Cockroach Milk, How to Blow Your Nose, and Mosquito Printers: The Ig Nobels of 2026
Every year, the prizes recognize the weirdest research that often raises some very serious scientific questions.
The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded in Zurich, Switzerland, with ten research projects honored for their unusual and unexpected findings. One award recognized the scientific definition of a kiss, which the researchers defined as a non-agonistic interaction involving directed intraspecific oral-oral contact with movement of the lips or oral structures and without the transfer of food.
Other winners included a study on how socioeconomic status may lead to increased unethical behavior, a discovery of nutritious "cockroach milk" produced by certain species of cockroaches, and a posthumous award to a scientist who studied the correct way to blow one's nose. In the biology category, researchers determined that stepping on a snake's tail increases the likelihood of a defensive bite, while a physics prize was awarded for designing an optimal urinal angle to minimize splashback.
A technological innovation recognized was the use of dead mosquito proboscises as fine needles for 3-D printing, and a family-oriented prize highlighted how parents often perceive their children's body odor more favorably than teenagers. The Peace Prize went to those who prefer mean friends, and a soil science award celebrated the use of old underwear to assess soil health through the "underwear index." All ten ceremonies are now available online.
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