Ig Nobel Prizes Awarded in Zurich for Absurd Yet Thought-Provoking…
The 36th Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held in Zurich, Switzerland, for scientific studies that first make people laugh and then make them think. Awards were given in fields including biomechanics, economics, chemistry, and physics for research on topics such as a new definition of kissing, class-based dishonesty, and the nutritional value of cockroach milk.
Consensus
- The 36th Ig Nobel Prize ceremony took place in Zurich, Switzerland.
- The ceremony honors scientific research that first causes laughter and then prompts reflection.
- The event was held for the first time in Zurich, having previously been held in Boston for 35 years.
- The Ig Nobel Prize is a parody of the Nobel Prize, aiming to promote interest in science, medicine, and technology.
- A new, non-anthropocentric definition of kissing was awarded in the field of biomechanics.
- Research on the higher likelihood of unethical behavior among upper-class individuals was awarded in economics.
- The nutritional value of milk from the live-bearing cockroach Diploptera punctata was found to be three times higher than cow's milk, earning a prize in chemistry.
- A study on the aerodynamics of sneezing, published in 1977, was awarded posthumously in medicine.
- The ceremony was hosted by Mark Abrahams, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize.
Points of divergence
- The prize in medicine was awarded to Japanese researcher Tokudji Uno, whose work on the aerodynamics of sneezing was published in 1977 and received posthumous recognition, with a colleague receiving the award on his behalf. — vm
- The physics prize was awarded to an international team for proposing a urinal that reduces splashback. — vesti
- Scientists from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences created hybrid cells combining human and malaria mosquito genomes to train artificial intelligence to analyze non-standard genetic sequences. — vesti
- The study on kissing suggests that kissing originated around 20 million years ago in the ancestors of modern primates and that Neanderthals practiced kissing not only within their species but also with other human species. — vm
- The study on kissing emphasizes that it is distinct from feeding or grooming and applies to animals such as ants, birds, and polar bears. — vesti
- The economic study cited experiments involving expensive car owners breaking traffic rules and students at the University of Berkeley taking cookies left for children. — vm
- The economic study concluded that higher social classes show more disrespect toward less affluent people. — vesti
Coverage (3 sources)
- Shnobele Prize laureates in 2026 — Вечерняя Москва
- In Zurich, the 36th Shnolbelev Prize for strange scientific discoveries was awarded — Вести
- Shnobele Prize 2026 awarded in Switzerland — Вечерняя Москва