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IG NOBEL
Cockroach milk once touted as a ‘superfood’ - But scientists explain why ethics and logistics could make its energy-dense potential too difficult to exploitResearchers won the Ig Nobel Prize for studying cockroach milk crystals. These tiny crystals contain more energy than dairy milk. The uniqu...- Cockroach milk has 3 times the energy of cow’s milk; 10 years after the bizarre discovery, researchers from India, France, Japan and US honored with 2026 Ig Nobel Chemistry prize in SwitzerlandThe 2026 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry has gone to researchers for their groundbreaking work on cockroach milk, unveiling high-energy protein...
- In 2019, scientists shook living earthworms at high frequencies to study their changing shapes, uncovering an unusual physics phenomenon that earned one of science’s strangest prizesA captivating study explored the movements of earthworms placed on a vibrating surface, revealing surprising wave-like behaviors reminiscen...
- The surprising reason men may have evolved beards involves punches, violent fights and a scientific theory that has now earned an Ig Nobel Peace PrizeResearchers explored if beards offered protection during male-to-male fights. Their study examined how hair absorbs and redistributes impac...
- A researcher turned politicians’ faces into economic data, asking whether their obesity could serve as an unlikely warning sign for something governments rarely reveal: corruptionAn economist explored a novel link between politicians' physical appearance and corruption. He used computer vision to estimate body mass i...
- A 2023 study wanted to find out what really happens when you flip a fair coin; after 350,757 tosses, researchers found that it often lands on the same side it startedA massive experiment revealed coin flips favor the starting side slightly. This finding confirmed a physics model's prediction about coin t...
- In 2018, researchers tested whether employees could get even with abusive bosses using voodoo dolls, and found a strange way revenge may restore a sense of justiceResearchers explored how employees cope with abusive supervision and its desire for revenge. A study used voodoo dolls to allow symbolic re...
- A 2024 study tried to find out if hair swirls turn differently in the Northern and Southern hemispheres; after studying 174 children and twins, researchers found more counterclockwise whorls in the South and a genetic linkResearchers explored hair whorl direction differences between hemispheres. Counterclockwise whorls were more frequent in the Southern Hemis...
- In 2018, researchers won a peace prize for studying why drivers shout and curse while driving and what makes ordinary motorists lose their temperResearchers studied why drivers shout and curse at strangers in traffic. This research earned them an Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. Many dr...
- In 2018, a researcher calculated the calories from cannibalism and won an Ig Nobel Prize for revealing why prehistoric humans may not have eaten each other simply for foodArchaeologist James Cole calculated the caloric value of an adult human body. This research suggested humans offered fewer calories than la...
- In 2018, researchers tested 50 students to see if alcohol could improve foreign-language speaking; the surprising finding won an Ig Nobel PrizeA study found that a small alcohol dose improved foreign language pronunciation perception. Independent listeners rated Dutch speakers bett...
- Japanese scientists painted cows like zebras to stop flies biting them, and it actually worked - the bizarre experiment that won an Ig Nobel in 2025Japanese researchers painted cattle with black and white stripes to deter biting flies. This unusual experiment aimed to reduce insect atta...
- A Harvard psychologist in 1943 wanted pigeons to guide missiles during World War II. Eight decades later, it earned him an Ig Nobel Peace PrizeDuring World War II, B.F. Skinner developed Project Pigeon to guide missiles. Trained pigeons pecked at screens, steering weapons toward en...
- An American doctor measured one fingernail for 35 years, his scientific experiment won an Ig Nobel but in literatureFor thirty-five years, Dr. William B. Bean kept a detailed account of his left thumbnail's growth. His self-study unveiled striking pattern...
- In 2023, researchers in a West African nation tried to discover which pizza do lizards prefer and won an Ig Nobel Prize for its discoveryA curious study in Togo unveiled rainbow lizards choosing four-cheese pizza instead of their usual insect diet. Observations made near a so...
- In the early 2000s, researchers explained why woodpeckers don't get head injuries despite striking trees at 15 mphWoodpeckers possess unique physical traits that shield their brains and eyes from forceful impacts. Dense neck muscles contract before stri...
- From spider claws to ‘anal print’ toilet seats: Innovations that bagged Ig Nobels this yearThe 23rd edition of the annual awards, given out "for achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think", was broadcast in an...
- Absurd awards: Some of this year's Ig Nobel winnersOrganised by the Annals of Improbable Research, a magazine devoted to scientific humour, the Nobel parody is called Ig Nobel Prizes.
- Bringing real peace is an Ig Nobel goalMilo Puhan and his team have shown that regularly playing the didgeridoo can deal with obstructive sleep apnoea and its peace-threatening c...
- Why is Ig Nobel Prize making headlines?While the Ig Nobels don't necessarily address the world's most pressing challenges, they do represent the curiosity that is an intrinsic pa...
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