Boobquake rattles ideas about women

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - It shook up many people's idea of a scientific experiment, but it didn't shake the earth.

The results are in. Boobquake didn't make the earth move. Purdue student Jennifer McCreight challenged an Iranian cleric's claim immodestly dressed women cause earthquakes. What she found was provocative dress didn't increase the number or severity of quakes. It did the opposite.

"We even saw a little decrease in activity in magnitude. We'll have to do more studies to find out if that is significant or not,” said McCreight.

McCreight admitted her study is flawed, but it proved her point.

"It's not suppose to be a perfect experiment. It was sort of humorous,” she said.

Purdue earthquake expert Lawrence Braile agreed the study needs tweaking, but the results are accurate--dress doesn't influence earthquakes.

"As far as I'm aware, there is no evidence of such a correlation,” he said.

He said there's no reliable method to predict earthquakes. More than 4,000 quakes occur everyday. He believes the 6.5 quake that happen near Taiwan during Boobquake is typical of daily seismic activity.

"It's certainly not unusual for that part of the world. It's also not unusual to have a magnitude six or above earthquake on any given day,” said Braile.

McCreight doubts her data will affect the cleric's opinion.

"I probably didn't change his mind. Hopefully this gets people thinking how important skeptical and scientific thinking is and that they are allowed to question whatever people believe in,” she said.

She hopes people will remember the science and not her cleavage.

"I am a scientist and that is what my career is going to be in, so I don't always want to be known for the boob joke side of Boobquake,” she explained.

Boobquake did shake up some people with laughter, but McCreight hopes all the attention to breasts and sexy dress also rattles some sexist opinions about women.

For more detail on her results, check out McCreight's blog at: http://www.blaghag.com/