The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded Thursday in Zurich, Switzerland, recognizing ten unusual scientific studies that "first make people laugh, and then make them think." The ceremony, held outside the U.S. for the first time in 36 years, honored research ranging from the optimal technique for blowing one's nose to the social dynamics of friendship.
Ten studies awarded Ig Nobel Prizes in Zurich ceremony
The Ig Nobel Prizes, organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, were presented at a convention center in Zurich. The awards, which parody the Nobel Prizes, included a trophy shaped like a mushroom-human foot hybrid. Winners received their prizes from genuine Nobel laureates before being pelted with paper airplanes, a tradition of the event.
Japanese study wins Medicine Prize for nose-blowing research
A team from Wakayama Medical College in Japan received the Ig Nobel Medicine Prize for a 1970s study analyzing the most effective way to blow one's nose. The research measured the speed and volume of air expelled during forceful exhalation, concluding that a "big and long" nose blow is most effective at clearing nasal secretions. Lead author Dr. Tokuji Unno received the award posthumously.
German study wins Olfaction Prize for teenage odor research
A group of researchers from Germany won the Ig Nobel Olfaction Prize for a 2017 study examining how parents perceive their children's body odor. The study, which surveyed 235 parents, found that young children were rated as having a pleasant smell, while this perception declined sharply after puberty. The researchers suggested this shift may reflect changing parental bonding needs as children age.
Other notable winners include cockroach milk and underwear studies
Additional prizes were awarded for:
- Reproductive biology: A study on the nutritional value of cockroach milk, which some researchers believe could be a sustainable food source.
- Ecology: A global experiment involving 1,000 buried pairs of underwear to assess soil health.
- Peace: Research on why people prefer "vicious" friends—individuals who are fiercely loyal to them but not necessarily to others.
- Biomechanics: A team that reconstructed the evolutionary history of kissing across species.
Ceremony moves to Europe amid U.S. visa concerns
The ceremony's relocation to Zurich marked the first time the event was held outside the U.S. in its 36-year history. Organizers cited increasing visa challenges and safety concerns for international attendees as key reasons for the move. Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobels, noted that four of the ten winners from last year's ceremony declined to travel to the U.S. due to unpredictable immigration policies.
The awards, which celebrate "imaginative" science, have been hosted in the U.S. since their inception in 1991. Abrahams described the move as an opportunity to expand the event's reach, though he acknowledged it was bittersweet to leave the ceremony's original home.