TRENDING SCIENCE: Weird and wacky: spoof Nobels award science that makes you laugh, then think

On 9 September, the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony awarded 10 research projects that first make people laugh and then make them think. It was organised by the science humour magazine ‘Annals of Improbable Research’ and held virtually because of COVID-19. You can watch the gut-busting, 2-hour-long presentations by the scientists here or here. Thinking of watching with underage viewers? Discretion is advised for the medicine winner…

The event takes place at Harvard University every year. Yes, that Harvard. Individuals and teams received their prizes from Nobel winners. Yes, real laureates, nine of them in total. All winners received a 10 trillion Zimbabwe dollar banknote. For many of the scientists, the very generous cash prize will go a long way towards furthering science in many of their respective fields.The winners competed in both conventional and odd categories: biology, ecology, chemistry, economics, medicine, peace, physics, kinetics, entomology and transportation.

Have you ever thought about the best way to move rhinos? Why should you care? Rhinos are often airlifted to save them from poaching. It’s better to transport them upside down, according to findings in the ‘Journal of Wildlife Diseases’. And that’s your transportation winner.

Remember the disgust you felt when you touched old chewing gum? For good reason. There’s a lot of bacteria in people’s mouths. But just how much is there? Genetic analysis identified the different species that live in wads of chewing gum stuck on pavements in five countries. Surprisingly, bacteria stuck around for a long time, says a study in ‘Scientific Reports’. Why should you care? This research has implications in fields like criminology, contagious disease control and waste management. The ecology winner, of course.Isn’t science supposed to be fun, or is that just in the classroom? Shouldn’t research be serious, and not subject to, erm, ridicule? Years ago, the prestigious ‘Nature’ journal had this to say: “The Ig Nobel awards are arguably the highlight of the scientific calendar. … They are a welcome antidote to the everyday seriousness and stuffiness of life in the lab, providing a run down of mildly amusing, and sometimes frankly ridiculous, science.”

It continued: “Some people may raise their eyebrows at such seemingly pointless science. But … we need research like this to lighten our lives. Science has become something of a black hole for comedy, a fun-free singularity where absurdities vanish like grant money.”

‘Nature’ concluded by claiming that there’s a worthier objective. “The awards help to stimulate a natural curiosity in the world around us, and reach audiences that the authors of conventional research papers can only dream of: those who think that science is dull, complicated and of no relevance to their lives. … Winners of the prizes don’t take themselves too seriously either, which helps make scientists seem human. … Embrace instead the amusing eccentric who pursues worthy science and has a laugh. Like any discipline, science shouldn’t be exempt from satire.”

So while you wait for the real Nobels next month, entertain yourself with research from 24 countries spanning 6 continents that’s odd, funny and even absurd.