Cockroach Milk, Mosquito Printers, and Nose-Blowing Science: 2026 Ig Nobels Handed Out
At a ceremony in Zurich, the Ig Nobel Prizes honored ten quirky research projects, from defining a kiss to measuring soil health with buried underwear.
Since 1991, the organization Improbable Research has handed out the Ig Nobel Prizes to honor scientific achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think. This year's ceremony took place in Zurich, Switzerland, and recognized ten research projects.
In biomechanics, a team proposed a scientific definition of a kiss that applies to animals as well as humans: a non-aggressive interaction with oral-oral contact and movement of lips or oral structures, without food transfer. By this standard, dogs, cats, penguins, squirrels and even tortoises can be kissers.
The economics prize went to a study linking higher social class with a greater tendency for unethical behavior, such as breaking traffic rules, cheating, or taking candy from children.
The chemistry award recognized research on the nutrient-rich "milk" produced by Diploptera punctata cockroaches. Scientists analyzed crystals inside embryos to understand how proteins, fats and sugars are packed so densely.
In medicine, the late Unno Tokuji was honored for his work on proper nose blowing. His advice: blow one nostril at a time, using a long, relatively forceful exhalation.
A biology study measured the defensive biting behavior of Bothrops jararaca pit vipers. Stepping on the head produced a 44 percent chance of a bite, on the body 20 percent, and on the tail just 11 percent.
The physics prize went to mathematical modeling of the optimal angle at which a liquid stream hits a urinal to minimize splashback. Lower impact angles significantly reduced splashes, leading to prototypes.
In technology, researchers turned dead mosquitoes into 3D-printing components. The insect's proboscis, refined by evolution, works as an extremely fine nozzle.
Smell researchers confirmed that parents rate young children's body odor more favorably than teenagers' odor, suggesting a role for smell in family bonding.
The peace prize highlighted that people often prefer a friend who is kind to them but cruel to their enemies.
Finally, the soil science prize was awarded for the "underwear index": about 1,000 participants buried cotton underwear and later checked the holes to gauge microbial activity and soil health.
