In addition to completing the requirements for the Ph.D. as specified by the Biology Graduate Program and the Duke University Graduate School , students in the Nowicki Lab also must complete the Circus Trick requirement before they are eligible to receive their degree. The origins of this peculiar requirement are uncertain, but most scholars agree that it a relict of "Iconism," a mythological world-view practiced by many students in the early years of the Nowicki lab.
Successful completion of the Circus Trick is judged much the same way that outcomes of gladiatorial contests were judged in a Roman coliseum: an assembled rabble signal their approval or disapproval (now measured accurately with a state-of-the-art applausometer) and the Emperor (or lab head, or whatever) confirms the result with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
All Circus Tricks attempted to date have been successful, although not without controversy. In one famous scandal, Prof. John Mitani of the University of Michigan, in his capacity as External Circus Trick Evaluator, attempted to revoke the degree of Dr. Jeff Podos, now Associate Professor at UMass Amherst, claiming that Podos had "taken advantage of the late hour and sorry condition of the crowd to pawn off a cheesy trick as a skillful act." Circus Trick scholars also continue to debate whether the threat of an extremely unsavory combination of marshmallows and smoked snails qualifies as a "trick" or merely an "incident." Recent Circus Tricks restored the sanctity of the act, most notably the death-defying leap, with full tuck, through a flaming hoop performed by Martin Beebee in completion of his degree requirements. History also was made recently with Barb Ballentine's plate-spinning act, on two fronts. First, this was the first circus trick ever that Steve was unable to perform immediately. Second, Jeremy Hyman's participation in this act established the beginning of the Circus Trick as a mandatory requirement for post-docs in the Nowicki lab as well. Most recently, Elizabeth Derryberry - thinking outside the box - performed a suite of magic tricks, culminating in pulling a live rabbit out of a hat! Magical!
