Marc Abrahams (born 1956) is an American mathematician and scientific editor. He is the editor and co-founder of ''

Annals of Improbable Research The ''Annals of Improbable Research'' (''AIR'') is a bimonthly magazine devoted to scientific humor, in the form of a satirical take on the standard academic journal. ''AIR'', published six times a year since 1995, usually showcases at least one ...

'' and the master of ceremonies at the annual

Ig Nobel Prize The Ig Nobel Prize () is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to promote public engagement with scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of the award is a ...

celebration, which he founded in 1991. He was formerly editor of the ''

Journal of Irreproducible Results The ''Journal of Irreproducible Results'' is a magazine of science humor. It was established in Israel in 1955 by virologist Alexander Kohn and physicist Harry J. Lipkin, who wanted a humor magazine about science, for scientists. It contains a ...

''. Abrahams is married to Robin Abrahams, also known as "Miss Conduct", a columnist for the ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

''. Abrahams graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

with a degree in

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematics, mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and Industrial sector, industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a ...

. While working full time as a software engineer in 1990, he reached out to retired math columnist

Martin Gardner Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer with interests also encompassing magic, scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writin ...

asking him to recommend publications that might publish Abrahams' humor writing about math and science. Gardner replied with one defunct journal called the ''

'' which Israeli scientists Alex Kohn and Harry Lipkin had founded in 1955 and abandoned after about ten years due to the workload''.'' Abrahams restarted the journal and devoted his evenings to working on it, often getting help from the two founders. He was editor for four years, and he organized the first annual

ceremony in 1991. Because the ''Journal of Irreproducible Results'' publisher did not provide funds or sufficient support, Abrahams left to create his own rival magazine called the ''

'', also known as AIR. By 2004, the magazine was in its tenth year and Abrahams published a daily blog, monthly email newsletter, and column in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' in addition to books related to improbable research.

Bibliography

Books written or edited by Abrahams include: * ''This Is Improbable'' () * ''The Ig Nobel Prizes'' () * ''Why Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans'' () * ''Sex As a Heap of Malfunctioning Rubble'' () * ''The Best of "Annals of Improbable Research"'' () * ''The Man Who Tried to Clone Himself'' ()

References

External links

Annals of Improbable Research

(Abrahams' own account of JIR and AIR), ''

'', June 1, 2004 * *
"A science award that makes you laugh, then think" (TEDMED 2014)
Living people American information and reference writers 1956 births Harvard College alumni Date of birth missing (living people) {{US-nonfiction-writer-stub