[doug1001]

this is awesome. Eg, "There is a sad, persistent decrease in multicolored underwear, ending with none by senior year." Does "none" refer to NA (None, null, etc.) or to the lack of color in the respondents' underwear, or to going commando? i suppose like all great research, it raises more questions than it answers.

more seriously, The OP seems to be inspired by a well-established tradition at the institute--MIT's sand mandala, perhaps. I graduated in 1992 and i remember some of my classmates from time to time, engaging in self-assigned projects that (i) seemed to lack any discernible purpose or utility whatever--certainly none for the student and (ii) that required a mind-boggling amount of meticulous effort. Somehow seeing these two attributes juxtaposed in a single endeavor, was hilarious to us (likewise the OP). Sometimes, though not always, these projects were deemed "pranks" but separate in my view.