Certainly everyone knows about the prestige that comes from winning the Nobel Prize, the ultimate award in culture and science. However, one can also receive recognition for research pursuits that are a bit wackier.
The Ig Nobel Prizes were given last week at Harvard by the science humor magazine The Annals of Improbable Research. Now in its 25th year, these silly awards commend people for taking on funny projects, while still engaging in interesting and valuable science.
One winner found a unique way to diagnose appendicitis. Another examined the positive biomedical effects of kissing. And another developed a new pain index, which determined the most painful places on the body to get stung by insects. The worst spot, as one would guess, is...well, let’s just call it a bathing suit area. The winners of the literature Ig discovered that every human language has an equivalent to the word “huh.”
So if you think there are no new research projects out there, or if you think no one will care about your findings, think again—there just might be an Ig Nobel Prize waiting for you. Get researching!
The Ig Nobel Prizes were given last week at Harvard by the science humor magazine The Annals of Improbable Research. Now in its 25th year, these silly awards commend people for taking on funny projects, while still engaging in interesting and valuable science.
One winner found a unique way to diagnose appendicitis. Another examined the positive biomedical effects of kissing. And another developed a new pain index, which determined the most painful places on the body to get stung by insects. The worst spot, as one would guess, is...well, let’s just call it a bathing suit area. The winners of the literature Ig discovered that every human language has an equivalent to the word “huh.”
So if you think there are no new research projects out there, or if you think no one will care about your findings, think again—there just might be an Ig Nobel Prize waiting for you. Get researching!