The mind behind the infamous Ig Nobel Prizes presents an addictive collection of improbable research all about us - and you Marc Abrahams collects the odd, the imaginative and the brilliantly improbable. Here he turns to research on the ins and outs of the very improbable evolutionary innovation that is the human body (brain included): * What's the best way to get a monkey to floss regularly? * How much dandruff do Pakistani soldiers have? * If you add an extra henchman to your bank-robbing gang, how much more money will you 'earn'? * How many dimples will be found on the cheeks of 28,282 Greek children? * Who is the Einstein of pork carcasses?

"If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." - Dalai Lama In 2009, one nightshift spent on duty at his emergency vet clinic changed everything for Marc Abraham. Eight very sick puppies came in needing Marc's help. He subsequently discovered they'd all been purchased from a pet shop and had been born in the same cruel puppy farm. Since that fateful night, no one could have ever predicted the impact those poorly pups would have on the world of animal welfare, or indeed the future of grassroots campaigning in the UK, and beyond. Fast forward to June 2019 and over 10 years since Marc treated those eight sick puppies and 'Lucy's Law', named after a rescued puppy farm breeding dog whose pups were also sold through pet shops, passed into law by the UK Government. It bans the selling of puppies (and kittens) by pet shops and dealers, making all breeders accountable. Now, in his new book, #BeMoreMosquito, Marc has put together the ultimate guide for individuals to campaign for what they believe in - no matter what their cause or belief. It shows how YOU have the power to create change - and that YOUR voice matters. He shares in detail his personal campaigning tips, toolkit, and experiences from his own extraordinary journey, which included over 300 visits to Westminster. From meeting MPs and engaging with A-list celebrities, to the role of e-government petitions and developing your own campaign brand, Marc helps guide you through how to raise awareness, dispel myths, change public and even corporate behaviour, and importantly, how to make that all-important progress and influence legislation that can make our world a better place, and all for free.

A double-bill of sci-fi horror. In John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (1982), a research team in the Antarctic, led by R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell), discovers a spaceship buried beneath the ice, and becomes terrorised by the shape-changing monster that is housed within. In the 2011 prequel, the action is set on a research site in Antarctica three days before the action of the original story, the film focusing on the Norwegian camps that were the initial target of the alien invasion. When they discover an alien spacecraft on the site, science graduate Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and experienced researcher Dr Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) disagree about how to act. When Dr Halvorson refuses to abandon his research, Kate teams up with tough Vietnam veteran Sam Carter (Joel Edgerton) to pursue the alien intruders by helicopter.

A loving look at one of the world's most maligned, misunderstood, and fascinating insectsFamous foe of forestry professionals and despised spreader of Dutch elm disease, bark beetles have a bad reputation: the World's Worst Forest Pests. They chew through timber profits and kill healthy trees, turning forests from carbon sinks into carbon sources. But entomologist Jiri Hulcr sees more to these evil weevils than meets the eye, and offers you a closer look-literally. With science journalist Marc Abrahams, Hulcr offers a funny and informative introduction to these under-studied and underappreciated insects. This lively book turns cutting-edge research into an enjoyable tour through the miniature world of a charming critter. Vivid macrophotography captures every aspect of bark beetle life in stunning detail, from their dramatic family stories and curiously endearing looks to their mating strategies, and the secret fungus farms where they cultivate their own "ambrosia." You'll learn how much we don't know about bark beetles-and what that means for science's attempts to control them as climate change alters their habitats. Whether you're a scientist seeking up-to-date pest management strategies or you're just wondering if your backyard trees are at risk, this book will help you better understand the latest discoveries in beetle symbioses, molecular biology, and ecology. But be warned: at the end of this read you may be filled with affection for these adorable and astonishing beetles.

Marc Abrahams, the mind behind the internationally renowned Ig Nobel Prizes, is on a mission: to gather the bizarre, the questionable, the brilliant, the downright funny, the profound - everything improbable - from the annals of science research. What's the best way to slice a ham sandwich, mathematically? What makes Bobs look especially Bob-like? Is the right or left ear better at discerning lies? Could mice be outfitted with parachutes to kill tree snakes?

Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried star in this sci-fi thriller set in a near-future world in which time, rather than money, has become the ultimate currency. With the ageing gene switched off, people stop ageing at 25 years old, but there is a catch: they are genetically engineered to live for only one more year beyond 25 unless they can afford to pay to stay alive for longer. While the rich can buy decades at a time, the poor must beg, borrow or steal just to acquire enough hours to make it through the day. Will (Timberlake), a young man from the wrong side of the tracks, is accused of murder after unexpectedly inheriting a fortune of time from a recently-deceased millionaire. Forced to fight for his life, he takes the beautiful Sylvia (Seyfried) hostage in a desperate bid to escape from the powerful and corrupt police force known as the Time Keepers.

Horror film. Guilt-ridden evangelical minister Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) invites a documentary crew to make a film revealing the deceptive practices behind the exorcism rituals from which he has made his living over the years. But when he and the film crew arrive at the rural Louisiana farm owned by Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum), it becomes terrifyingly apparent to Marcus that true evil is at work there. Can he save himself and his crew before it is too late?

Ashley Bell reprises her role as possessed teenager Nell Sweetzer in this supernatural horror sequel from director Ed Gass-Donnelly. Discovered alone in the backwoods of Louisiana, and with no memory of her past, a terrified Nell is offered sanctuary in New Orleans by a Christian group intent on purging the demons within her once and for all. But just as she begins the process of building a new life for herself, she discovers that the evil presence that tormented her past is back, and that this time, it's here to stay.