Welcome to normal (experiments).

I loved the Science Fair as a child. There was just something about it. The planning, the research, going to the store to get supplies, writing on the giant tri-fold board… it was such a delight. And no matter how many of my horrible little friends made fun of me, I never failed to cruise into the gym lugging volcano parts or some bit of solar system with beaming pride.

In high school, I hated science, but only because I was hormonally obligated to.

In college, I also hated science, but I appreciated the science geeks who would bestow upon me their knowledge in exchange for beer or sorority sister’s phone numbers.

These days, I am older, moderately wiser and have a new appreciation for experiments. I’m a native New Yorker, and at 25 I moved back to the city and began to experience some of the things all New Yorkers have experienced over time. I must say, however, that none were as strange or thrilling as I’d hoped. All of this got me to thinking… I hear stories all of the time about people who meet on trains, got mugged, ended up on a Craig’s List Missed Connection, so why haven’t I? Is this shit real - does it normally happen? Maybe, it’s because I haven’t tried.

And thus, normal (experiments) was born in my brain matter. I plan to try some of the things that we’ve all heard about here and there, and try to figure out such things as:

• So, what the fuck do you do after you smile at that person on the train?
• Do people really meet at art galleries?
• Can you date someone with a false identity that you made up without getting caught?
• Do compliments to strangers really matter? Do they help?
• WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE RATS WHO ARE SNACKING WHEN THE TRAIN COMES?
• What is “normal,” and what is myth?

If you have ideas, shoot them over to normalexperiments@gmail.com. If you have opinions or comments, that’s cool too. If you’re snotty, I’ll spam you with kitten pictures.

Let the (scientific) games begin.