Ig Nobel prizes go to scientists studying cockroach milk, nose-blowing, more

Ten research teams were honored at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, marking the first time the satirical science awards were hosted outside the United States due to travel concerns. The ceremony, organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, shifted to Europe after 35 years in the U.S. over visa issues.

The award-winning projects included studying milk from cockroaches, analyzing soil health using underwear, reconstructing the evolutionary history of kissing, and investigating the science of blowing one's nose. Among the recipients were Matilda Brindle and Stuart West from the University of Oxford, and Catherine F. Talbot from Florida Institute of Technology.

Another team buried 1,000 pairs of underwear in over 25 countries to study decomposition. As customary, the audience threw paper airplanes at the stage. Future ceremonies will alternate between Zurich and other European cities, with the 2027 event held in Antwerp. The master of ceremonies, Marc Abrahams, cited safety concerns for attendees in the U.S. as the reason for moving the event abroad.