It’s my favourite time of year. A time that gives all researchers hope that, just maybe, someone will fund your ill considered project.
For those new to the Ig Nobles, it’s basically a list of the most batshit crazy research done each year.
Officially “The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that make people LAUGH, then THINK. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology.”
The ceremony was held on 9 September but you can watch the recording.
Here’s a little sample
“Can Sex Improve Nasal Function? — An Exploration of the Link Between Sex and Nasal Function,”
“Discovering that the obesity of a country’s politicians may be a good indicator of that country’s corruption.
“Obesity of Politicians and Corruption in Post‐Soviet Countries,”
“Chemically analyzing the air inside movie theaters, to test whether the odors produced by an audience reliably indicate the levels of violence, sex, antisocial behavior, drug use, and bad language in the movie the audience is watching.
“Proof of Concept Study: Testing Human Volatile Organic Compounds as Tools for Age Classification of Films,”
Have look at the full list and peruse some of the past winners.