For the first time since its inception, the Ig Nobel awards ceremony was held outside the United States. On Thursday, researchers gathered at a convention center in Zurich, Switzerland, to receive the tongue‑in‑cheek honors that celebrate unusual and imaginative contributions to science.
Why the move to Europe?
Marc Abrahams, the master of ceremonies and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, told the Associated Press that growing difficulties obtaining U.S. visas made it unsafe for international guests to travel to the United States. “During the past year, it has become unsafe for our guests to visit the country,” Abrahams said in an email.
Highlights from the ceremony
Among the awardees were Matilda Brindle and Stuart West of the University of Oxford, who examined the evolutionary history of kissing, and Catherine F. Talbot of the Florida Institute of Technology, who reconstructed that same history. The late Dr. Tokuji Unno was recognized for his study of the physics of blowing one’s nose.
One of the more eye‑catching projects involved burying 1,000 pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries to see how soil‑dwelling critters helped decompose the fabric. Winners received a custom trophy that looks like a cross between a mushroom and a human foot.
Future plans
Organizers announced that the 2027 ceremony will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, and that they intend to rotate future events between Zurich and other European venues. The awards will continue to be announced each October, separate from the official Nobel Prizes.
Previous ceremonies were hosted at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University, but there are no immediate plans to return to the United States.
What the Ig Nobel represents
Founded in 1991, the Ig Nobel awards aim to “first make people laugh, then make them think.” While the research honored is often quirky—ranging from cockroach milk to the decomposition of underwear—it frequently highlights genuine scientific curiosity and can inspire more serious inquiry.
The move to Europe underscores the global nature of scientific collaboration and the challenges that visa policies can pose for international scholars. As the awards continue to travel, they remind us that curiosity knows no borders.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
