Research & Discovery

Arthur Kay

Investigation Into the Origins of Emperor Norton’s Walking Stick

Sept 2014: Following a first glimpse of a walking stick belonging to Joshua Norton, aka Emperor Norton I of the United States and protector of Mexico at the California Historical Society, Arthur looked into its possible origins as a shillelagh.

Project: Following a first glimpse of a walking stick belonging to Joshua Norton, aka Emperor Norton I of the United States and protector of Mexico in conjunction with Odd Salon lectures at the California Historical Society, Arthur looked into its possible origins.

Results: The stick, covered in burls and sporting unusual burn patterns, was probably a shillelagh first, and turned into a walking stick and gifted afterward. Full write up here:

The Cane of Emperor Norton – From Arthur Kay’s Project Desk

Odd Salon Department of Experimental Psychology

Spring/Summer 2015: Arthur laid the groundwork for semi-formal psych research that might compliment key lectures.* Cursory research explored data collection avenues on the subject of “Anger”; an easy entry topic since nearly everyone has been angry at least once.

Results: Although we are familiar with people getting angry at a malfunctioning appliance or glitchy piece of software, people’s main source of anger seems to be the behavior of other people. Family, work, and traffic collectively accounted for the majority of people’s experiences of anger, in roughly equal proportion.

*Note that the first round of research was purely exploratory, and not directly linked with any specific talk.

Status: Ongoing

Hernan Pelassini & Rebecca Joseph

Madagascar Biodiversity Exploration

June 2015: Investigations into the practical consequences of environmental encroachment and political upheaval on the island biodiversity of Madagascar

Status: Ongoing

Laura Rubin

Practical Archaeology: Mudlarking in London

May 2015: Exploring the edges of the Thames River in London, Laura is cataloging her finds of small, but often historic debris from pipe ends to bottle glass, sewing pins to pottery. As a costumer and historian, Laura is combining traditional research methods and experimental archaeology in seeking the treasures of the tides of the Thames.

Status: Ongoing