Ig Nobel prizes awarded for 2010

While the Nobel Prize garnered much of the media attention last week, an arguably equally important honor was also rewarded.

On September 30th, the Twentieth 1st Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held at Harvard University. Celebrating the lighter side of science, the Ig Nobels recognize the more imaginative and unusual research conducted by the scientific community.

As the Ig Nobel Committee explains, “The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.”

While the research may be humorous, this does not mean the recipients of this award are not serious scientists.

In fact, one of this year’s Nobel Prize winners was once honored with an Ig Nobel. Andre Geim, this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize in physics for his work on graphene, won an Ig Nobel in 2000 for using magnets to levitate a frog.

Unlike the Nobel Prize, whose prizes are always presented in the categories of peace, literature, economics, chemistry, medicine and physics, the Ig Nobels do not have standard categories. To add to the amusement, actual Nobel laureates are invited to hand out the awards to the Ig recipients.

While some may view the award ceremony as demeaning, in reality, the Ig Nobel is meant to celebrate the process of scientific research and discovery.

The Nobel Prize honors those whose work has changed the foundations of science, and the Ig Nobel honors the work that, while less important, inspires in people a greater interest in science, medicine and technology.

Here is a synopsis of this year’s winners:

 

Engineering 

While the “Save the Whales” campaign of the 1970s was successful in increasing public awareness about the plight of whales, scientists still know little about these large mammals. One of the difficulties has been devising ways to study whales from a safe distance.

This is where the team of scientists from the UK and Mexico figure into the picture. Employing a remote-control toy helicopter, the team of scientists has devised a method to collect whale snot.

Information from these samples can give scientists valuable information about the health of an entire population. Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse, Agnes Rocha-Gosselin and Diane Gendron, the three scientists involved in the research, all came to the ceremony to accept the award.

 

Medicine 

Asthma is believed to affect over 300 million people worldwide. In 2009, it was responsble for over 250,000 deaths. While it is generally treatable, some individuals continue to struggle with the disease. However, there is hope.

Simon Rietveld and Ilja van Beest found that the symptoms of asthma can be treated with a roller-coaster ride.

Unfortunately, the side-effects for this treatment include dizziness, nausea and occasional vomiting. If symptoms persist, you are advised to stop riding roller coasters.

 

Public Health 

This prize went to Manuel Barbeito, Charles Mathews and Larry Taylor for demonstrating that microbes cling to the beards of scientists who possess said facial hair. This, however, will not change a thing for me. I will keep my beard.

 

Transportation Planning

For centuries, engineers and architects have looked to nature to find inspiration. Some scientists, however, have taken this concept to the extreme. A team of Japanese and British scientists have been awarded an Ig Nobel for using slime mold to determine the optimal routes for railroad tracks.

Three of this year’s winners, Toshiyuki Nakagaki, Ryo Kobayashi and Atsushi Tero, were previously awarded the Ig Nobel in 2008 for demonstrating that slime mold also possesses the ability to solve maze puzzles.

 

Physics 

During Snowmaggedon, I slipped on the ice and fell flat on my back more times than I would have liked. While I am thankful that I broke no bones, I would like to avoid such painful experiences in the future.

Luckily for me, scientists from New Zealand have demonstrated that on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes. This may be a fashion faux-pas, but I’ll let the fashion columnist sweat over that one.

 

Chemistry

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity. To that, I say there is such a thing as not good publicity. This year’s Ig Nobel in chemistry goes to Eric Adams, Scott Socolofsky, Stephen Masutani and British Petroleum for disproving the old belief that oil and water don’t mix.

Like I said, not all publicity is good publicity.

 

Peace 

When you stub your toe, your first gut reaction is to curse. However, there is always someone in the room looking at you with disapproval. Next time you notice such judging gazes, inform the onlookers that the cursing helps you cope with the pain.

If they then respond with, “Oh yeah, says who?” tell them Richard Stephens, John Atkins, and Andrew Kingston. These scientists proved the widely held belief that swearing relieves pain. Who said science was boring?