Et al: Because not all research deserves a Nobel Prize

by B McGraw

Et al. is a satirical academic journal that uses machine learning and scientific principles on absurd studies, from the cat Lord Whiskers' role in the extinction of the dodo bird to the quantum mysteries of untidy toddler rooms. Tired of the same old math, science, statistics, and programming memes people post online and want something a little more elaborate? This is the book for you. Tremble as we make up all our own facts and data, hand-draw diagrams in MS Paint, and quote from fictional studies and journals. Cower as authors write in the first person because their study is just a little too personal for them. Recoil from the sheer mass of oversimplified methodology, distilling someone's entire thesis into a paragraph of jokes crude enough to make it into a Mike Myers movie. Over the last few years, we have taken arguments that you would normally have after four Jack and cokes at game night and turned them into properly formatted research papers with a writing tone serious enough to confuse the uninitiated. These papers are high-effort jokes by researchers and scientists for researchers and scientists. They cover a range of topics such as the consequences of re-releasing tourists back into Yellowstone National Park after COVID-19, how to play StarCraft competitively online on a quantum computer, and most importantly, how trees around the globe are becoming increasingly radicalized. This book is for researchers and those who love science mingled with humor. It's for those who are a little too tired of the talking heads and futurists of the science world and would like something more entertaining in the form of absurd speculative studies by researchers as unbelievable as their work. Anyone who has experienced academic writing, or the tribulations of any research institution will enjoy the wide range of bizarre, yet real-world topics compiled in this book. Even if you don't know much about the subject, we usually have a background section. (N.B. Please use the Look Inside option to see further chapters)

Genres: Fiction, Humor

230 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Ashli McDonald Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first became a fan of B. McGraw's writing through his publication JABDE and could not be more excited for this book. If you have ever had to be beaten over the head by dry academic research (whether voluntarily or under duress), Et Al. will deliver a deliciously satisfying catharsis as well as some big, big laughs. I once spent an entire evening crying with laughter with a friend over JABDE articles and the hilarity and absurd attention to detail is every bit, if not more so, carried over into this book. Read it, share it, spread the ridiculousness. 7 out of 5 stars. Indeed disrespectful to the memory of the dodo bird.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wished The Onion published a fake scientific journal? Your wait is over.

Et al. blows past any and all expectations - better even than The Onion could've produced, and is clearly written by a mad genius (emphasis on mad). If you have any technical interest or background whatsoever this book is a must read. There's something in here for every field, and I absolutely guarantee you will laugh your ass off. Not only that, but if you work or go to school with technical people this book will make you the most popular person in the office/program.

I don't want to spoil anything, but my personal favorite was "A Computationally Efficient Solution to the SLAM problem in Houses of Mirrors" which I probably shared with 20+ people who all loved it. It's been months since I first read it and I still laugh when I remember it.

So, whether you're an overburdened electrical engineer at a soulless company, an abused grad student, a burnt out post doc, or a bright eyed newly declared STEM major (or you just like technical stuff) you should add a little light to your life and buy this book.

**NOTE - if your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse/child/friend/etc. sounds like someone who might like this book it would make an absolutely amazing gift. Infinitely better than something like "Quantum Mechanics for Babies" that everyone gets - not knocking that series, they're great too, this is just WAY WAY better.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was pleased to find that the “papers” are indeed written by researchers, or people with a thorough understanding of the culture of academia. I believe a lot of the images within are AI-generated, but whether that’s part of the satire, I’m unsure. My personal favorite publication was Flavortown in the Brain: Localizing Generators of Hedonic Food Response in the Forebrains of Foodies (Canard et al., 2022), which examines relevant topics such as “mean yum value,” “supple mouth feels,” and “frosted-tip interference.” It was also co-authored by prominent names in the field, including the likes of Salacious B. Crumb of Queen Beebletums College’s own Burpley Memorial Center for Translational Psychigeology, and Todd Coleslaw of What Question Mark University.

[Stuart Upson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. A genre I didn’t know existed until I picked up this book, and now can’t get enough of. STEM geeks will get a kick out of all the Easter eggs throughout, and get serious flashbacks to lab reports from college. But the best part is a super approachable writing that people of any background will find hilarious. Perfect for a coffee table, each entry can be read in a quick sitting and will have your whole house howling!

[Spencer Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the nerdiest thing I have ever read, and I loved it! I loved all the subtle research winks and nods and the recurring gags. I can also see why some people might have thought they were serious articles because I found myself wondering if building a computer with barbasol would be feasible. Well done!

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Reads: Et al. B McGraw's collection of spoof scientific papers is a book of fictional science. And yet, in discussing ghost-detecting robot dogs, the secret history of the extinction of the dodo, and much more, it's also mining the ore of SFF. A dip in-and-out giggle.

[B.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Dilbert were a data scientist and not a cog in the corporate machine, these are the papers he would write.

[Alana Slekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

hilariously written satirical book for researcher & scientists. I literally laughed out loud with every page.