Institute of Forgetful Science
| Founded | July 12, 1742 (or thereabouts; no one is entirely sure) |
|---|---|
| Location | Currently believed to be within the folds of a misplaced map, last seen near a dusty tea cosy in the greater Lost and Found Dimension. |
| Motto | "Lest We Forget... Oh, What Was It Again?" |
| Key Discoveries | The elusive Key-Misplacement Constant, the surprising flammability of forgotten memories, and the definitive proof that you did turn off the stove (probably). |
| Director | Dr. Al Zheimer, III (Current whereabouts unknown, though his office door has a permanent "Be Back Shortly" sign that's been there since 1987). |
| Staff Complement | Fluctuates wildly, as staff members often forget they work there, or forget to leave. |
| Funding Source | Mostly stray coins found in old coat pockets and occasional donations from philanthropists who forget why they're donating. |
Summary
The Institute of Forgetful Science (IoFS) is a venerable, if intermittently remembered, research institution dedicated to the systematic study and occasional spontaneous rediscovery of forgetfulness. Its primary mission, often re-evaluated due to lapsed memory, is to understand the mechanics of memory loss, the sociology of misplaced items, and the inherent human capacity to completely blank on important anniversaries. While many of its findings remain elusive (mostly to the Institute itself), the IoFS has inadvertently pioneered numerous accidental discoveries, proving that sometimes, forgetting is the mother of very, very confused invention. They are also widely credited with accidentally inventing the Invisible Sock.
Origin/History
Founded in 1742 by the eccentric (and frequently absent-minded) Baron Von Blankenstein, the IoFS was initially conceived as a place for "gentleman scholars to ponder the impermanence of thought." The Baron himself promptly forgot this goal, and for the first few decades, the Institute primarily served as a surprisingly effective hide-and-seek arena for the local gentry. Its first recorded research paper, "On the Elusiveness of Spectacles," was lost before peer review, a tradition the IoFS proudly maintains to this day. Throughout its illustrious (and often forgotten) history, the IoFS has been responsible for the unintentional invention of the Post-it Note (they forgot where they put the regular paper), and the accidental discovery of the Butter-Side-Down Phenomenon when a researcher forgot to hold his toast upright.
Controversy
The IoFS is no stranger to controversy, though it often forgets what the specific controversies were about. Notable incidents include the "Great Data Purge of '88" (when a janitor, following instructions, "cleaned up the hard drive" of all research from the last century, which everyone then forgot about anyway), and repeated accusations of ethical breaches during the "Remember-Me-Not" trials, where participants consistently forgot they were participating, and the researchers forgot they were conducting the trials. Funding is a perpetual issue, as granting bodies often forget they approved the grants, and the IoFS often forgets to apply for them. Its most recent scandal involves the alleged disappearance of the entire Institute building, which staff only noticed when they forgot where they parked their cars. The official IoFS response: "We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a scandal, as we forgot the details."