Episode description

Every once in a while, somebody does something in the name of science that turns out to be really useful. Their research changes the world, a eureka moment catapults them onto the world stage for making scientific history. They might even be awarded a Nobel prize.

But what about the science we don’t hear about? 

We don’t often witness the shock, the surprise, and, most importantly, the humour behind the scenes in moments of discovery. The things people set out to do that really matter to them and turn out to be hilarious. 

Like personally building and testing a suit of armour that would protect you from grizzly bears.

Or analysing the forces required to drag sheep across various surfaces, and discovering that it's easier to drag a sheep downhill. 

Or one of our personal faves - a bomb that, if deployed, would make enemy soldiers become irresistibly sexually attracted to each other. 

Now that’s the kind of science we love to talk about. And that’s exactly why the Ig Nobel prize exists. This prize is not about making the best or most impactful discovery. The Ig Nobel Prize is awarded to someone who has done something that makes people laugh and then think.

It’s bringing the jokes back into science!

In this episode, we’re joined by the man himself, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize, Marc Abrahams, to talk about where the idea for the prizes came from and some of the funny things people have done in their pursuit of science.

To be clear, none of the Ig Nobel Prize winners set out to win an Ig Nobel Prize. They were all legitimately trying to discover something that they believed was important. They just didn’t know whether it would be utterly worthless or so incredible that it would change the world. The point is, it’s science. 

Like the Psychology Prize that was awarded to German scientist, Fritz Strack, for discovering that holding a pen in your mouth makes you happier… and then disproving himself and realising that it actually doesn't. Lol.

And the Medical Education Prize that went to Japanese doctor, Akira Horiuchi, for his lessons learned from self-colonoscopy in the sitting position. Rest assured, if you're on a desert island and you do need to do a colonoscopy by yourself, it can be done!

One thing that’s really cool about the Ig Nobel prizes is that if an entry doesn’t fit into an existing category, they just invent a new one. 

It’s wonderful to think about curiosity and play coming back into the centre of the scientific process and that every day people are being recognised for their wacky and wonderful discoveries.

Did we mention that the reward for the 2023 Ig Nobel Prize winners was a ten trillion dollar bill?

MORE FROM IMPROBABLE RESEARCH:

• Website: https://improbable.com/
• 2023 Ig Nobel Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9UQi0ORXv4 

PREVIOUS EPISODES MENTIONED:

• The Heroes and Idiots of Scientific Self-Experimentation! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ-e0Ld-p0w
• The Life and Times of Alfred Nobel https://omny.fm/shows/the-wholesome-show/the-life-and-times-of-alfred-nobel
• Smart Toilets, Brain Pics, Corpse Comfort, Nuclear Moon, Space Fashion, and Super Conductivity https://youtu.be/WJhxFtrO9Mo?si=c7HCXK4I0wVSxqU7&t=580 

SOURCES:

• https://improbable.com/ig/2023-ceremony/
• https://improbable.com/ig/about-the-ig-nobel-prizes/
• https://improbable.com/ig/winners/ 

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