2026 Ig Nobel Prizes honor odd but genuine science

Founded in 1991, the Ig Nobel Prizes are a lighthearted parody of the Nobel Prizes, honoring research that first makes people laugh, then makes them think. The ceremony is known for its quirky format, including miniature operas, live scientific demonstrations, and "24/7" lectures, where researchers must explain their work in 24 seconds and then in just seven words, with acceptance speeches capped at 60 seconds.

This year marked a major shift: after 35 years in Boston, the ceremony was held in Zurich, Switzerland, and will continue rotating through European cities going forward. Organizers cited growing concerns about the safety of international guests traveling to the US. Master of ceremonies Marc Abrahams noted that last year four of the ten winners chose to skip the event rather than travel to the US, and conditions have not improved since. Next year's ceremony moves to Antwerp, with Zurich hosting again in 2028 and every even-numbered year thereafter, a rotation Abrahams compared to the Eurovision Song Contest.

This year's winners

The biomechanics prize went to researchers who developed a more precise, less human-centric definition of kissing applicable across species, finding that most great apes engage in some form of it, though eastern gorillas appear to have lost the trait.

The economics prize recognized research showing that people of higher social status are more likely to behave unethically, including taking candy meant for children and cutting off other drivers or pedestrians.

The chemistry prize honored the discovery that milk proteins from a species of live-birthing cockroach pack roughly three times the energy of cow's milk proteins.

The medicine prize was awarded posthumously for a study on the aerodynamics of proper nose-blowing, which found that a strong, sustained blow more effectively clears mucus.

The biology prize went to researchers who repeatedly stepped on venomous pit vipers under varying conditions to determine which factors, such as temperature, time of day, and where the snake was touched, made a bite more likely.

The physics prize recognized years of work designing a splash-free urinal, concluding that the angle at which the stream hits the surface determines whether it splashes or flows smoothly.