---
title: MIT paper prank
date: "2005-04-19T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - links
wp_id: 655
description: I highlight the MIT prank where students used SCIgen to submit a nonsense computer-generated paper to a conference. After being spammed by the organizers myself, I watched them crowdfund a trip to deliver a random talk.
keywords: [scigen, mit, academic publishing, peer review, computer-generated papers, crowdfunding]
---

MIT pulls a [prank on the World Multi-Conference on Systemics](http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/04/14/mit.prank.reut/index.html) by submitting a computer-generated paper titled "Rooter: A Methodology for the Typical Unification of Access Points and Redundancy". I was among the people spammed by Nagib Callaos, the organizer of the conference.

> The students were soliciting cash donations so they could attend the conference and give what Stribling billed as a "completely randomly-generated talk, delivered entirely with a straight face." They exceeded their goal, with $2,311.09 cents from 165 donors.