Obscenity takes top honor at Ig Nobels

Richard Stephens, a lecturer in psychology at Keele University in the United Kingdom, earned a 2010 Ig Nobel prize, the award handed out by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine for silly sounding scientific discoveries that often have surprisingly practical applications, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Stephens was inspired by some painful experiences suffered by his own family, according to the report.

A few years ago, after smacking his hand with a hammer and blurting out a choice expletive, he felt much better, it said.

About the same time, his wife gave birth to their daughter.

During a particularly long and difficult labor, she let loose with a few words that would have made a sailor blush.

She later apologized, but the midwife waved off the blue language, according to AP. ``She said 'We hear that all the time,''' Stephens was quoted as saying.

However, the report said, Stephens didn't whack his subjects with a hammer. ``We had to find a stimulus that was painful but not harmful.''

The test subjects dunked their hands in a bucket of ice cold water to see how long they could hold it there. People with potty mouth were able to hold their hands in the water longer.

Stephens said, ``What we think is when you swear you produce an emotional reaction in yourself, you arouse your nervous system and you set off the fight or flight response,'' according to the report. ``It gets the heart rate up, gets the adrenaline flowing.''

미국 하버드대학이 매년 재미있고 기발한 과학연구에 수여하는 이그(IG)노벨상 올해 수상자로 '욕설 요법'을 내놓은 리처드 스테픈스 등이 선정됐다고 AP통신, 연합뉴스가 보도했다.

IG는 '있을 것 같지 않은 진짜(improbable genuine)'라는 의미다. 애널스 오브 임프로버블 리서치(AIR)가 이 상을 준다.

이 보도에 따르면 영국 킬대학의 강사인 스테픈스는 수년전 망치로 손을 찧었을 때 자신도 모르게 욕설을 내뱉었더니 기분이 한결 나아지는 것을 발견했다.

또한 그의 부인이 난산으로 딸을 출산했을 때 얼굴이 붉어질 정도의 음란스러운 욕설 몇마디를 했으며 나중에 조산원에게 사과하자 조산원은 "항상 듣는 일"이라며 신경쓰지 않았던 일에 착안했다고 AP통신이 전했다.

또한, 스테픈스는 피실험자들에게 얼음물이 든 통에 손을 담그도록 하고 얼마나 견딜 수 있는지를 측정했다. 실험 결과 입이 거친 사람들이 더 오래 참았다.

그는 "자기 자신에게서 감정적 반응을 만들어낼 때 신경체계가 활성화되어 '투쟁 또는 회피 반응'을 일으킨다"라며 "심장이 뛰고 아드레날린이 생성된다"고 설명했다고 국내외 통신이 전했다.