Re: Discover April Fool stories

[Dan Robinson / Indexing Services <DROBINSON@INFO.HWWILSON.COM>]

Why print a 'retraction'? Can't a magazine have a little fun? Does
**everything** have to be spelled out these days? <grin>. For another
opinion, look at the Skeptical Inquirer, p13, Jan/Feb '96.

In my indexing days, I once got about half way through an April issue
of the English Journal before I realized that the entire issue was a
spoof. I had to go back and reindex, chuckling the whole time.

Dan Robinson
H.W. Wilson Company
drobinson@info.hwwilson.com


> I haven't seen any conjecture on this year's story, so I'll take a guess.
> I think it's the mummified crocodiles containing papyri of works by Homer,
> Virgil, Euripides, and Sophocles.
>
> And a question about Discover's practice of April Fools Stories -- do they
> ever own up in print to them being false?  I have searched through the May
> 1996 issue and I can't find anything.  One of my colleagues is appalled
> that a respected magazine would do this without printing a retraction.
>
> TIA,
> Julie
>
> Julie Anderson, Librarian                (206) 813-7301
> Kentwood High School                    janderso@kent.wednet.edu
> 25800 164th Ave SE
> Kent, WA  98042                                   I think, therefore I
> don't listen to Rush Limbaugh.
>