these bee-centric musical excerpts via Youtube.
• Muddy Waters – I’m A King Bee
• Flight of the bumblebee
• Eric the half a bee

Note: The same team have also compiled : ‘Odes to Obesity: Images of Overweight Men and Women in Commercial Sound Recordings: A Discography‘ (Popular Music and Society,Volume 34, Issue 2, 2011)

Coming soon: Cookin’ lobsters.

Mary Mulvihill did a five-minute talk about ‘The night Dublin dissected an elephant’. It (the night Dublin dissected an elephant — not Mulvihill’s talk!) was was a big, smelly moment in the history of science. Here’s video of her talk:

Allen Mullin did the dissection, way back when, in 1681. He described it in a book called An anatomical account of the elephant accidentally burnt in Dublin on Fryday, June 17 in the year 1681: