I took part in a fun exchange on Twitter this afternoon. I’m preserving it here because Twitter tends to lose these things.

Anyway, go and fill in Alison’s survey! It really is only two questions and is just a bit of fun.

(By the way, do you remember the 2010 Pizza Hut ad campaign “People love pizza – they don’t love math!”? I wonder if this is what Alison is really researching…)

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
Thought I’d collect some data. Fill it in, feel free to share it, and I’ll blog the findings if there are any. bit.ly/nuXt2i

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
I should point out that it’s a very quick survey and will probably take you less than 15 seconds to fill in. bit.ly/nuXt2i

ColinTheMathmo Colin Wright
I’ve filled in @ajk_44‘s survey – it took less than 15 seconds. bit.ly/nuXt2i

Tony_Mann Tony Mann
Took me longer – Q1 is complicated. RT @ColinTheMathmo I’ve filled in @ajk_44‘s survey – it took less than 15 seconds. bit.ly/nuXt2i

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
.@Tony_Mann @ColinTheMathmo @ajk_44 I agree with Tony. Probably took me 20 seconds.

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
@peterrowlett @Tony_Mann I owe you each 5 seconds then, I’m sorry for the false advertising. And thanks for filling it in!

plusmathsorg Plus Magazine
@ajk_44 I think the results will be ground-breaking!

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
@plusmathsorg early indications are that almost everyone likes pizza, and that the vast majority of people are mathematicians.

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
2 question, 15 sec survey. Please fill in bit.ly/nuXt2i RT @ajk_44: early indications: vast majority of people are mathematicians.

Tony_Mann Tony Mann
@peterrowlett @ajk44 Majority of respondents may be mathematicians but survey doesn’t ask if they are people rather than, say, hyenas

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
@Tony_Mann drat. It’s too late for me to add a “What species are you” question. I don’t think I’ll be able to get any meaningful results.

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
“Academic questions @ajk_44‘s research findings” RT @Tony_Mann: Majority of respondents may be … but survey doesn’t ask if they are people

plusmathsorg Plus Magazine
Ground breaking study finds that most people are mathematicians (and like pizza) bit.ly/nuXt2i

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
Now the media present @ajk_44‘s initial result as final before all data collected! Terrible! RT @plusmathsorg Ground breaking study finds…

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
I’d intended to use Twitter for data gathering for my Masters thesis next year. This afternoon may have damaged my academic credibility :-)

plusmathsorg Plus Magazine
@peterrowlett @ajk_44 We are acting in the public interest.

Tony_Mann Tony Mann
@PeterRowlett Unfair! You put out press release tweet reporting hearsay @ajk_44‘s results and then blame media @plusmathsorg for reporting

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
@Tony_Mann I don’t think it’s for @ajk_44 & I to communicate findings clearly. It’s up to the media @plusmathsorg to understand researchers.

Update (19/08/11):

plusmathsorg Plus Magazine
@peterrowlett @Tony_Mann @ajk_44 If public are all mathematicians they must know before it’s too late. Waiting for end of study is unethical

Tony_Mann Tony Mann
.@plusmathsorg @peterrowlett Since when did press care about ethics? Obviously study has Research Ethics Committee approval so up to @ajk_44

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
@Tony_Mann @plusmathsorg @peterrowlett what are ethics?

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
@ajk_44 wait, what ARE you doing with all this sensitive, lucrative pizza/mathematician data?

ajk_44 Alison Kiddle
@peterrowlett creating a business plan to open a multi-million pound mathematical pizza shop :-)

peterrowlett Peter Rowlett
Thought I was supporting science but @ajk_44 is collecting data for a multi-million £ maths pizza shop! Don’t fill in bit.ly/nuXt2i !

Tony_Mann Tony Mann
@ajk_44 @peterrowlett since your data are public everyone else will be doing business plans too so better rush