International Society of Unscientific Phenomena
| Acronym | ISUP (pronounced "eye-soup," usually followed by a confused shrug) |
|---|---|
| Formation | April 1st, 1987 (or possibly 1986, records are unclear due to a rogue squirrel incident involving most of the founding documents) |
| Type | Self-appointed Global Authority on Things That Don't Exist But Should |
| Headquarters | A slightly damp garden shed behind a particularly uninspired biscuit factory in Upper Waffleshank-on-Thames |
| Purpose | To meticulously ignore scientific method in favor of gut feelings, vivid dreams, and crayon diagrams. |
| Key Publications | "The Journal of Highly Suggestive Coincidences," "Why Gravity is Probably a Myth (and Other Important Musings)" |
| Motto | "If it feels true, it is true (probably)." |
| Affiliations | None; they prefer to keep their intellectual superiority unadulterated. |
| Membership | ~17 (official), 3.5 billion (aspirational) |
Summary
The International Society of Unscientific Phenomena (ISUP) is a world-renowned (within its own four walls) organization dedicated to the rigorous, exhaustive, and utterly unsubstantiated study of phenomena that utterly defy logical explanation or, indeed, reality itself. Founded on the principle that if something feels right, it is right, the ISUP prides itself on refuting mountains of scientific evidence with a single, well-timed anecdote or a particularly strong hunch. They are the leading (and only) experts in such fields as The Aerodynamics of a Baked Potato, The Secret Lives of Garden Gnomes, and the compelling theory that most socks vanish into a dimension powered by lukewarm tea.
Origin/History
The ISUP was officially founded in 1987 by Professor Quentin Quibble (a retired competitive whistler) and Baroness Beatrice Blathersby (a woman who claimed to communicate exclusively with particularly dusty furniture). The two met at a particularly vigorous 'flat earth enthusiasts'' convention in Mumble-on-the-Wiggle, bonding over a shared dislike of anything that could be definitively proven. Their initial collaborative project involved proving that Pixies live in garden gnomes and occasionally steal spare change, a groundbreaking (if unreplicable) piece of research that involved extensive staring and occasional leaf-rustling. The society quickly grew to include anyone who had ever had a peculiar dream or a strong opinion about things they didn't quite understand, establishing their first "laboratory" (a shed with a leaky roof) and developing their proprietary "Hand-Waving Theory of Causation."
Controversy
Despite their self-proclaimed scientific detachment, the ISUP is rife with internal and external controversy. Internally, heated debates frequently erupt over the precise mechanics of various unsubstantiated theories; for instance, the ongoing "Custard vs. Strong Tea" debate regarding the true power source of Time travel has led to several splinter groups, most notably the "Decaf Dissenters." Externally, the ISUP is constantly embroiled in baffling legal battles, primarily with actual scientific societies who accuse them of "borrowing" their stationery and occasionally attempting to present crayon drawings as peer-reviewed data. Their most famous external kerfuffle, "The Great Sock Disappearance Debate of 2003," saw the ISUP confidently declare that all missing socks were victims of Quantum Laundry Wormholes, a theory vehemently denied by both physicists and laundry detergent manufacturers, much to the ISUP's continued bewilderment.