ANU studying the link between alcohol and romance.

Don’t try to sugar coat a turd. It is a PhD thesis on ‘Beer Goggle Theory’.

creative_canberran said :

“Enlightenment was the choice: Doctor Who and the Democratisation of Science”
– examines representations of science in the long-running science fiction television series, ‘Doctor Who’.

Actually this one sounds vaguely interesting. Whether it’s worth a Ph.D is another question…

If anyone wants to see both the legit and the nutty thesis and PHDs, you can check them out online at https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/3/browse?type=subject&submit_browse=Subject

Highlights include:

“An Investigation of the Ethnography of Knowledge through an Organisational Ethnography of ActewAGL” – a fascinating study of ACTEWAGL’s logicstics branch

“Learning and change in rural regions: understanding influences on sense of place.”
– a look at our attachments to places through the example of the Atherton Tableland… ironic given someone once described it as an inbred hell hole

“Enlightenment was the choice: Doctor Who and the Democratisation of Science”
– examines representations of science in the long-running science fiction television series, ‘Doctor Who’.

creative_canberran said :

Frankly, there’s too many of these post-grad and PHD leaches at ANU.

I think it has something to do with fast-tracking Permanent Residency applications

“So what alcohol does in this situation is that it acts like a social lubricant which relaxes the person.”

Her level of literacy is questionable if the quotes in the story were written by her. This sentence in particular is High School english.

Frankly, there’s too many of these post-grad and PHD leaches at ANU. A few are doing genuine studies on novel subjects, but many more are just bludging on scholarships, funding and Austudy so they don’t have to get a real job. Heck there’s one PHD who sleeps on the floor of his office between tute groups and admits he’s not sober in class.

As someone who spent some of the best years of my life (in the 1970s) in the Union Bar, I am eagerly awaiting the results of this research. Since I don’t remember much about it, it may well be that the environment actually made everyone more inhibited, and less likely to engage in casual sex. If so, the positive benefits are incalculable – but, you get that with social research.

Alternatively (but this would require further research, for which I unselfishly volunteer if an appropriate grant is provided – and when I say Business Class, watch my lips!), the alternative … whatsat? Whose shout is it?

As PP said, the School of Inconsequential Studies rolls on. And I am bitter, bitter I tell you … about those backstabbing academics with tenure in the Arts Faculty that I used to drink under the table …sob.

Alternatively, you could look at Woroni in 1974, which was outsourced from the Union Bar and produced, according to its editors, with the help of ‘hash, beer and speed.’ Not (ahem) that I could comment directly on that.

SRC President Richard Refshauge defied the law to allow a (shock! horror!) condom vending machine in the Union building. I trust that the effect on chastity will be noted by our gormless PhD student above. Not to mention the importance of the rule of law.

Gotta go, I’m working up a PhD proposal …

Talk about re-inventing the wheel.

Reminds me of that genius doco-maker who wasted 2 hours of my life demonstrating that Maccas is bad for your health.

Groundbreaking stuff! 😛

John Moulis said :

More rubbish from the University of East Bumcrack. It’s a crime to even call that silly, slipshod establishment a university.

Absolutely. And yet this place is still held up as some sort of ideal…

Ian Warden’s ANU School of Inconsequential Studies hasn’t yet shut its doors I see.

Reminds me of an old acquaintance who specifically studied oceanographic subjects in order to design a PhD submission related to aspects of North Queensland beach environments, had a very satisfying three or more years virtually living on beaches and small islands.