The 34th Ig Nobel Prize ceremony showcased the most unusual scientific feats of the year, from butt breathing in mammals to the physics of dead fish swimming.
MIT hosted this blend of humor and research, marking a return to an in-person event after three years online, according to UPI.
Held at MIT on September 13, 2024, the ceremony offered a playful contrast to the Nobel Prizes by celebrating eccentric scientific contributions that first entertain and then provoke thought. The event broadcast live on YouTube, reaching a global audience.
The awards, distributed in ten categories like Peace, Medicine, Physics, and Biology, highlighted studies that may seem bizarre but reveal deeper insights into the world.
The return to an in-person format for the Ig Nobel Prizes joyfully revived tradition and let recipients experience the unique atmosphere of playful scholarly recognition.
The ten prizes showcased diverse scientific inquiries. For example, the Peace Prize honored B.F. Skinner's 1960 study on using pigeons to guide missiles, reflecting the unconventional methods scientists explore for progress and peace.
In Botany, Jacob White and Felipe Yamashita received recognition for their study on how some plants mimic artificial plastic, highlighting the interaction between natural and man-made environments.
The Anatomy Prize honored research on how human hair swirl patterns vary by hemisphere, revealing subtle biological differences linked to geography. Similarly, Lieven A. Schenk, Tahmine Fadai, and Christian Büchel explored the placebo effect in Medicine, distinguishing between fake medicines causing painful versus non-painful side effects and highlighting the psychological and physical aspects of medicinal efficacy.
Additionally, James C. Liao received the Physics Prize for analyzing the swimming behavior of deceased trout, which provided insights into fluid dynamics and aquatic locomotion.
A U.S. and Japanese research team won the Physiology Prize for discovering that some mammals can breathe through their anuses in emergencies, a finding with potential medical and biological implications. Meanwhile, František Bartoš and colleagues earned the Probability Prize for their experiment on coin flips, exploring the randomness and predictability of probability theory.
Furthermore, Tess Heeremans and her team received the Chemistry Prize for using chromatography to distinguish between intoxicated and sober worms, a whimsical study with implications for toxicology and substance detection.
Saul Justin Newman uncovered discrepancies in age record-keeping among long-lived communities, potentially influencing aging population policies worldwide. Meanwhile, Fordyce Ely and William E. Petersen received an award for their 1941 experiment involving a paper bag explosion to study involuntary milk ejection in cows—an unconventional yet foundational livestock study.
Additionally, the Ig Nobel Prizes continued blending humor with discussions on the link between innovative science and everyday life, thereby demonstrating science's diversity and unpredictability.
