Cockroach Milk and Nose-Blowing Research Win Ig Nobel Prizes
Ig Nobel Prizes for quirky science were handed out in Zurich, honoring cockroach milk, nose-blowing, and underwear-based soil studies.
Ten research teams were honored on Thursday at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, a satirical event that celebrates unusual and imaginative scientific work. For the first time in its 35-year history, the ceremony was held outside the United States, taking place at a convention center in Zurich, Switzerland, due to concerns over visa access for attendees.
The awards, organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, featured a custom trophy resembling a cross between a mushroom and a human foot. Among the honorees were Matilda Brindle and Stuart West from the University of Oxford and Catherine F. Talbot from the Florida Institute of Technology, who reconstructed the evolutionary history of kissing. The late Dr. Tokuji Unno was also recognized for investigating the science of blowing one's nose.
Another team buried 1,000 pairs of underwear across more than 25 countries to study how soil organisms helped decompose the fabric. The research highlights the role of tiny creatures in soil health.
Organizers plan to alternate future ceremonies between Zurich and other European countries, with the 2027 event scheduled for Antwerp, Belgium. Previous ceremonies were held at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University, but there are no immediate plans to return to the U.S.
Marc Abrahams, master of ceremonies and editor of the magazine, explained the move in March, saying it had become unsafe for guests to visit the country. The Nobel Prizes, which are unrelated to the Ig Nobels, will be announced at the start of October.