{
  "id": 5391172,
  "title": "Wissenschaft: Babyduft und Pissoir - Preis für kuriose Forschung",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/wissenschaft-babyduft-und-pissoir-preis-fur-kuriose-forschung",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-03T18:35:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/wissenschaft-babyduft-und-pissoir-preis-fuer-kuriose-forschung/100251903.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "A German research team has discovered that parents react more strongly to their baby's body odor than to their teenagers'. The study, conducted in collaboration with German scientists, received the Ig-Nobel Prize for quirky research in Zurich. The Ig-Nobel awards aim to elicit laughter first, then reflection, as the creators describe. Ilona Croy, a co-winner from the University of Jena, told dpa in Zurich, \"Science can be funny too,\" and she was delighted to receive the award. Another prize went to the discovery that mosquito mouthparts can be used as 3D printing nozzles. Another team found that well-off people are more likely to snack on their children's sweets than those with less money. The experiments for a malfunctioning toilet also received recognition. The fun effect is emphasized at the award ceremony as well. This year's trophy resembled a mushroom growing out of a foot, resting on a stool resembling blue cheese. The backdrop for the prize ceremony's relocation is serious, however. The shift, taking place for the first time since 1991 from the US to Europe, is due to the political situation in the US, with strict visa policies and aggressive immigration enforcement, according to Marc Abrahams, editor of the satirical science journal \"Annals of Improbable Research\" that awards the prizes. The ceremony is planned for Antwerp in 2027. The award's name, Ig-Nobel Prizes, is a play on the actual Nobels, with \"ignoble\" in English roughly translating to \"dishonorable\" in German. The baby and teenager odor study found that as children get older, parents find their smell less pleasant. \"At least nobody chases after the teenager to kiss them on the forehead because they smell so good,\" Croy explained. The brain scans showed that the baby odor triggers neural circuits that prompt parental care. \"The care response in parents comes from the big baby eyes, the babbling sounds, and the smell too,\" she said. \"The smell also triggers the reflex to care for us.\" The team had adults sniff baby and teenager odors while their brains were scanned. The smells came from cotton fabrics worn by babies and children overnight after being washed with a neutral soap and sleeping in odorless bedding. Older parents generally found baby odors pleasant and tended to acknowledge their own baby more often, while teenager odors were rated less favorably. Hormones of puberty may explain this, Croy suggested. She joined researchers Thomas Hummel from the University of Dresden, Agnieszka Sorokowska, and Tomasz Frackowiak from Poland in the study.",
  "summary": "Wissenschaft mit Augenzwinkern: In Zürich werden kuriose Studien zu Babyduft, Mückenrüsseln und Pissoirs prämiert.",
  "key_points": [
    "Parents react more strongly to baby body odor than teenagers",
    "Ig-Nobel Prize awarded for quirky research",
    "Study conducted by German scientists in collaboration"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}