Science that makes you laugh

The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes honored research ranging from splash-free urinals to mosquito-nozzle 3D printers. The annual awards celebrate achievements that first amuse people, then inspire deeper thought.

“achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.”

Quirks of the ceremony

Winners must deliver acceptance speeches in under 60 seconds. Experts also participate in 24/7 lectures, explaining their work once in 24 seconds and again in just seven words.

Leaving the United States

After 35 years in Boston, the ceremony moved to Zurich, Switzerland. Organizers cited safety concerns and international attendees' growing reluctance to travel to the US.

“We cannot in good conscience ask the new winners... to travel to the US this year.”

A new European home

The awards will rotate through European host cities, including Antwerp and Zurich. The event will adopt a Eurovision-style format rooted across Europe for the foreseeable future.

Redefining the kiss

Biomechanics researchers crafted a precise, non-anthropocentric definition of kissing to analyze mouth-to-mouth interactions across animal species without including feeding behaviors.

“non-agonistic interactions involving directed, intraspecific, oral-oral contact with some movement of the lips/mouthparts and no food transfer”

Evolutionary history of kissing

Most large apes and human Neanderthal ancestors engaged in kissing. Interestingly, Eastern gorillas appear to have lost this evolutionary trait over time.

Wealth and unethical behavior

Seven related studies examined whether social status influences ethics. Upper-class participants consistently proved more likely to cut off drivers, lie on tests, and steal candy meant for children.

The mindset of the elite

Wealthier subjects in the study were significantly more likely to view greed as a positive attribute. Researchers concluded that self-interest operates as a primary driver among society's elite.

“the pursuit of self-interest is a more fundamental motive among society’s elite”

Secrets of cockroach milk

The viviparous cockroach nourishes embryos by secreting protein-rich liquid milk. The liquid crystallizes in embryonic guts, speeding up development.

Supercharged insect nourishment

X-ray diffraction revealed that cockroach milk crystals contain three times the energy of cow dairy milk. Their tightly packed lattice structure provides a constant supply of complete nutrients.

Physics of nose blowing

The late Tokuji Unno measured the velocity and pressure of nose-blowing across 60 trials. Improper or violent nose-blowing can cause sinus infections and even eye socket fractures.

How to blow correctly

Measurements showed that a fast, sustained expiratory thrust expels mucus most efficiently. Pressure changes in ear canals were low enough that vigorous blowing poses minimal risk of ear infection.

“a big and long nose blow is therefore recommended to prevent upper and lower respiratory tract diseases.”

Stepping on pit vipers

Researchers wearing safety boots repeatedly stepped on 75 venomous pit vipers in a lab. They aimed to identify specific physical triggers that cause snakes to strike humans.

What triggers a snakebite

Pit vipers were most likely to bite during warm daytime hours, especially if stepped on the head. Younger, smaller snakes were significantly more aggressive than larger ones.

Solving urinal splashback

Fluid dynamics researchers discovered that liquid striking porcelain at an angle under 30 degrees flows smoothly instead of splashing. Dogs naturally utilize this principle when lifting their legs.

The nautilus shell solution

Computer modeling yielded the "Nautilus" urinal design, featuring a curved shell structure. Prototypes completely eliminated splashback across a wide range of user heights.

3D printing with mosquitoes

Engineers adapted female mosquito proboscises to act as ultra-fine dispensing nozzles for 3D printers, pioneering a field called necroprinting.

Microscopic organic nozzles

Mosquito nozzles achieved printing resolutions of 18 to 22 microns, half the size of the smallest commercial metal tips. They offer a cheap alternative for printing cell scaffolds and electronics.

Why babies smell so good

Newborn body odor activates reward centers in parental brains, helping forge essential bonding. Mothers can often recognize their baby's unique scent within hours of birth.

Teen scent shifts parental bonds

A survey of 235 parents revealed that scent appreciation drops steadily as children age. Hormonal changes in teens lower parental enjoyment, matching the child's growing independence.

Valuing vicious friends

Studies across the US and India revealed that while people prefer kind friends for themselves, they explicitly want those friends to act viciously toward their enemies.

Context dictates loyalty

Social context heavily shapes friend preferences. People desire kindness toward neutral strangers, but welcome targeted aggression directed solely at their adversaries.

Buried underpants measure soil

Volunteers buried 1,000 pairs of cotton underpants across 25 countries for two months. Scientists used their decomposition rate to map global soil health and microbial activity.

The underpants index works

Underpants degraded fastest in private gardens rich in organic matter, and slowest in sterile lawns. The test proved as reliable as standard tea bag decomposition metrics.