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newbie
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it must be the Fifties, or maybe even the late Forties
It must be quite early, because he wrote it to practice the "turgid" style that he felt necessary for his PhD thesis. It was published before his interview and he was quite nervous, because he was afraid that the interviewer would have read it and consider him to be too frivolous to be awarded such an august honour. They reached the end with no mention of it, much to Asimov's relief, but just as he thought it was all over, the interviewer said: "One final question: what can you tell me about resublimated thiotimoline?".
The full tale and the actual story are in, I think, "Nightfall and other stories". It's been a long time since I read it, so my memory might be hazy there.
both of them vanish in mutual annihilation
I thought it was just that it dissolved before it hit the water, rather than any violent reaction. It was because thiotimoline supposedly possessed an inordinate number of hydrophilic bits (hydroxyl groups and so on). The reaction was probably highly exothermic (as well as endochronic), but I don't think annihilation (a la matter-antimatter) was involved.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Memory being imperfect, I may be wrong in some or all of the details...I guess we need to check to original source :-)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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original source :-)so back to Tikka Masala, are we? 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yoda contributes: It was published before his interview and he was quite nervous, because he was afraid that the interviewer would have read it and consider him to be too frivolous
As I remember it, he had asked that the article on thiotimoline be published under a pseudonym but the publishers messed up and published it under his real name.
Good memory on the details, Yoda. See my link to Only a Trillion, above (or below depending on whether you are a flatliner or a threadnodist) for the source.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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newbie
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newbie
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As I remember it, he had asked that the article on thiotimoline be published under a pseudonym but the publishers messed up and published it under his real name.
Now you mention it, that's what I remember. As I said, it was a long time ago - I wasn't sure if he'd asked for publication to be delayed or a pseudonym used. I'm sure there are other details I've forgotten.
Time to get up to the loft and start ransacking the boxes of old books (I never throw a book away - horror!)
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Joined: Oct 2001
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Memory being imperfect, I may be wrong in some or all of the details...I guess we need to check to original source :-)I think I remember correctly - it stuck in my mind because I'd just finished my biochemistry degree when I read it and as we all know, the good Dr A. was a biochemist. However, I have been certain (and wrong) before. 
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Joined: Mar 2001
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Is the Journal of Irreproducible Results still published?
Yes, it is. Their website is brief, but includes a few samples of the works. I know this
because I recently had a paper accepted by this esteemed journal: "Career Trajectories of Tattooed Women."
It's a hermeneutic study conducted in a Starbucks in Portland, Oregon.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Is the Journal of Irreproducible Results still published?
Yes, it is.
Well, there goes their credibility. It's like someone getting elected President of the Procrastinators' Club. What kind of procrastinator would get around to joining in the first place??!!
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Joined: Oct 2001
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It's like someone getting elected President of the Procrastinators' Club
Or like the guy (I forget his name) who wrote "The Book of Heroic Failures". The book was a success and he got kicked out of the club.
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