Voyager Online: Sci Facts

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So you're into sci fi? But what about sci fact? Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction...

Each month our very own Voyager Science Queen* will bring you interesting, quirky and downright bizarre tid bits from the world of science. And its all completely, totally, 100% true!

June Sci-Facts

Getting Your Attention

Human Behaviour is more ritualised than most people realise. Most people know that human beings can communicate by speech and writing, and most people have an inkling into the part that body language plays in our daily interactions, but few realise how much of our body language is instinctively conveyed and understood. The average Joe (or Joanne) on the street, you and me, have some very inbuilt behaviours, dislikes and like; the advertising industry is built on a growing body or research into these behavioural structures.

Hello Sailor!

When you greet someone, face-to-face, your eyebrows do a rapid wriggle up-and-down. This action is so universal, that it isn't noticed on a conscious level. This is a good example of an instinctual behaviour. Another example is when you enter an unfamiliar environment, such as a boardroom: most people will exhibit some form of 'protective' movement, such as holding their briefcase to their chest, or by moving one or both arms to cover their chest and genital areas. If you are fortunate enough to attend a school or university, arrive at your class early and you can watch as your fellow students enter the door; you will be able to see this type of behaviour on display.

Selling Points

A visit to your market has changed in the past fifty years; this is the ages of the supermarket, and the supermarket trolley. Once upon a time, there were no supermarkets, instead each suburb or township had it's own baker, grocer, butcher, dry goods store and other shops. You didn't need a trolley, as you didn't purchase that much in each individual shop, and so the high point in customer service was the shopping basket.
The trolley became important when the supermarket emerged as the new consumer trend. A shopping basket was a disadvantage if you needed to buy a lot, as it weighed you down; a trolley encouraged the consumer to buy more.
Notice the semantics, you're no longer a customer, and you are now a consumer; you've stopped being an individual and now you are a statistic. This was an important step in developing new marketing strategies…statistics!

Follow the Signs

The modern supermarket is full of signs indicating when a product is on sale. These signs have two results: first it makes the supermarket less monotonous, but it also makes you buy more products. The sale signs make you think that you are buying something cheap, but often you would not have bought the product if it hadn't been for sale. Or, if the item was already on your list of purchases, you may buy more of the product than you had budgeted for originally. So instead of saving money, you are encouraged to part with more of your cash. Sneaky, isn't it?

Please take a Number

The supermarket behaviourists have also thought about the way you walk through the store. There is a fixed route, with each aisle dedicated to certain products, which means a lot of the consumers have to walk the route to get all the items they are after. Most people are right-handed and it is easier for them to take something from a rack that is on the right site, so the most expensive products are put in the rack on the right. When you want to go to the checkout, you have to walk through the whole store, and they hope that you see something then that you might need and then buy it. Or better yet, you will be encouraged to make more 'impulsive' purchases of item you were not planning to buy.
Think about it…the deli and meat section are usually at the opposite end of the supermarket to your fresh fruit and vegetables; wouldn't you think common sense would dictate that they are place together? Then you wouldn't have to drag yourself from one end of the place to the other for just four items, like I do all the time.

That Subtle Shade

The packaging of a product also influences the consumer's choice of a particular item. The colour and shape of the packaging must fit with the perception of that product. For instance, you often choose the colour that corresponds with the product; that is why coffee packaging is very often dark brown. As well, the packaging must be recognizable from far off and must look good. Intelligent packaging is very important because people have an expectation of a product and when the product looks good, they will buy it.
Another example of this is the distinctive use of earth tones in the wrappings of 'green' items, like recycled paper products or organic foods. So, if you like to think of yourself as an environmentally friendly individual, you will by these products, because they fit your perception of how these items should look. And of course, advertising & marketing agencies know this, and tailor the products to fit your needs.

*The Voyager Science Queen is also known as Lynne Green

So, who is this woman who attempts to entertain us with Science?

Well, I really am a scientist. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, in Zoology. And, at the moment, I am working in a Pathology laboratory.

I have always been intensely curious about every aspect of our universe, from the teeny tiny workings of the gene right up to the mind-bending forces that are twisting and knotting inside a blackhole. So, now I am sharing a brain stuffed full of trivia…and hopefully entertaining people at the same time.

As well, I write Fantasy stories and novels. One day, I hope to have a book published, but don't hold your breath. Reading is my other major love, and my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, though I could list hundreds of others. If I had one wish, I ask for more time to write!

Read previous Sci-Facts:

May Sci-Facts
After the Big Bang
The Big Bang
Ashes to ashes; Dust to dust
Twists in the tale
Robots in the Swim and other things
The Tachyon and other things

Looking for more scientific oddities? Have you checked out Dr Steven Juan's website? He is, quite literally, the wizard of odds!