Journal of Irreproducible Results

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Journal of Irreproducible Results (JIR) is a magazine of science humor, published in San Mateo, California as of 2004. JIR was founded in Israel in 1955 by virologist Alexander Kohn and physicist Harry J. Lipkin, who wanted a humor magazine about science, for scientists. It contained a unique mix of jokes, satire of scientific practice, science cartoons, and discussion of funny but real research.

Medical researcher George H. Scherr was publisher from 1964 to 1989, after which JIR was published by Blackwell Scientific Publications. Marc Abrahams was editor from 1991 to the last Blackwell issue, in 1994, after which he left to form the rival Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) and create the Ig Nobel prizes.

In 1994, Blackwell returned JIR to George Scherr, who was publisher and editor until 2003, during which time he pursued a number of legal complaints against Abrahams and AIR, even as the Journal's publication became erratic. Astronomer Norman Sperling, an assistant editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, became editor and publisher of the Journal in 2004, with promises to rejuvenate it.