In an effort to give you a list of topics to discuss during the holidays, today I have breaking news about fizzing beer. I believe this will join the list of thought-provoking topics I've presented, such as: Michigan's aggressive coyotes, "Culture Nations" of the U.S., stuck-up teenagers (and grandpas) and Michigan singers who do cover songs of German 80s techno-pop in Welsh hardware store commercials.

Today - does tapping a can of beer after it's been shaken quell the fizzing? According to phys.org (an actual scientific research website), this research was done by the University of Denmark. Researchers there procured 1000 DONATED cans of beer for the experiment from a local beer company (Hmm. I believe I will be developing a beer experiment, myself - soon) Then they enlisted student volunteers as testers (so far this is just another Psi Upsilon frat party in East Lansing)

Then - let me quote the article: "Then half of the cans of beer were put on a mechanical shaker for two minutes; the other half were left as they were delivered. Then half of the volunteers in both groups were asked to tap a can on its side three times before opening it."

Are you kidding me? Two minutes of shaking?! Like a can of Sherwin-Williams paint? What do you expect will happen? Their results? "The researchers report that they saw no benefit to tapping the can before opening—tapped cans, whether shaken beforehand or not, lost just as much beer after opening as un-tapped cans."

This experiment needs to be run again. Many times. With real world shaking. And a control group. And in different settings. In kitchens. In living rooms, dens, pole barns, bars. Everywhere. I'll be doing my part for science this Christmas and New Years. I encourage all scientists - trained and un-trained, to join me.

Here's the story. (Good Lord - two minutes?)