At the Proceedings of the National Academy of Plushies (PNAP), we research textile facsimiles of selected fauna, also known as plushies, due to the importance and relevance that they have proven to have on society. Plushie research has been emerging into being highly significant in many different areas of study and has been shown to have repercussions in all facets of life, human and otherwise.
| Research Article | January 16, 2023 |
Assessing the impact of life experiences on game-changing and risk-taking Penn State scientists in the Life Sciences and their correlation to plushie predispositions
New PNAP issue out now! Read how 6 risk-taking and game-changing scientists identified their plushie preferences and the potential traits that contribute while learning about the research going on at The Pennsylvania State University.
Daniel R. Lesher, Jodie L. LeMaster, Keith J. Irwin-Hickey, Brianna E. Lumpkin, Christopher "Cole" M. Hons
More photos from Issue No. 87
PSU has made a variety of branded plushies available, in addition to the traditional Nittany Lion mascot. Guests and viewers were asked which plushie was their favorite. All plushies involved in this research study are pictured.
Ty Beanie Baby Bear
A plushie garden gnome
The only plushie that came with a proper name: Lisa the Llama
A magical horned pony
The Nittany Lion is shown for reference and was not part of any of the 6 polls conducted.
Podcast Guests
The risk-taking and game-changing scientists who were featured guests on Season 3 of The Symbiotic Podcast are shown here in order of appearance.
Episode 01: Changing the Game in Food Security
Episode 02: Changing the Game in Epidemiology
Episode 03: Changing the Game in Global Pediatrics
Episode 04: Changing the Game in Ancient DNA Research
Episode 05: Changing the Game in Epigenetics
Episode 06: Changing the Game in Stem Cell Engineering
More photos from S3:E2
Nita Bharti was a guest for the episode titled Changing the Game in Epidemiology.
Nita Bharti is pictured preparing for her livestream podcast episode while hanging out with her two favorite plushies.
Note: Despite the Dr. Evil pose, Nita is not actually evil.
During the episode, Battygram delivered a message to Nita. “Dear Nita, we just wanted to thank you for all the hard work you've been to on behalf of people, bats, and the entire natural world. You're the best, like flying grey-headed foxes of Eastern Australia.”
More from S3:E4
Laura Weyrich was a guest for the episode titled Changing the Game in Ancient DNA. She surprised the Symbiotic crew by gifting them with her favorite microbe plushie, that of Porphyromonas gingivalis — a common cause of bad breath.
Behind the Scenes
During production of Season 3: Risk Takers and Game Changers, at least one member of The Symbiotic Podcast team began to take the plushie theme a little too seriously and reported for duty in a red panda onesie.
Plushies in the News
- The Symbiotic Podcast team interviews Penn State scientists about their research and learn more about their plushie preferences. Click here to access all of Season 3's six episodes.
- Oh Cuddly Bear executive releases statement about new direction company will be taking.
Coming soon...
| Research Article | 2023 |
An exploratory investigation of plushies and the usage of them in scientific research that affects the inclination of future life scientists
| Research Article | 2023 |
Empirical Study on the importance of plushies and maternal contact using Harry Harlow’s study on dependency with Monkeys
| Research Article | 2023 |
Plushie representation in the media and the effects that may arise in early childhood development
Do the way and routes that we convey plushies in media affect childhood development?
| Profile | 2023 |
Plushie executive and groundbreaking designer interviewed on where she gets her inspiration
We sit down with the CEO and founder of the innovative plushie company Oh Cuddly Bear and learn more about her and how she made her company a success despite the struggles and roadblocks she ran into early in her career.
| Clinical Study | 2023 |
Do plushies help extend life?
We carried out a cross-sectional clinical study to learn about plushies.