{
  "id": 7390406,
  "title": "Ig Nobel Prizes Honor Cockroach Milk, Splash-Free Urinals and the Science of Kissing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/ig-nobel-prizes-honor-cockroach-milk-splash-free-urinals-and-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T19:48:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/14/ig-nobel-prizes-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 3rd, 2026, the 36th Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony took place in Zurich, Switzerland, marking a shift from the awards' traditional American venue. This year's winners explored a diverse array of topics that ranged from the unusual to the scientifically intriguing. The Chemistry Prize was awarded to Sanchari Banerjee and his team for their detailed examination of the protein crystals found in the milk-like substance produced by the Pacific beetle cockroach, Diploptera punctata. Unlike the milk in dairy products, this secretion is rich in energy, containing more than three times the nutritional value in the form of crystals. The Physics Prize was bestowed upon Randy Hurd, Zhao Pan, Tadd Truscott, and Kaveeshan Thurairajah for their innovative work on creating urinals that do not splash. By analyzing the angle and speed at which liquid streams hit surfaces, the researchers applied principles of fluid dynamics to solve a common problem in bathroom design. The Soil Science Prize was presented to Franz Bender, Marcel van der Heijden, Atlant Bieri, and Pia Viviani for a unique experiment that involved burying 1,000 identical cotton underpants in various countries. After two months, they recovered the underpants to study how different soil conditions affected their decomposition. This simple yet effective method offered insights into the breakdown of organic materials by microorganisms. The Economics Prize recognized Paul Piff, Daniel Stancato, Stephane Cote, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner for their investigation into the link between social class and unethical behavior. Their study found that individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to take candy intended for children, suggesting that class can influence moral decision-making. The Biomechanics Prize was awarded to Matilda Brindle, Catherine Talbot, and Stuart West for developing a comprehensive definition of kissing that applies across various species, including ants, birds, polar bears, and humans. This research aimed to establish a universal understanding of this behavior, which occurs in a wide range of biological contexts. Additionally, Colombian researchers shared the spotlight, having received previous Ig Nobel Prizes for studies on kissing, animal behavior, and language. Juan David Leongomez won the Economics Prize in 2020 for his research on the relationship between national income inequality and the frequency of kissing, while Felipe Borrero-Echeverry shared the Biology Prize in 2018 for proving that wine experts could identify a single fruit fly in a glass solely through smell. The final prize, the Linguistics Prize, was awarded to Juan Manuel Toro, Josep B. Trobalon, and Núria Sebastián-Galles in 2007 for demonstrating that rats could not differentiate between backward recordings of Japanese and Dutch speech, highlighting the importance of rhythm and intonation in human language perception. The Ig Nobel Prizes, organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, celebrate scientific achievements that evoke laughter and encourage deeper thought. Despite the unconventional nature of the subjects, the winning studies are grounded in genuine research and experimentation, offering valuable insights into various scientific fields.",
  "summary": "The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes honored research on cockroach milk, splash-free urinals, buried underpants, social class and kissing at a ceremony in Zurich on Sept. 3. It was the first time the awards have been presented outside the United States in their 36-year history. The ceremony, held at the Kongresshaus Zurich, moved to Switzerland after […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "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."
}