Ig Nobel Prizes awarded for research on cockroach milk and nose-blowing
In Zurich on September 3, ten research teams received Ig Nobel Prizes for unusual scientific work, including research on cockroach milk, nose-blowing, and assessing soil condition using underwear. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the ceremony was held outside the United States for the first time.
Unusual research
Among the recognized works was a study of cockroach milk. Another team buried 1,000 pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries to investigate how soil organisms contribute to its decomposition.
Also among the laureates were Matilda Brindle, Stuart West, and Catherine F. Talbot, who reconstructed the evolutionary history of kissing. The late Dr. Tokuji Unno, who studied the process of nose-blowing, was recognized separately.
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Ceremony in Europe
The prizes are organized by the digital magazine Annals of Improbable Research. After 35 years of being held in the United States, the ceremony was moved to Europe due to concerns over participants' ability to obtain visas.
Participants at the Zurich conference center were presented with a special trophy resembling a combination of a mushroom and a human foot. The organizers plan to alternate Zurich with other European countries in the future; the 2027 ceremony will take place in Antwerp, Belgium.
Previously, Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies were held at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University. The Nobel Prizes, which are unrelated to the Ig Nobel Prizes, will be announced in early October.
