The 2026 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced on September 3 in Zurich, Switzerland. The award celebrates research that first makes people laugh, then makes them think. The ceremony, now in its 36th year, recognized achievements in ten categories.
The biomechanics prize went to Mathilde Brindle, Catherine Talbot, and Stuart West for their attempt to provide a more precise definition of a kiss. They studied oral contact among ants, birds, polar bears, and humans, and formulated criteria to distinguish a kiss from other forms of contact. The scientists defined a kiss as "non-aggressive interaction between individuals of the same species involving directed mouth-to-mouth contact with movement of lips or mouthparts and no transfer of food."
In physics, researchers were honored for using theoretical calculations and experiments to design a urinal that does not splash. The authors studied fluid dynamics and proposed an approach based on physics and differential equations.
The soil science prize was awarded to scientists from Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. They buried a thousand identical pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries and dug them up after two months. The experiment was used to assess soil health based on the degree of fabric decomposition.
Another unusual award went to researchers studying odors. Scientists from Poland, Germany, and Sweden found that parents typically rate the smell of infants as pleasant, while the smell of teenagers is perceived significantly worse.
The biology prize was given to researchers who studied the defensive behavior of venomous snakes. They repeatedly and carefully stepped on different parts of snakes' bodies, conducting experiments at various temperatures and times of day to determine which stimuli provoke bites.
In the technology category, laureates were scientists from China, Canada, the US, and Egypt. They used mosquito proboscises as high-precision nozzles for 3D printing, calling the development "necropriting." The chemistry prize went to an international group for studying protein crystals in the milk of a viviparous cockroach. The proteins were found to contain about three times more energy than those in cow's milk.
The economics prize was awarded to researchers from the US, Mexico, and Canada for investigating the link between social status and unethical behavior. In one experiment, participants were primed to feel high or low social status, then offered candies from a jar, told they were for children. Those primed with higher status took on average about twice as many candies.
The medical prize was posthumously awarded to Japanese physician Tokuji Unno for his 1977 study on the aerodynamics of nose-blowing. The peace prize went to researchers from the US, Argentina, and Australia for studying why people value friends who are tough on their enemies. They concluded that such friends are preferred because their willingness to confront adversaries is seen as a sign of loyalty and protection of one's interests.
The Ig Nobel Prize is given for unusual scientific research that aims not only to entertain but also to encourage people to think about everyday phenomena from an unexpected perspective.
Source: podrobno.uz